Film review: Graham Breeze, Chairman of the Fellrunners Asssociation, reviews 'Bedlamites' a superb 15 minute film made by Shyla and Lukas Lee (Clayhouse Productions)
After summer comes winter. And what do runners do then? Join the gym for the dreaded running machine?
Or just keep on running throughout the dark winter nights?
Well “keep on running” is what more and more fellrunners are doing and even though there are no street lamps on the hills, fellrunners still enjoy their off-road fun in complete confidence by using the latest high tech. head torches.
A head torch is not only the answer to “how can I run safely though the dark winter nights?” but, as a new short film called The Bedlamites illustrates, night running can actually provide runners with a new rich experience.
The Bedlamites (the title is an in-joke) is a superb 15 minute film made by Shyla and Lukas Lee (Clayhouse Productions) which was premiered at the 2011 Bradford Film Festival.
Although the basis of the film is the pastime of some fellrunners to go off-road running at night, which is quirky and entertaining enough; this merely provides the springboard for viewers to share the thoughts of the majestic Ian Holmes of Bingley Harriers who, apart from his successes on the roads, is possibly the greatest fellrunner of all time. Well he has won five English Fell Championships, all during daylight hours.
The Bedlamites also includes an interview with Camille Askins (Keighley & Craven) whose elegance is matched by her eloquence since Camille is a barrister and in the film she reflects on the intense experience of running in total darkness with only one’s head torch to light the way.
That might sound a little meditational but in five words Camille also captures what all runners feel about running when she says: “It just makes people well.”
The Bedlamites is no mediocre television documentary with an unfeeling voice-over commentary. Every shot (well, apart from one of a pub landlord!) is of a runner and every word you hear is spoken by a runner sharing the joie de vivre of running.
Brilliantly edited from many hours of film to just 15 minutes, and matched to atmospheric and specially commissioned music, The Bedlamites reflects the magic of running. As one reviewer has said, “It may be only 15 minutes long but it is so captivating it makes time stand still”.
This masterpiece in miniature is now on a tour of World Film Festivals but the DVD can be purchased for a nominal £5+p&p (www.clayhouse.co.uk). And to save you trying to identify the head torches used by virtually every runner in the film (during the night scenes!) they are Hope Vision2 (www.hopetech.com).
Looking forward to those dark winter nights already then?
For a preview of Bedlamites click here
