FILM: Sullom by Roseanne Watt
In a new departure for Bella, we present a filmpoem, ‘Sullom’. Roseanne is a young poet and film-maker from Shetland. She says:
This filmpoem was completed as part of my university MLitt project, ‘Maps and Alignment’, which explored ideas surrounding the connection of self and place. This piece charts my own feelings on growing up during Shetland’s ‘golden era’ of oil, and its almost visceral presence in the landscape of my home and life there.
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Pity one can’t hear the words because of the overloud and intrusive piano. Perhaps you could post the actual poem?
Lesley
I’m not sure you understand the concept
Ease up Bella, all that’s being highlighted here is a technical point about the sound balance, which I think is perfectly valid. The music is a little too overpowering for the soft, gentle, whispery voice.
Lovely photography and words, however, the use of the music is questionable. Surely it absolutely detracts from the idea of a film poem ? A more accurate description would not use the word poem, but music as this was the dominant soundtrack we hear.
The music makes the piece sentimental and nostalgic – how different that would have been if we had heard the actual soundtrack of nature and industry recorded with the picture.
I hope you continue to publish such works, I thoroughly enjoyed that.
I loved the photography and I did like the piano melody but would have liked to have heard the words. Some of us don’t have crystal clear hearing.
Terrific.
That was beautiful, absolutely outstanding.
Warm thanks to Roseanne and to Bella!
Beautiful… Though perhaps not in any sense that the tourist board might welcome. Thanks for posting.
Excellent. Lovely contrast to the usual prose. I work in Sullom Voe occasionally and I thought both film and words very evocative. My partner and I thought the piano worked perfectly
Thanks – this idea is from our new culture & arts team and we’ll be publishing more in different forms (video, photography, music and art), as well as more short fiction, prose and poetry.
I built that.
I needed some help though.
Pity the madwoman thatcher got the benefit, and wasted it.