From the Culch: Lost in the Archives, Found in the Community

The author’s documentary From the Culch¹ is the central case study in a practice-based research enquiry into archival filmmaking in the vernacular tradition. This paper will explore how community archival film offers a valuable alternative to filmmaking that uses institutional archival material. Insights from documentarians Nick Hector (Sharkwater Extinction, Prey) and Tim Plester (Way of the Morris, The Ballad of Shirley Collins) will shed light on the ways that contemporary archival filmmakers can honour sensitive material, examining the ethics of posthumous and community archival documentary. An interview with BBC Archive Technical Operator Tom Cox-Porter will highlight the importance of archivists themselves in bridging the gap between our personal and our national memories. Finally, we will propose that creative practice in archival spaces is an important tool in counter-balancing the reifying tendency that exists within institutional archives.