York on film, 2012

This is a short film (4 mins 38), made in York. It has been online for some weeks now, but I imagine many visitors to this website won’t have seen it, and I’m really interested in your reactions and thoughts. Please watch before reading my waffle below …

I think I was alerted to the film via a tweet from City of York Council, and thought ‘Oh no, a promotional film …’ and also ‘what are you doing council, messing about with this, what about sorting out the bins’, and that kind of thing.

But anyway, I loved this film. I guess partly I liked it because it featured two women, and reminded me of times a friend and I had in York in the 1990s, though it wasn’t quite as stylish back then, and I remember mainly gigs in pubs with sticky carpets.

I thought it captured something timeless we could all relate to, while being set at a particular time, in a particular place.

I also found it a bit unsettling. First viewing left me staring out of the window, all thoughtful …

It confirmed something I’ve been thinking about for a while now. That each generation makes its own York. Within the enduring brick and stone of the same old buildings on the same old streets, new places take on significance for one generation because of who meets there, who runs them, who makes the most of them, where the energy and creativity and fun can be found.

I wondered if this film has the same effect on other viewers as it did on me, prompting thoughts of significant places in that time of life when you’re ‘young free and single’.

Which bookshops, bars, dance halls, cafés, restaurants, parks were happening places – and in which decade? What was ‘your York’ at that period in life when you might have jumped over railings to gatecrash a party, and tomorrow was ‘a whole new day to play with’?

More information

The film was commissioned by the council and made by Parashoots, based on Pavement. York Mix recently included an interview with the creative director Paul Richardson and project leader at the council, Nathalie Czarnecki: Film showcases ‘new’ York of delis, bars and bookshops. ‘We want people to enjoy watching it as a film and not feel they are being advertised to.’ Worked for me. Also want to mention Sophie Coulombeau, who co-wrote the script.

Previously … I hope everyone has also seen the fabulous film of bikers riding around York in the 60s. Compare and contrast … most obvious to me is that women get the lead roles now, rather than just having their legs admired ;)

Tag(s): film

About Lisa @YorkStories

Lisa @YorkStories is the creator, administrator, and writer of content on www.yorkstories.co.uk. She can be contacted on this link or via Twitter, @YorkStories
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