Guildhall is one of the most iconic buildings in London and still serves as the ceremonial and administrative centre of the City of London. But the hall itself has played host to many shameful moments in Britain’s past, namely the Zong case of 1781, where ship owners attempted to claim insurance for losing “cargo” after throwing 130 slaves overboard. Freddie Leyden’s Under The Skin of a Guild: Wake of Lost Souls – adapted from a series of live performances – is a compelling dance piece that uses extreme wide angles, heavy contrasts and loose camera movements to reclaim the space, fill it with a sense of Black empowerment and rob it of its awful legacy. We talked to Director Leyden and Performance Artist Enam Gbewonyo about getting permission to shoot in Whitehall, pushing the heaviest colour contrasts possible and how the UK has yet to fully live up to the horrors of its colonial past.
This piece is adapted from a live performance. Is this something that you were involved in? What was the initial challenge of adapting it to the film world?
Freddie Leyden: No, Enam Gbewonyo and Liz Gre had already performed their live piece before we came to make the film. The live performance was much longer and was site-specific to three locations around Guildhall. Instead of creating a pure documentation of that live performance, we made a conscious effort to create something that also worked as an artwork in itself, a standalone piece, so although it contains the same elements, this film is its own thing. The challenge was to blend three different segments of the original live performances into one piece.
There was definitely a lot of emotion which Liz Gre and Enam channelled into the performance.
You film in the same place where the Zong case was held. What was it like getting permission to shoot in Guildhall?
FL: It was actually pretty light touch for us as the film came about from a performance commission for Enam with the organisation Arts&Heritage. She was given carte blanche to pick the site she wanted to activate, the only stipulation being that it was in London. As soon as Enam found out about the Zong case she knew she wanted to do the performance at Guildhall. Arts&Heritage then managed negotiations to secure Guildhall and in the end, it became a collaborative commission between the two organisations.
Part of the agreement was that she’d also make a film adaptation of the performance so that there was documentation for posterity. In terms of logistics to make the film happen, Guildhall is a large entity so there were a number of rungs of approval to get through both pre and post (edit approval) shoot, as well as departments to liaise with for all the different elements. However, it all came together for the shoot.
How did you think about capturing the architecture of the space and then thinking about subverting or interpreting it through film and dance?
FL: Guildhall is very unique architecturally. It is almost like a cathedral although the space is entirely secular. Its vast scale has a lot of grandeur and it has a very serious atmosphere. So I wanted to play with those two things both respecting its sheer scale with wide lenses and painterly compositions but subverting it with modern and loose camera movement. The Cinematographer Thomas Terminet really brought energy and ideas to the shoot by pushing for really dynamic movement. We also worked with the fantastically talented Operator James Davis.
Instead of creating a pure documentation of that live performance, we made a conscious effort to create something that also worked as an artwork in itself.
What was it like being amongst that space knowing what had happened there? Was there a lot of emotions on the set?
FL: There was definitely a lot of emotion which Liz Gre and Enam channelled into the performance. In researching the Zong case Enam found out that the ship set sail from Ghana which made its importance and resonance even more impactful as she is of Ghanaian descent. As you can hear Liz Gre is an amazing singer. She performed on the day; paired with Enam’s movement it really was mesmerising and emotional.
The music is fascinating, moving between a spiritual tone and something more electronic, that never seems to settle on just one mood. What was your collaboration like with the composer here?
FL: So the music is three compositions created by Liz Gre performed specifically for the live performance. I then took the three pieces and blended them together to be one in the edit. Liz’s production style is really dynamic and textural. Almost as if she is singing over a soundscape.
There are a lot of sound design cues as well, ranging from metallic sounds to whispering noises to even screaming; were these added in much later or did you always know you wanted to have them in there?
FL: As a final touch once the edit was locked I brought in my frequent collaborator, the very talented Sound Designer MRWIZE, who gave the piece a once over to add some sound effects to really amplify some of the movements.
The deep deep reds and thick dark colour palette hint at the undercurrent of violence and pain that runs through the piece.
Heavy contrasts and strong use of colour and light certainly stress the emotions of the piece and bring it to life – what was your camera set-up and how did you want to shoot the film?
FL: I’m really proud of the colour grade in this piece. We worked with Marty McMullen at Freefolk. I asked him to push it as far as it would go without breaking the footage. And he’s really created something unique. It has an otherworldly atmosphere and the deep deep reds and thick dark colour palette hint at the undercurrent of violence and pain that runs through the piece. Through conversations with Cinematographer Thomas and Gaffer Al Rice, we decided to use the natural light through the stained glass windows as much as possible.
This is your third time working with Enam Gbewonyo. Can you tell me what your collaboration process is like and perhaps how much input you have into the choreography?
FL: My collaboration with Enam holds immense importance for me. Enam is a truly inspirational artist and individual. Above all, I genuinely believe that she channels something profoundly significant during her performances. I don’t contribute to her choreography in any way. The most influence I might hope to have is in creating an environment on set where she can access the headspace required for her on-camera performance. She possesses remarkable instincts and lives in the moment once filming begins. This dynamic generates an electrifying atmosphere on set, something I consider quite sacred.
The fact that Britain refuses to pay reparations and yet shelled out millions in compensation to slave owners for the loss of “property” is inexcusable.
Do you think the UK still has a long way to go when it comes to acknowledging our own part in the slave trade?
Enam Gbewonyo: It’s an obvious and resounding yes! It’s been the status quo to brush under the carpet the fact that Great Britain played a massive role in the transatlantic slave trade and in the colonisation of Africa. Much of its wealth that its descendants still benefit from to this day was built off the blood of enslaved people. Rather they choose to spotlight the small part they played in the abolition but let’s be clear the abolitionist movement was largely driven by a combination of the fear of further rebellions across plantations in the Caribbean and the knock-on impact on profits as well as the loss of power and access following the American Civil War. Worse still, the repercussions are still being felt by the Black British community and the former “colonies” across the Caribbean and Africa.
The fact that Britain refuses to pay reparations and yet shelled out millions in compensation to slave owners for the loss of “property” is inexcusable. Adding insult to injury is the fact that Britain only paid off the debt of the loan taken out to pay this compensation in 2015. This means that the Black British community’s taxes also went towards paying off this loan to the people that enslaved their ancestors!
Is there anything else you’d like to add about the film?
EG: Just that it’s truly special and a project myself, Liz Gre and Freddie Leyden, are extremely proud of! So huge thanks to all at Directors Notes for the premiere! It means so much to us to collaborate with you to get it out there in the world.
What are you working on next?
FL: I’m just about to shoot a narrative film based in Ireland and have a few exciting short-form projects dropping in the next few months. Enam and I also have another piece in the works that we will hopefully film early next year.
