ISLANDNESS
Bring a timely documentary on islands, climate and culture to life on the screen
Hello everyone,
I’m writing to let you know about a film I’m making called Islandness.
For the past few years, I’ve been roving between shores, collecting footage, conversations, and sea sounds to tell a story about being human in these times – all through the lens of islandness.
Now, I need your help to bring it to the screen.
While I’ve spent nearly a decade working in social change, it wasn’t until I connected with islands that I found a genuine sense of hope for our future. The ways people interact on islands, how they depend on each other, and their connections with the rest of nature offer important lessons. Relationships tend to be more intense – not perfect – but deeper, more entangled.
‘When a storm comes and it’s time to pull the boat up the beach, it’s all hands on deck’, says Alastair McIntosh.
On islands, there is no backdoor. You live within the constraints or fail. Which is to say – live with awareness or fail. An island is like a magnifying glass or mirror – reality is reflected back at you wherever you look.
Given the roots of our global crises often point to failures of collective action and widespread alienation from nature, I find islands very worthy of attention in this context. While many islands might be remote from centres of economic power, they are not remote from life. They are pioneering and also full of contradictions and confluences that straddle tradition and modernity.
Given the complexity of these topics, you might ask, ‘how do you make a film about it?’
Well, you ‘trust the process’ knowing that it won’t be easy. Films as ambitious as this are expensive to make. Documentary film has to be one the dumbest and most fulfilling career choices out there. I have stalled numerous times, first due to lack of resources, and second due to lack of energy (due to lack of resources). The film was shelved for six months while I figured out how to survive. It has been intense physically, but mostly the challenge has been existential.
I have been adamant from the start that this would be an independent film, free from bureaucratic pressures. It is hard to find traditional film funding for a story that sits somewhere between BBC Earth and arthouse – that is why we’re crowdfunding. Generally, institutions want palatable, easy narratives with simple, entertaining characters. I am, however, grateful for the crowdfund match funding support from Creative Scotland, who are behind some of the most exciting arts projects in the Hebrides and beyond. Documentary is also never non-partisan, despite what the industry might tell you. I tried at the beginning to keep myself out of the film – that was a mistake. This film is my heart, and I want to share that with you.
All that said, if you can support the completion of Islandness, please do. At this time of writing, we’re at 72% funded with the help of Creative Scotland’s match funding scheme. Every donation is doubled is real time. We’re so close, but we’ve still a way to go.
Islandness is both a celebration of utter beauty and an instruction – love your place; the Earth. I think that’s a message worth sharing.
You can watch the trailer at the top of this post. Below is the logline and synopsis, plus some comments from supporters, and here’s the link to the campaign.
I appreciate your support.
Hannah (& the Islandness crew) x
Islandness explores the profound connections between people and place in a world in crisis.
“A timely story exploring the essence of humanity amid the shifting tides of our times.” – George Monbiot
Set in the Scottish Hebrides during this pivotal period of unrest, the story follows a diverse group of islanders as their ways of life are shaped by change, asking some of the most pressing questions of our times. This story reveals what ‘islandness' can teach us about togetherness and our connection to the natural world in times of upheaval, and what this shows us about meaning in a meaning-starved culture. The film explores identity, community, and spirituality, as well as practical aspects of island life, journeying through an elemental landscape steeped in history, hardship, and wisdom.
“This film will be insightful and beautiful; it must be made.”
“This is a timely project for all sentient beings human and non-human.”
“This is a story full of a reality that comes from truly generous and patient listening.”
Contribute to the project here. If a donation isn’t possible, there are plenty of other ways you can support the film. Sharing it with your network helps enormously. If you have a platform on social media, a newsletter, podcast etc. that's also a great way to share the message.
P.s. I’ll be ‘going live’ on Instagram on the 12th and 19th February with folks from the film. Stay tuned.
*Post image credit: Alastair McIntosh