Film highlights effect of library closures
Short film declares support for libraries
The effect of government cuts on the library service has been highlighted in a specially produced film which had its premiere on an exterior wall of the British Library in London on Wednesday 2 February.
Kevin Redpath of Mid-Somerset Area Meeting worked with three other filmmakers on the campaigning film. He said: ‘For some Friends their social activism was ignited by Greenham Common, the Poll Tax or the Iraq War. For me it was the proposed library closures in Somerset. Faced with the threat of sixty per cent of our public libraries closing, we decided to use our creative skills to help protect the vulnerable in our communities and stop our county councillors from conducting such an appalling act of cultural vandalism.’
Kevin told the Friend that those involved worked on the film for free ‘because we all love and use our local libraries’. A temporary film studio was set up in the towns of Glastonbury and Shepton Mallet. Over seventy members of the public came forward to share their feelings, including a chartered librarian, a homeless traveller, a single mum in tears with her three young book-loving children, a Polish refugee, a local historian, town and county councillors and book lovers of all ages.
The team filmed in London and interviewed Julian Fellowes, Kate Mosse and John Bird, the founder of the Big Issue. He spoke movingly about learning to read in prison and how vital libraries were for his education. The film has received support from David Attenborough, Alan Bennett, Doris Lessing, Philip Pullman, Ian Rankin and Salman Rushdie.
Kevin added: ‘The film is our creative contribution to the national campaign to save our libraries and can be seen at www.welovelibraries.co.uk.’
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