The world’s most photogenic stone circle, Stonehenge, is the subject of a film called “Remnants” by Grant Wakefield which explores the Neolithic civilisation, looking at how we know so little about a culture which spanned over 3 millennia. With the Summer Solstice 2010 this weekend, it’s worth reminding ourselves of the beauty of this sacred ancient site. Heritage Key also has explored Stonehenge during the Spring Equinox (Watch the Video), and talked to Druid Frank Somers about how the stones came to be (Watch the Video).
The Neolithic people vanished without leaving anything but their remnants, and it is these fascinating stones which form the subject of Grant Wakefield’s film, which is produced in association with SKY SKAN Europe Inc.
The film itself started off as a short, black and white timelapse film produced for large format digital cinema, and has developed over the years into a project which is a 40 minute feature film. Using the latest technology in digital SLR cameras and shooting over 18 months, the project captures the magic of Stonehenge to perfection.
The beautiful sunset and motion of the sky across Stonehenge are not unlike the beautiful detail work that has gone into Stonehenge Virtual, from Heritage Key which features digital recreations of different eras in the stages of Stonehenge. The virtual experience shows how the Neolithic civilisation developed and added to the famous stone circle, which you can see for yourself in Stonehenge Virtual for free!
Stonehenge remains one of the most mysterious ancient sites in the world, and Grant Wakefield’s film explores various stone circles to raise the question of what happened to the people who originally created these stone circles. And if they disappeared, leaving only remnants of their civilisation, what is not to say that our own fragile society, with its dependence on oil and the threat of climate change not suffer a similar fate to the Neolithic people? The film shows the stones as they stand today, and portray the eroding effect that modern society has placed upon them.
HD Video: Grant Wakefield’s “Remnants”
Grant Wakefield has completed about three quarters of shooting for the Remnants film, and is seeking funds to complete filming work at Newgrange, Stonehenge and London and to complete post production work. In addition, he’s also working on an Archaeoastronomy film about Stonehenge called “Ancient Skies”, and you can catch up with our lecture with Astronomer Paul Murdin who talks about this very subject (Watch the Video). If you want further information about this fascinating project, you can contact Grant by email.
If you’re heading out to go out to Salisbury Plain for the Summer Solstice with your own camera, check out our tips for photographing Stonehenge.And – we can’t stress this enough – dress warm!