Introduction

We are working towards a documentary film of Birmingham.

Students and Staff at Mathew Boulton College are working on individual short documentaries in parts of Birmingham (in and around) that they think are interesting, unique, photogenic or special, either to themselves and/ or the wider community.

This could be anywhere: a street, park, shop, market, industry, cafe, allotment, barbers, bus route...

It could be a theme: People, Industry (Birmingham was once known globally as ‘The city of a thousand trades’), Music, Fashions, Architecture, Signs, Water, Canals...

Each film will work as a standalone film, a document of a particular space and time. Selected films will be compiled on a DVD, and combined as one larger film. ‘Birmingham – Symphony of a city*’.

There will be an Exhibition and screening at FEED – Millennium Point.

* This title is a reference to Walter Ruttman’s – ‘Berlin – Symphony of a city’ (1927). Talking about the film Ruttman said "Since I began in the cinema, I had the idea of making something out of life, of creating a symphonic film out of the millions of energies that comprise the life of a big city." More Info. Watch Here.

Other films we will look at for inspiration are:

Man with a Movie Camera More Info Watch

Finisterre (2003), Paul Kelly’s short films, Koyaanisqatsi, Baraka, Mitchel and Kenyon...

This site will be used as a research and pre production tool for the project as well as a discussion forum and presentation platform.

We welcome your input. Use Comments to 'chip in'.