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Title: REST IS SILENCE, the

Reference number: 7637

Date: 2005

Director: d. Andrew Henderson

Sponsor: Bridging the Gap in association with Scottish Screen

Producer: Jim Hickey, Robin Mitchell

Production company: Cadies Productions Ltd.

Sound: sound

Colour: col

Fiction: non-fiction

Running time: 10.00 mins

Description: From discovery to cremation this poignant and revealing documentary follows the journey of an anonymous, unclaimed body and describes the procedures and rituals that lead to its internment. [synopsis from Scottish Screen brochure "New Scottish Short Films 2005"]

Part of Season 2 'Bridging the Gap' documentary scheme, on the theme of "Silence".

Comment [from BBC Film Network site, information is no longer online]: "The Rest is Silence is a film about the rituals we perform for our dead. Not just the religious rituals, but the secular ones also. This film uses the example of a body for which there is no next of kin. The significance of this is that even when the rituals are performed without the presence of those who they really benefit (the friends and family of the deceased), they are still carried out with as much reverence and care as they would be for anyone else. The film takes us into places where we would never normally be allowed while alive, and attempts to dispel many of the myths which surround these processes.

We produced this documentary following the topic of 'silence'. Andrew wanted to follow the progress of a body on its journey from discovery to cremation, focusing on the people dealing with the body.

The documentary was chosen from over 100 submissions by the 'Bridging the Gap' panel: a scheme supported by the Scottish Screen National Lottery Fund and The Scottish Documentary Institute.

One of the biggest challenges was to gain access to areas not normally open to the general public including a post-mortem room and a crematorium. We were aware of the sensitivity of our task and spent many weeks in pre-production setting up meetings with all the organisations relevant to our film - the Police, the Council, the Medical School, the Mortuary, the Crematorium and the Procurator Fiscal.

It was important for us to emphasise to each organisation at every meeting that the identity of the body would remain anonymous at all times, as our main focus was on the people carrying out their work and the processes involved."

Festivals, awards and screenings include: BAFTA Scotland 2005 - Nominated for Best First Time Director ; Fife Film Festival 2006 ; Real Life on Film, Australia 2006 ; Celtic Film & Television Festival 2006, UK - Winner of Frank Copplestone Award for Best First Time Director
Silverdocs: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival, USA 2006 ; Huesca International Film festival, Spain - Nominated in European Documentary Selection ; DokumentART EUROPEAN FILM FESTIVAL, Germany 2006 ; Edinburgh International Film Festival, Industry Screening 2005

Credits: d. ph. Andrew Begg
add. camera Keith Bradley
sd. rec. Des Henron
ed. Roddy Simpson
sd. composers Matt Hulse, Katy Jones

Thanks to Ewan Amos, Robin Bankhead, Professor Anthony Busuttil, Rev. Anthony Greenwood, Sonja Henrici, Cameron Pirie, Steve Sprung, George Bell Mortonhall Crematorium, Candice Bray Barclays Funeral Services, William Gallagher District Procurator Fiscal, Sergeant Andy Gilhooley Lothian & Borders Police Force, Bill MacDonald The Cowgate Mortuary, Angela McLean The City of Edinburgh Council Environmental & Consumer Services Department

exec. p. Noe Mendelle

A Bridging the Gap Production supported by The Scottish Screen National Lottery Fund, Scottish Enterprise, Angus Digital Media Centre , Docspace and Edinburgh College of Art

© MMV