Ewen, bassist and founding member of Northern Irish instrumental rock band ‘And So I Watch You From Afar’, dove into the Digital Film Archive for his directorial debut, ‘I’ve Never Said This’, along with his brother, longtime collaborator and bandmate, Ryan. He speaks about the process below.

One mid-morning, toward the end of the process, Rory and I discussed our final tweaks. The current edit just needed a lift of some sort, and we glugged coffee in Rory’s kitchen, riffing and grasping for an answer. Gradually the idea of adding title cards presented itself to us. Our film needed something to tie it back to our original premise and this device felt appropriate, while also giving something of a nod to golden age silent movies of old. I harvested some lines from my initial sketches and moments later, there they were, popping up on the screen between shaky images of Ulster weddings from a distant past. Whilst this was objectively a small tweak, it felt transformative, a breakthrough for our piece, what you might call a “lightbulb moment”. I bring this up for two reasons, firstly because it is a cherished memory for myself and Rory, the kind of exciting creative spark that all artists live for. These instances, whether when making music, writing or creating a short film, tend to feel like they’re happening both extremely quickly and in slow motion. The little pang of adrenaline and anticipation is what all artists grasp for, again and again. 

The second reason I mention this is far more important. For me, this memory is a rigid illustration of just how crucial screen heritage and The Digital Film archive is for the creative landscape of this place. Not only is it vital for learning about the Ulster of old, in the future generation’s hands, it can help us learn about the Ulster of now.