Dan Hopkins grew up in and around the Somerset Levels, surrounded by the
gentle and quiet landscapes of the area. As a child he spent most of his
time exploring the fields that surrounded him.
Hopkins says…….
The landscape that makes up the ‘fields that speak’ haven’t
changed in all the years I have known them.
This film is the first document I have made about the place I grew up in.
Fields that speak is a series of static shots of the landscape that is on
the fringes of the Somerset Levels. Within these static shots are natural
movements of the land.
The clouds moving overhead, the trees blowing in the wind, the flutter of
the grass.
The soundtrack to the film is a response to the images within the film Hopkins
creates subtle drones and unnerving textures, some from actual field recordings
of the landscape.
Fields That Speak’ is a short film about the landscape of a small area
of Somerset in the South West of England. The film tries to create a sense
of place, a sense of what it is like to experience and observe the landscape
within the frame. Formed from a series of static shots the movements within
the frame are of a subtle nature, the wind blowing the trees, the clouds
moving above. Fields That Speak encourages you to do the movement to observe
what’s within the frame.
The soundtrack is a shifting textured piece of ambient music created in a
similar vein to Hopkins music as HL.
This film represents collaboration with the two elements of Hopkins work
his music as HL and his work as a filmmaker.
