Tree People

'Tree People' is a 45-minute film documenting the origins, development, activities and achievements of the Colne Valley Tree Society (CVTS), a local voluntary group that has been planting trees in the Colne Valley since 1964. The valley, lying to the west of Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, UK, is some seven miles long and flanked by the Pennine hills. The film highlights the major transformation to the valley landscape the Society has brought about. It was filmed over a period of about four years, was completed in early 2014 and premiered at an event to mark the 50th anniversary of the Society in April 2014. A primary focus in the film is the creative use and manipulation of location sound and the musical score, performed by me on piano, and local brass band, Slaithwaite Band. This aesthetic thrust has underpinned much of my work in recent years, and has involved developing strategies for the creative use of sound and music in documentary film (see 'No Escape', 2009, 'A Film About Nice', 2010 and 'Cider Makers', 2007)