Eden Valley
Amber Films 1995
The film is set within a harness racing fraternity and explores the conflict between urban and rural values through the medium of an evolving relationship between father and son.
The main character in the film, Hoggy, abandoned his wife and son ten years earlier to establish himself in an alternative lifestyle, living in a caravan and caring for his horses. The world gets turned upside down by the arrival of his teenage son, who has a prison sentence hanging over him. Billy has lived his life on an inner-city housing estate, and in his lifestyle theft and drugs are the norm. Using dramatic seasonal changes within the horse-trainer's environment we follow the development of this fragile relationship. Both father’s and son's value systems are tested, with dramatic consequences.
The roots of the film lie in the making of Seacoal, which was released in 1985. The film, depicted the lives of seacoalers on the Northumberland coast, and introduced members of Amber to a passion for horses, and the addictive pursuit of harness racing.
The Laidler family, who were featured in Seacoal, proved to have a profound impact. It was they who talked us into buying our first horse, taught us the rudiments of training and driving, and encouraged our bartering and re-cycling skills. They wove the web that pulled us into the activity, and secured our entry into their environment and the world of harness racing.
Our method of working is based on building long-term relationships within communities. Our aim is to enter into people's lives in a way that provides an authenticity to film-making that goes beyond simple realism. After becoming established in the harness racing community, we introduced actor Brian Hogg into it. His character, Hoggy, was developed over a period during which Brian immersed himself in the lifestyle, contributed to the development of the script, and participated in other essential tasks such as set building and horse training.
In contrast, Darren Bell, who played Billy, his son, came directly into his first film role from a background of life on an inner-city housing estate. The film was shot sequentially to facilitate Billy's introduction into an initially alien environment and to reflect on the story of Billy. The film schedule spanned a twelve-month period. We worked with a small crew, two main characters and considerable good will from the harness racing community.
AMBER FILMS
Made under the auspices of the ACTT Workshop Declaration with financial assistance from Northern Arts and Channel Four Television.
Location
Quarrington Hill, Co Durham; Durham City; Newcastle; North Tynesid
Credits
AMBER PRODUCTION TEAM
Conceived, written, produced, directed, photographed and edited by Amber:
Richard Grassick
Ellin Hare
Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen
Murray Martin
Pat McCarthy
Lorna Powell
Peter Roberts
Geoff Scott
ADDITIONAL HELP
Dave Eadington, Jane Neatrour, Annie Robson, Lynn Silmon
ORIGINAL MUSIC
Amber
Alisdair Robertson
Graham Raine
Made under the auspices of the Workshop Declaration
Financial assistance: Channel Four
Cast
Hoggy: Brian Hogg
Billy: Darren Bell
Danker: Mike Elliott
Probation Officer: Jimmy Killeen
Young Lads: Wayne Buck, Kevin Buck
Townies: John Middleton, Charlie Hardwick, Katja Roberts
Mother: Maureen Harold
Boyfriend: Art Davies
Auctioneer: Bill Speed
Woman in Underpass: Amber Styles
Judges Voice: Donald McBride
AS THEMSELVES
Rosie Laidler
Brian Laidler
Rocker Laidler
Cliffy Usher
John Thorn
Trevor Critchlow
ALSO APPEARING
Graham Whitfield
Wilf Heightley
Joan Heightley
Gordon Bell
Arthur Murray
Sylvia Hammond
Laura Stephenson
Helen Stephenson
Susan Doran
Claire Wark
Hylton Wark
Alice Hewitt
Robin Adam
Kaliegh Martin
Pete McCarthy
Kevin Lawson
Murray Martin
Keywords
Community, Crime, Durham, Fathers, margins, North East, Sons, Harness Racing, Horses, Traveller, Quarrington Hill, Caravan
Reviews and Awards
Jury Prize, Créteil, Paris, 1995
Best British Independent Feature, North West Film Festival, Southport, 1995
REVIEWS
Uncompromising...as riveting and as heart-breaking as any good Hollywood tearjerker gets. Bill Hoffman, New York Post
Tough-minded movie... Hogg's exceptional portrayal... a finely nuanced character study of a proud working-class man who has heroic qualities. Stephen Holden, The New York Times
Bell has the intensity of a younger Daniel Day Lewis. Village Voice
Once again, Amber's film is notable for its authenticity, its muscular, naturalistic performances, and its unsentimental respect for the traditional values of working-class life; stereotypes are avoided, so that even 'would-be old-age traveler Hoggy is never turned into a flawless hero. While the film is finally no less political than its predecessors, it is no dry thesis. Droll humour, a celebratory sense of community (and harness racing), and a genuine sensitive feeling for nature and landscape take the movie beyond simplistic notions of 'realism'. Proof-positive that good British filmmaking is alive and living.... hundreds of miles from Wardour Street. Geoff Andrew, Time Out
Newcastle-based Amber Films is the crockpot of the film industry (simmer for hours) against Hollywood's microwave (zap, ding and it's done). David Whetstone, The Journal
Amber takes a shoestring budget and delivers a ruggedly authentic, un-stereotypical and unsentimental celebration of community and the restorative power of raw nature. What's On, Birmingham
If you haven't discovered the work of the Amber Film Collective, you should do so. Over a period of some 25 years, they have developed a way of capturing on film, ways of life which are rarely recorded. The authentic feel of the film, no less than the unforced poetry of the images, is remarkable, and Brian Hogg seems so real that you feel sure that he's not an actor (actually he is). The importance of what Amber is doing is unquestionable, and they are doing it right. Mansel Stimpson, What's On, London
It has an authenticity which is palpable and performances from Brian Hogg and Darren Bell that are totally unforced and true. It is also very well shot. No director is named, but whoever accomplished Eden Valley knows his or her job. Derek Malcolm, Guardian
Associated Work
DVD:
Eden Valley (Amber Films, 1995). Follow the link if you would like to buy it.
RELATED WORK:
Seacoal (Amber Films, 1985, AF/SEA), earlier film drama involving the Laidler family and the harness racing world.
Shooting Magpies (Amber Films, 2005), later film drama involving the harness racing world.
The Pursuit of Happiness (Amber Films, 2008), documentary exploring the life and death of Amber founding member and visionary Murray Martin and his relationship with the harness racing community.
Trotting, photographic exhibition by Wittold Krassowski.
Fencehouses Horse Fair, photographic exhibition by Dean Chapman
Appleby Horse Fair, photographic exhibition by Dave Thomas, documenting the annual gathering of the horsey/Traveller community in 1969/70. Follow the link to see a free online presentation.
Seacoal, photographic exhibition by Chris Killip
The Pursuit of Happiness (Amber Films, 2008), documentary about the life and death of Amber founder member and visionary Murray Martin, in particular his relationship with the harness racing community.
For a monthly changing selection of films and videos by Amber and its friends, visit www.sidetv.net.
For more information about Amber and its film and photographic work, visit www.amber-online.com