‘Later from life’
A film by Mela Hilleard
Artists’ Moving Image, Found Footage, Documentary
Super8, Colour, 24 fps, 4:3, English, UK/POLAND/FRANCE/INDIA/SRI LANKA 2027
TEASER
LOGLINE
An epiphany later in life.
SYNOPSIS
‘Later from life’ is an artists’ moving image, found footage, documentary, about being reborn later in life through creativity.
The project is inspired by Anglo-Indian Julia Margaret Cameron, one of the greatest photographic portrait pioneers of the 19th century, who started her career at 48 years old.
Her life becomes a parallel story told through filmmaking and the photographic eyes of mine, inspired by her in my 48th year, in the 21st century, woven like separate strands of hair into one plait.
The film will contain a photographic wet plate collodion portraits taken by Julia Margaret Cameron along with contemporary characters given second chance in their life taken by same type of box camera she used.
There will be a 8mm film footage shoot in the style of the photographs related to Julia Margaret Cameron’s places of life – Kolkata, India; Paris, France; London, Freshwater, UK; Kalutara ,Sri Lanka – portraying the characters in their process of finding a true purpose in life.
There will be also a 8mm film and a wet collodion photography illustration of the turning scenes in Julia Margaret Cameron life, referring to her first period of work devoted to religious, symbolical and allegorical subjects in the style of the films by Jean Cocteau.
Narrative will consist of Julia Margaret Cameron manuscripts, the interview with the characters about their process to find a true purpose in life, the poetry of Julia Margaret Cameron inspiration – Alfred Lord Tennyson and VO of the Narrator.
ARTISTIC STATEMENT
When I was 48 and I felt stuck with my life, my friend brought hope that it’s never too late giving me a book about Julia Margaret Cameron saying “you should give your friend what you love the most”. He also brought a Super8mm camera which reborn my tired of digital image eyes, into the analog way of seeing.
Julia Margaret Cameron wrote in her manuscripts: “The gift from those I loved so tenderly added more and more impulse to my deeply seated love of the beautiful, and from the first moment I handled my lens with a tender ardour, and it has become to be a living thing, with voice and memory and creative vigour. Many and many a week in the year 63 I work fruitlessly but not hopelessly.”
Despite more then a century of difference, Julia Margaret Cameron and I share the same approach to the photography treated as an art and poetry with an admiration to unperfected, layers, traces, out of focus.
“Julia Margaret Cameron included imperfections in her photographs – streaks, swirls and even fingerprints(…) She used carefully directed light, soft focus, and long exposures that allowed her sitters’ slight movement to register in her pictures, instilling the images with a sense of breath and life.”
We both share the worship towards photographed people and “finding pearls in every ugly oyster.”
“She was a great portraitist and photographing great souls was an embodiment of prayer and reflection of their inner self (…) She stated her photographic mission thus: “My aspirations are to ennoble Photography and to secure for it the character and uses of High Art by combining the real and Ideal and sacrificing nothing of the Truth by all possible devotion to Poetry and beauty.”
Another similarity is identity and searching for own place, constant journey. Julia Margaret Cameron was born in the former capital of British India, in Calcutta (now Kolkata), from a Scottish father and a French mother, her grandmother having Bengali roots. She lived in London, then moved to Isle of Wight, created around 900 photographs in her 12 years career, eventually dying in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).
Although I was born in Poland, my grandmother was Ukrainian and my first memories of childhood are in Kolkata. As an adult I traveled for 4 years through South East Asia before moving to London. When discovered the Isle of Wight I felt it’s a place where I could devote myself to creating.
I hope the story will bring hope to others – especially women. When as a woman you reach middle age, you have to face that something in your life definitely ended, you are not anymore ‘reproductive’. Menopause called “the change of life” or in some cultures “fading out,” “the fade of life” it’s a difficult proces, very lonely, still a subject of tabu.
I wish Julia Margaret Cameron and all people who gave her wings of inspiration and support will remind that the real meaning of life can wake up any time and also that we are not alone and being ourselves is our biggest strength.
“Lady Emily Tennyson received the news of Julia Margaret’s death with great sorrow. She wrote to her sister, “We are not likely to find one to take her place so loving and strong in her woman’s way and so child-like in her faith.”
Notes from ‘Julia Margaret Cameron – Her life and photographic work’ by Helmut Gernsheim
Mela Hilleard [Elzbieta Piekacz]
I am filmmaker, photographer and actress.
I studied filmmaking at the London Film School and photography at the European Academy in Warsaw.
At the moment I am working on my new artists’ moving image, found footage, documentary, about being reborn later in life through creativity’ following in the footsteps of pioneer women photographer, Julia Margaret Cameron.
I am a director of independent documentary ‘HOME’ premiered during the Kinoteka Polish Film Festival at the ICA in London. The film was awarded Best Feature Film at the KOIFF and at the same time it received a special screening at the Center for Contemporary Art in Warsaw.
My graduation film ‘At Dawn the Flowers Open the Gate of Paradise’ had its premier during the Edinburgh International Film Festival as part of the Main Programme: “Shorts: Dream Images”.
I received Best Actress Award for the feature film ‘Double Portrait’ and I was also co-writer and camera operator of this film rewarded at the Gdynia Polish Film Festival.
As an actress I collaborated with Warsaw Theatres after studying at the Wrocław Theatre Academy.