Hipsters, gangsters, regeneration and gentrification: Hackney means many things to many people. One thing is for sure is that the borough boasts some of the most creative people and businesses in London. The One Hackney Festival 2012 on the 21st July is the biggest street party that Hackney’s ever seen, and will reflect all of what makes it a cultural hot pot.
To encapsulate what Hackney means to the residents – from an artistic perspective – Keith Khan Associates commissioned Hackney resident and Horror film director Tristan Versluis to produce a short film that looks at the ‘Hackney Spirit’. The film is a spooky journey thorough Hackney, conjuring up an eerie and edgy take on the Hackney Spirit.
“I was given a chance by Keith Khan Associates and supported by production company The Big RD, to make a film about the area I live in which turned out to be a fantastic challenge. Not only because it allowed me to explore the area further and really get under its skin learning more than I did before, but because it was Hackney, a very special and unique place in London.
I wanted to make sure, as much as possible, that the cast and crew who worked on the film were from the area, as they would understand what it’s like to live in this vibrant place too.”
Tristan Versluis
“What I loved about working on Hackney Spirit was that we were able to realise Tristan’s wonderful, unique vision of the borough in such a cinematic way. This was a film that required a lot of courage and determination to see through and for that I think an acknowledgement needs to go to the organisers who supported such a radical and fresh approach to promoting a festival. This was an ambitious project that required a huge amount of co-operation from the community and I’m delighted at the finished film and extremely proud of everyone who helped make this a reality.”
Ryan Dean, Hackney Spirit’s Producer
