Our future, our past, whisper it to me is a newly commissioned film responding to the new garden city in Ebbsfleet, created in collaboration with 12 local residents.
Combining prose poetry and documentary, the film forms hybrid portraits investigating people’s sense of belonging, what home means to them, and their vision for the future of the area.
Taking inspiration from the title of Ebenezer Howard’s book, Garden Cities of To-morrow, and Henry George’s utopian novel, Looking Backwards, it encompasses the memories and future aspirations of both older residents and younger generations in order to meditate on the cultural history of the area and the impacts of the new development at a key moment of transition.
As Ebbsfleet emerges against the backdrop of Brexit, the effects of the pandemic, and the cost of living crisis, Our future, our past, whisper it to me explores how we negotiate the complexities of what constitutes a ‘home’ and the challenges inherent in the creation of public space.
By drawing on traditions of oral history and contemporary spoken word practice, and working with both younger and older generations from a diversity of backgrounds, the work seeks to foreground often marginalised voices and give participants creative agency to represent their thoughts and feelings as the area faces a period of change.
The film is intended, at times, to appear as a call and response between the generations, the rhythmical flow of their words being heard against the emerging architectural development and the historical landscapes of marshland, chalk spines, gorges and views out across the Thames Estuary, as old meets new.
An accompanying film book has been designed by work-form and presents poetry and prose written by Naomi Ajie, Aleyna Ali, Jay Andrews, Margaret Bobby, Lorna Cross, Kenny Davis, Jonny Flood, John Hall, Lesley Howes, Ivie Ljewere, Derek Parris and Tony Rayfield, film stills by Charlotte Ginsborg and original artwork by Huw Williams.
Our future, our past, whisper it to me has been commissioned as part of This Must Be The Place, a long-term project working with local people in Ebbsfleet to explore and shape the new garden city as it is built. This Must Be The Place is made possible by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and supported using public funding by Arts Council England. With additional support from Ebbsfleet Development Corporation and Henley Camland.
Charlotte Ginsborg is an artist filmmaker whose films interweave documentary, narrative and performance. Her work has been screened at the Venice Biennale, the Serpentine Gallery, the Pompidou Centre, and the Walker Arts Centre, USA.
Her film, Over The Bones, was in competition in the Tiger Shorts at Rotterdam Film Festival, and her film, 22:22, commissioned by Film London, premiered at the London Film Festival. Her latest film, Songs For The River, was nominated for Best First Feature at Sheffield Doc/Fest21.
Charlotte’s films have been commissioned by Channel 4, the UNHRC, Arts Council England, Poetry in the City, and The Jasmin Vardimon dance company. Recently she has been filming with the Trojan Women Project following their work with Syrian refugees living in the UK as they develop therapeutic drama projects and productions based on their lived experience.
Film Credits
Camera: Charlotte Ginsborg, Gabi Norland, Jason Ellis
Drone operator: Jonathan Beech
Camera assistant: Gordon Eddie
Sound recordist: Duncan Brooker
Editor: Charlotte Ginsborg
Composer: Jane Watkins
Colour Grading: Sebastian Buerkner
Sound Design: Ned Sisson
Book Credits
Artist & Filmmaker: Charlotte Ginsborg
Project Curator: Michaela Freeman
Texts written by Naomi Ajie, Aleyna Ali, Jay Andrews, Margaret, Bobby, Lorna Cross, Kenny Davis, Jonny Flood, John Hall, Lesley Howes, Ivie Ljewere, Derek Parris, Tony Rayfield
Storytelling workshop consultant: Sophie Austin
Poetry consultant: Zena Edwards
Illustrator: Huw Williams
Designed by work-form