Edgelands follows a young woman as she navigates a fluid, liminal non-space where nature and industry collide. Both she and the landscape exist on the edge of the symbolic order, beyond the structures of capitalism, where disenfranchised groups often find themselves displaced by cultural processes such as gentrification.
Here she seeks to coalesce a fragmented sense of place and identity like nature that takes root in unlikely cracks slowly engulfing the structures set down by industry. In this encounter with the Lacanian ‘Real,’ language and culture break down like the debris washed up on urban riverbanks leaving room for ritual and exploration to create space for hope and identity to be reclaimed.
The 'Real' exists beyond language, understanding and representation.
Shot in South Rainham, among industrial areas bordering one of several new estates that have become a destination for those pressured out of inner London neighborhoods.
Director & Concept - Ross Wilson
Featuring - Seyan Servan
Genre - Experimental
Format - 16mm, Colour
Completed 2024
Runtime 5m