Larksong is an exploratory documentary that journeys through a landscape on the edge of Pennine Moors in Northern England. With an 18th century nonconformist chapel as a central motif, the film captures a distinctive history and topography, laced with the imprints of the traditional textile workers, mills and industries that shaped the environment.
The film’s narrative is framed by a poem, written from the perspective of a chapel pew. Connecting to an emotional, tactile sense of memory and temporality, the poem weaves together social, industrial and ecological themes; ruminating upon the changing landscape, social mores and working practices that have been witnessed over time.
The musical score to Larksong has been created by traditional folk instruments, such as harmonium and recorder, along with field-recordings and sounds derived from hand-textile tools and mechanisms, such as spinning wheels, hand looms and drop spindles. The film also features visual projections, created from foraged plants, gathered raw wool and hand-stitched 16mm film, along with songs composed with lyrics from gravestone inscriptions found in the chapel’s burial grounds.
Larksong was originally commissioned for the British Textile Biennial 2023, and co-commissioned by English Heritage.
Director Biography – Nick Jordan, Jacob Cartwright
Jacob Cartwright and Nick Jordan’s collaborative practice is cross-disciplinary, encompassing film, drawing, painting, photography, objects, publications and events. Their work explores the interrelations between the natural world and our multifaceted cultural and social histories.
Cartwright & Jordan’s work has been exhibited widely, through exhibitions, film festivals, international residencies and public commissions. Film festivals include FIDMarseille (France); BFI London Film Festival (UK); Documenta Madrid (Spain); The New York Film Festival (USA); Rencontres Internationales, Berlin (Germany); lndieLisboa (Portugal); Kassel Dokfest (Germany); Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival (France).
The artists are based in Manchester, UK.
Trailer
| Nick Jordan Director, Editor Jacob Cartwright Director |
