Visit Brighton  -  Breathe

An ode to the green and blue spaces that surround the city we call home.

Directed by Matt Hopkins, the film champions the hidden natural wonders of Brighton and the positive effect they have on the locals' physical and mental well-being. No music, just the natural sounds of the landscape and the cadence of the poetry immersing the viewer in an often unseen side of the city.

The Journey 

Working across a full calendar year to capture a range of seasons, we collaborated with one of Visit Brighton's special projects known as The Living Coast which is a designated UNESCO urban biosphere reserve stretching from Newhaven in the east to Shoreham in the west. The Living Coast is an area with significant natural value, created to help us learn how to balance what people and nature need to flourish. Our aim with this film was to capture this balance of human interaction with nature, and the positivity it can bring to both sides if respected and looked after.

 

The Poem

We collaborated with Gingko prize winning eco-poet (and local Brightonian) Emily Kate Groves, who wrote a piece that communicated the sentimental spirit of getting outside and embracing these incredible spaces. Both personal and relatable in equal measure, as soon as we heard Emily read the opening line we knew it could only be her who could read the poem with such heart and personality.

The Wider Project

In addition to the hero film, we produced over 10 longer pieces capturing different areas around the city with strong eco-tourism connections such as Stamner Park, Ditchling Beacon, Devil's Dyke, Shoreham Nature Reserve and Castle Hill Nature Reserve. On top of this, we profiled a range of extraodinary local businesses including Old Tree Brewery, Slake Spirits, Beach Box Spa, Stanmer Organics, Brighton and Hove Food Partnership and many more whose businesses care as much about ecological sustainability as profits themselves.

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