Young people create two new Dartmoor films

Dartmoor’s stunning landscape, ever changing weather and fascinating folklore is an inspiration for many film makers and this year it has again worked its magic on 13 young people aged between 8 and 16 from the Buckfastleigh area.

Working with Jellyfish Productions, as part of Dartmoor National Park’s Naturally Healthy Project, the young film makers have created two incredible, atmospheric and spirited short films My Dear Mother & The Old Church Mystery.

The Old Church Mystery made by 5 young people aged 8 – 12 was inspired by the location of the Holy Trinity Church Buckfastleigh, and My Dear Mother by the church in Buckland In The Moor, Grey Wood and Buckland Beacon with it’s fascinating 10 Commandment Stones and was filmed on Buckland Beacon and Grey Woods with permission from The Woodland Trust who own and care for the wood.

Over 70 people of all ages came to the Dartmoor National Park Visitor Centre in Princetown to celebrate the Launch of the 2 films on Saturday 8 October and to see an exhibition of images, taken by the young people, showing the film-making process.

Along with the young film-makers, their friends and family the audience included people from Buckfastleigh, Totnes, Ashburton, Chagford and more. National Park staff also attended the event with  Orlando Rutter, Head of Outreach and Education, Ali Kohler Director of Conservation and  Communities and Bill Hitchins, Chair of Dartmoor National Park Authority, who thought the films were “excellent and a wonderful representation of Dartmoor.”

Orlando Rutter said of the project:

“The Dartmoor Naturally Healthy Project aims to help people of all ages get the most out of Dartmoor’s uplifting and revitalising qualities. The Jellyfish youth film project has certainly managed to engage a significant number of young people at a meaningful depth of relationship with Dartmoor’s special qualities. The creative energy shown by participants and the personal stories shared through an evaluation process, highlight the wellbeing these young people attribute to their time on Dartmoor.”

Both films show the creativity and skill of the young film-makers who were inspired by the wonderful landscape and myths of Dartmoor, full of beauty and mystery. The young film-makers follow in the footsteps of Arthur Conan Doyle and other artists and writers who have been inspired by Dartmoor – and their films proved to be as full of mystery, suspense and morality – showing what can happen if you don’t respect the landscape and people within it!

Nathilde Overrein Rapp from Jellyfish Productions said:

“This is the third year I have run Jellyfish Community Youth Film Project. This summer’s courses have enabled young people from different social backgrounds to create two films, inspired by local locations and history, myths, legends, and their identity within it. Dartmoor as the main location was new to many of the kids even though they were all local. Being outdoors and reading history and stories as inspiration made them open up to a creative new way of thinking - their films are magical, modern stories with young people’s visions.”

“The teamwork, collaboration between ages and gender, sharing and looking after each other outdoors was great for them. They all learned new skills and gained confidence and discipline in many ways. Long walks for exercise was not what they would have chosen to do themselves, but by participating in this creative arts project, the adrenaline gave them new visions, built on having respect for Dartmoor and its landscape.”

“Being outdoors can be challenging and issues and problems had to be solved as a team for everyone to feel safe and included. The benefits of this film course go way beyond learning about film making - they also learn about their own strengths and weaknesses in a group within a wild environment. This year we also invited Emma Capper from Creative Journeys and storyteller Philippa Wood to provide two inspirational sessions for the young film makers in Grey Wood – a magic place to start brainstorming for a film story. ”

Bekki Redshaw, Naturally Healthy Project co-ordinator said: “I am really pleased that the project could fund, for the second year running, the amazing Jelly-Teenz project. The young people’s films show how Dartmoor is a beautiful, diverse place which can inspire the imagination as well as enable people to have a fun, active time. Combining its landscape, history, buildings and mythology they have taken all the elements of Dartmoor and created two amazing new interpretations.  The Naturally Healthy project is a research project to support people accessing Dartmoor as it is well documented that being in the natural world contributes to positive emotional and physical health.”

Robin Bramley Allen, one of the young film-makers said:  “Being outside filming was an important experience. We wouldn’t have made such a film if we had to do it inside, stuck within walls.”

The films can be seen throughout the year in the National Park Visitor Centre’s own cinema. The photographic exhibition will be shown until Friday 28 of October.