Legion Projects x Her Mother the Mountain - The Tides of Kilpeck
A Short Film adapated from a comissioned poem for Legion Projects.
Adapted from a commissioned poem/incantation of mine written for Legion Projects.
"The Tides of Kilpeck" is a visionary short film that delves into the depths of an imagined ancient history, intertwining the spirits and gods tethered to Kilpeck and the distant echoes of the older religions of our lands.
Nestled within the Hereford-Wales borderlands, with views of the Black Mountains and the Malvern Hills, Kilpeck Church stands as one of the UK's most enigmatic and mystical sacred sites. Constructed in the late 9th century, like many religious sites, it is a speculative example of the age-old tradition of erecting churches upon sites where communities have convened for rituals and gatherings since ancient times.
Today, pilgrims from around the globe embark on journeys to this hallowed ground, drawn to the intricately carved stonework of the Romanesque style by the Hereford School of Stone carvers. This Stonework adorns Kilpeck's façade. The entrance, reminiscent of a doorway from Tolkien's Rivendell, beckons with its ornate detailing, while the stone corbel table bears witness to a myriad of mythical creatures, earthly beasts, and performers who once graced local fairs.
Among the cherished carvings sits the revered Sheela-na-gig, a symbol steeped in the cycles of life — birth, fertility, death and protection. She embodies the essence of the Mother, the Maiden, the Crone, and the divine Feminine.
Standing in counterpart to the Sheela is the Green Man, etched into Kilpeck's southern doorway — a harbinger of rejuvenation and the eternal cycle of renewal. He embodies the untamed essence of nature, invoking echoes of the Horned God, Celtic Cernunnos, and Greek Pan.
In this cinematic journey, Ecclesia, a personification of the Church, emerges as a conduit to Kilpeck's mysteries — a guardian of its ancient wisdom and a bridge to nature-based religions of yore.
She calls the Sheela-na-gig, She calls The Green Man; was Kilpeck a place where they once danced under the moon, echoing tales of old loves and timeless friendship? Within Ecclesia's embrace dwell the remnants of old gods, goddesses, and mythical beings.
Carved in clay and sandstone, the mysteries of Kilpeck endure.
Supported by Arts Council Wales
Cast
Ecclesia: Isabel Jones
Sheela-na-gig: Blue Firth
Green Man: Matthew-Robert Hughes
Wyven: Martha Hand
Bear: Rachel Bowen
Written and Directed by Matthew-Robert Hughes
Director of Photography: Rebekah Lowri Llewelyn
Costumes: Her Mother the Mountain
Music: Stephen Crowe, Final Song: Isabel Jones
Voices: Isabel Jones, Stephen Crowe and Blue Firth
Hair and Makeup: Ashleigh Fisk
Editor: Rebekah Lowri Llewelyn
Ceramics: Matthew-Robert Hughes
Masks: Ashleigh Fisk & Her Mother the Mountain
Flowers: Layla Robison
https://www.legionprojects.com/the-tides-of-kilpeck