The micro cosmos of a small village in Barnsley, North of England and its recent history are placed under the observational lens of filmmaker João Paulo Simões in the short documentary “Bleak Hill”.C
ommissioned by Forge Arts for Health this disarmingly simple film retraces the steps to find the origins of Blacker Hill’s ‘former identity’, whilst probing into the heritage and mythology attached to certain locations of the surrounding grounds.
With the insightful support of two local history researchers, a group of former miners and honest statements of discontent on the part of the village’s youths, a melancholic tapestry is woven – exposing the heart of one of Britain’s most deprived areas.
