One day I had an idea to make a film.
A tapestry of clips woven together during a overland journey from Hull to Valdivosko and back - observing and mapping cultural changes step by step as I strut through the cabins of trains. That’s right - I was going to strap a Gopro to my crotch.
Colours, faces, activities, language, attitudes, fashion and even train designs would represent the geographical locations I was to pass through.
As it turned out, the two years and 25000km of filming was only the beginning of this journey - it took a further seven years to pull it all together into the final film, oh la la!
But here we are - and it just won a bloody film festival =D
It’s like some huge loop has been closed - receiving acknowledgment for my efforts from such an awesome event makes it all worth while.
Thank you to the festival and to Sam, Leo and Yel for your wonderful contributions!!

lifekollektiv #25
Filmed, directed & produced by Allan Dransfield.
Edited by Sam Rogers & Allan Dransfield.
Original Score by Leonid Tschernobelski.
Animation by Yelisaveta Pismak.

Leo is a Ukrainian musician who I met during an exhibition opening in Berlin. I turned around to find him stood behind me and we had a very comfortable few moments of silence. 10 minutes later, Leo had one of his hand-made plucking instruments out and he was already experimenting with sounds to suit an early edit of this film which I was showing him on my mobile.
Leo and I discussed how to approach the score. Should it be a constant rhythm running through the whole series, or perhaps the style of music should transition though each doorway? They were avenues we planned on exploring.
Two days later I was around at Leo's place. He laid his array of bizzarre and worldly instruments on the table and we watched the film though once in silence, then without too much thought, we began.
The final musical composition is almost entirely the 'first-take'. It was Leo's most instinctual response to the film. With my recorder in one hand following the organic sound of his instruments, my other hand searched to guide Leo through the journey and highlight key events in the film which I knew by heart, for example Leo's response to the thai gentleman being guided by the monk at 3:30 is golden.