01
Step 01
Letter of intent
A film begins with a letter, written by the practitioner or their community, naming what they would like recorded and why. We meet in person before any equipment is mentioned.
Programme, Vol. IV
Films made slowly, and only with the maker.
Most films about heritage are produced in the rhythm of broadcast. Ours are produced in the rhythm of the practice. A loom takes a season; a film about a loom takes longer.
Echoes of HeritageDocumentary SeriesBespoke Custodians
Overview
What would a film about a tradition look like if the practitioner held the final cut?
Our documentary series produces long-form films, typically forty to ninety minutes, that follow a single practice across one to four years. Production is co-led by an external director and a community editor, with the practitioner holding final cut. We release on our own platform first, then to partner broadcasters and festivals under terms the maker has approved.
We commission two to four films per year. Crews are small, intentionally; many shoots are one person, one camera, one microphone. Production budgets are transparent, fees to practitioners are paid at the same day rate as the director, and royalty shares from any onward licensing are built into the contract from day one.
Plate I
Natural landscape with cultural significance.
The Process
How a programme moves, step by quiet step.
02
Step 02
Co-direction agreement
The practitioner names a community editor who works alongside our director from first day to final cut. Both names appear above the title, in that order.
03
Step 03
Slow shoot
Production unfolds over one to four years, returning seasonally. The crew stays small and travels light, eats with the community, and shoots only with consent renewed for each session.
04
Step 04
Editorial passes
Three rough cuts, three community screenings. The practitioner can remove any frame, any sentence, without explanation. Changes are made at our cost and on our time.
05
Step 05
Release and royalty
Films premiere first at a community screening, then on our platform, then through partner festivals and broadcasters. A defined share of every licence fee returns to the practitioner and their village fund.
What You Take Home
Deliverables, made to outlast the season.
Feature-length film
A 40 to 90 minute documentary in the practitioner's first language, with subtitled editions in English, French and one regional language of choice.
Companion essay
A 6,000 to 9,000 word essay published alongside the film, co-bylined with the community editor, with stills and reference notes.
Short form cuts
Three to five short edits, two to nine minutes each, prepared for educational and journalistic use under a community-approved licence.
Raw archive
Unused footage catalogued and held in trust, with a duplicate master stored by the community for their own future use.
Royalty statement
An annual statement of every licence fee collected and the share returned to practitioner and village fund, published openly each year.
Touring screening kit
A prepared package for festivals, museums and universities including print, marketing copy and a Q&A protocol approved by the practitioner.
"Detail of a contemporary heritage artwork."
Watch
View the current series
Browse released films, trailers and companion essays. New chapters are added two to four times per year.
Open the screening room
Patronage
Commission a film
Foundations and broadcasters may underwrite a new film in partnership with a host community. Editorial independence is non-negotiable.
Begin a conversation