On an unusually sunny December day in the Forest of Dean, the public were invited to a free screening of “Common Ground”, created by film-maker Sam Williams.
From 11am on December 14, the film was set to repeat every 20 minutes, and while the area was bustling with enthusiasts of the trail itself, the first screening had only this reporter in attendance.
Nonetheless, a friendly greeting by staff was followed by an exploration of the history of the sculpture trail, including key points of interest and landmarks. The film was a highly informative examination of an area that foresters and tourists have come to love over the decades.
It started off powerfully with one word. “Dean”. Setting the tone right off the bat - you are quickly engulfed into the majesty of the area, complemented with gorgeous shots of the woodlands. Indeed at times in the film, it feels as though you are immersed into the fantasy genre.
Despite some technical issues during the screening, the film was able to evoke strong emotions of the Forest and what the trail represents, with its use of photography old and new, and highly informed interviewees, such as David Nash.
At first, I found the pacing and structure a little difficult to wrestle with, but it becomes acutely obvious what it is trying to do a few minutes in. Famous trail sights such as the “Giants Chair” and “Melissa’s Swing” each have their own section, with original documents and archival footage from the 1980s helping to inform the audience more of their history and importance.
As someone who is not Forest-born, but did frequent the sculpture trail during my childhood, I found the film had some fascinating tidbits of information. One that stood out was artist Onya Mccausland, who was approached by the Trust to lead the process of decommissioning “Place” and burning the giant oak chair in a charcoal pile.
She said the chair was never meant to be there for a long time. For me, this was one of the most memorable sights on the sculpture trail, and this take set up what would be one of the film’s major themes; the cycle of life.
One moment in the film spoke of trees decomposing to become one with the earth once more, which will eventually lead to new life, and this was perfectly bound with the allegory of life through the use of old and new footage. Those who have seen Johnny Cash’s “Hurt” video will understand how impactful a journey through time can be, and Common Ground does this in its own way.
This theme comes to a conclusion with the film itself as we hear the narration of “signposts that lead everywhere and nowhere”. The quote speaks to the Forest of Dean’s lore but metaphorically highlighted the summary of life. We are all essentially going everywhere and nowhere.
For a 20-minute film, it covers a lot of ground, such as the connection with the miners of yesteryear and the idyllic rationale behind the stained-glass window opposite Speech House. But to sum it up, what Common Ground does best is much more than inform you of the trail’s history and the people that inspired what it is today (although it certainly does that). It evokes emotion from the first word “Dean” to the very last.
I would highly recommend it to any forester who is interested in the sculpture trail, and to any tourist who may not be aware of how integral the trail is to the area - and those who are able to see it will likely come out feeling a much stronger connection to the Forest of Dean than ever before.
