Field Music, commissioned by Berwick Film & Media Arts

Sunderland’s Field Music, signed to Memphis Industries, have been commissioned by Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival to write a new score to the seminal silent documentary film ‘Drifters’ (1929) by John Grierson. We are thrilled to be supporting this new work.

See the score performed live:
Friday 27th September at The Maltings Theatre & Cinema, Berwick

Drifters was created by John Grierson – a pioneering Scottish filmmaker known for coining the term ‘documentary.’ The film follows the working day of a herring fishing fleet as they set sail from the Shetland Islands to battle the elements of the North Sea fishing grounds.

The newly-composed, cinematic score will be performed live at the Festival by Field Music, the Mercury Prize-shortlisted band led by Sunderland brothers Peter and David Brewis. Over the last ten years, Field Music have released four full-length albums and toured around the world as one of the most critically acclaimed bands to come out of the North East. This commission sees the original line-up of Peter, David and Andrew Moore reunite for the first time since 2007.

‘Drifters’ – which originally premiered in 1929 alongside Eisenstein’s ‘Battleship Potemkin’ – will be presented for the first time with its new soundtrack in Berwick as part of the Festival before going on to tour to other cinemas and events across the UK. The live event responds to the Festival’s theme this year, North by Northeast, which explores the region’s connections to the North Sea.

About Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival
Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival is an international celebration of the art of film, set in the historic border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed. The inaugural Festival took place in September 2005, with a vision to transform Berwick into one big moving image installation – a visual and cultural spectacle – and the celebration has taken place every year since.