New documentary Almost Liverpool 8 is set to be released on 1 September 2021 at Royal Liverpool Philharmonic.
Almost Liverpool 8 is a love letter to the L8 postcode, made by filmmakers who live there. It features L8’s vibrant residents, alongside well known photographer Don McCullin. McCullin was inspired by Liverpool from a young age, the city was the subject of a great deal of his photography work.
Shot during lockdown, Almost Liverpool 8 captures the essence of pride and community in the area, during a time of hardship for many people.
Focusing on one photograph from his collection, a group of filmmakers from the area paint a contemporary portrait of the same postcode through the people who inhabit it today. From Turner Prize winning projects to a new generation of poets and artists, this film heads into the heart of the community to meet photographers, beekeepers, urban griots and the people that make Liverpool 8 a model example of a modern community.
A melting pot of cultures, people from all countries converge in an area as diverse as its population, where Georgian townhouses rub shoulders with social housing, and Mosques stand opposite Synagogues.
Almost Liverpool 8 is a lyrical look from within at a community often misunderstood.
Fast forward forty years to 2021 and this narrow, antiquated view of their postcode spurred the team at Shut Out The Light to showcase their home in its true light. Using the McCullin image as a reference to the past, ALMOST LIVERPOOL 8 paints a parallel picture of a modern vibrant postcode. With the idea of what is true, what can you tell from a photograph taken at one moment in time, the motif of the film is presenting L8 as a portrait—with a static camera observing people, landscapes and architecture. Contributors gaze into lens to introduce themselves. With no music, narration or exposition, we are here to observe and conclude from what we see.
The team started with the places they frequent in the area, from Al Rahma Chicken shop to Peter Kavanaghʼs pub, and each interview subsequently lead on to another until they had a range of people for the film, of all ages and backgrounds, to truly represent the ʻmulti- cultural, multi-sexual, easy-goingʼ place they all call home.
Shut Out The Light is an independent film company in Liverpool, formed in 2014 by Daniel Draper and Christie Allanson. With a personal approach, Daniel and Christie have a hand in every aspect of filmmaking. NATURE OF THE BEAST was their first feature documentary and had a successful run at independent cinemas in every major city in the UK. Following this, the team took the film on tour around communities, connecting with audiences, and have enjoyed over 200 screenings to date. Their second feature documentary THE BIG MEETING was filmed at the 2018 Durham Minersʼ Gala with 15 cameras, and the resulting film immerses you in the fantastic event, its history, heritage and future. Released in 2019 the film received 4 star reviews and played at independent cinemas across the country. For their third feature documentary, ALMOST LIVERPOOL 8 the team have looked a little closer to home.
For further information visit www.liverpoolphil.com
