This film is part of Rentals
Edith Walks
Andrew Kötting undertakes a pilgrimage in honour of Edith Swan Neck, first wife of King Harold, in this eccentric odyssey in search of English identity.
Director: Andrew Kötting
Overview
Andrew Kötting and fellow travellers including Claudia Barton, Alan Moore and Iain Sinclair undertake a pilgrimage inspired by the life of Edith Swan-Neck, first wife of King Harold. The 80-mile journey navigates from Waltham Abbey, where parts of Harold’s body was buried in 1066, to the remarkable sculpture at St Leonards-on-Sea in East Sussex depicting Edith and Harold in dying embrace. Andrew Kötting’s eccentric and invigorating odyssey re-connects these ancient lovers after 950 years of separation.
Largely shot using a Super 8-imitating iPhone app, Kötting once again proves dextrous and playful in his manipulation of film form – not least in ensuring the film’s duration (66 minutes) drolly reflects its historical subject matter. But despite the fun, Edith Walks is also a canny meditation on English identity in a time of spiritual crisis; traversing a land where ancient myths and legends continue to influence our modern lives.
mild bad language
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