What is the film about?

Have you ever realised everything we have and use depends on mining? Even if you live off grid, the metal objects and tools in your life had to be mined. We are well aware of the negative effects on our planet caused by the mining that benefits our lives yet it doesn’t have to be harmful. The International Council of Mining and Metals implements best practice within the industry. Working with some of the largest mining companies on earth, ICMM supports the entire mining process from discovery to mining to restoring the landscape.

What influenced it?

Trunk’s Layla notes “ The previous films we created for ICMM used a hand drawn style that mirrored drawings of minerals. We used paper that could be layered like strata then ripped to expose under layers mimicking the mining process. To ensure this film sat with the others I used a similar hand drawn style but rather than ripping the paper I folded it. Each fold-over shows what the future landscape could be. This narrative was also reinforced by enriching the films soft grey monochrome palette with shades of green for the future landscape”.

A little background information...

Commision from Nic Benton at ICMM. Trunk has been working with ICMM, creating a number of films that concentrate on particular aspects of the Council’s aims. This film directed by Trunk’s Layla Atkinson focuses on the rehabilitation of landscape once a mine has closed. The film uses a beautiful precise hand drawn style that brings to mind technical illustrations found in geology and mining books. Drawn in Adobe Animate and composited onto a textured paper, the animated illustrations show a clear correlation between how the landscape is now and how it could look if managed following ICMM guidelines. We see lorries removing rocks and returning with trees, spoil heaps being forested and set with sources of alternative energy, pits being turned into lakes at the centre of vibrant new parklands.

How was the film made?

Drawn in Adobe Animate and composited onto a textured paper.

Rory Hunter created a wonderful sound-scape that perfectly matches Layla’s drawings. Nimmy March provided the voiceover, whilst Daniel Pemberton fresh from composing the music for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse provided a lively score that successfully bridges the various scenes.