Project Round-Up #11

This year has unfolded in layers: travelling, filming and long stretches of slow, sometimes difficult creative development. Looking back over the past few months, I can see how each experience - whether in Sweden, filming with the twins Pip and Bea, recording in front of a microphone last November, spending time at Sheffield DocFest or returning to my studio - has shaped the work in different ways. At the time they felt like separate moments, but with a bit of distance I can see how they have been informing one another, gradually clarifying the questions I'm interested in and the way I want to tell these stories.

Identical - A Twin Story

Filming with Pip and Bea back in September 2025 was such a treat. I connected with their mother, Alice, through an artist I was linked to on Facebook. I wanted to film twins small enough to fit into the balloon dresses Lucy and I wore when we were four. My mother made those dresses for us, along with many more beautifully crafted pieces. She taught me and my sisters to sew from an early age, and I would spend hours making clothes for my dolls and teddies.

Pip, me and Bea

Pip & Bea were wonderful throughout the morning. My main aim was to capture them simply playing together, to get a sense of their shared bond. I worked with a three-camera setup: a drone for aerial perspectives, a RED camera for wide, cinematic shots and a small HD camera for more intimate, on-the-move moments. It allowed me to move fluidly between scales of observation without interrupting their natural flow.

I worked with Dan Coates on camera, who is also editing the film, and Paul Thompson on sound, as I wanted to make sure we could capture their conversations, which were absolutely adorable and full of character. My brilliant assistant, Jo, was an invaluable part of the team, anticipating every need and keeping the twins happily entertained throughout the shoot alongside their parents. 

They were mesmerised by the drone at first, which was a definite highlight for them - and for us - but they soon forgot about the presence of the cameras altogether, which was exactly what I had hoped for. Those quieter, unguarded moments of play became the most special to capture.

Me and Lucy

In November 2025 I recorded my voiceover - something I had been putting off for a long time as I find it so difficult. We decided to set up a full recording environment, including a two-camera setup. Lucy came and asked me pre-written questions. I’m not good at memorising text and it often sounds stilted and unnatural, so this approach worked much better; it allowed everything to flow in a more conversational way.

Velvet stealing the show

I think Velvet, my cat, could sense I was feeling anxious, as she came and joined me on the sofa. Junebug, my lovely labradoodle who we lost in 2024, used to do the same - though she would usually lie just off camera. Velvet, on the other hand, insisted on being centre stage!

This voiceover has since been used to track the different parts of the documentary, which is slowly taking shape. Making a feature documentary can be exhausting at times and I’ve definitely questioned whether to continue on more than one occasion, but I feel a strong sense of commitment to the contributors, and to Lucy and myself, to see it through to completion. At its best, this film has been both therapy and a joy - something that has carried me through as much as I have carried it.

Make Happen Institute - A Week of Possibility in Sweden

Back in February, which feels like a very long time ago now, I went to Sweden. I had discovered an MA course through the Make Happen Institute and applied while I was convalescing with a broken foot just before Christmas. As I was too late for a bursary place - and having already completed an MA in Film back in the 2000s - I asked if I could attend the 'A Week of Possibility' introductory bootcamp and they said yes.

The Calm Estate's woodland

I was so excited, and also a little nervous, to be going off on this adventure, as I hadn't done anything like this on my own for quite a while. I went and bought myself a very warm coat in preparation! I flew from Norwich via Amsterdam to Gothenburg, where I boarded a transfer bus to the beautifully named Calm Estate in Floda, about half an hour outside Gothenburg.

It was funny, as while I was waiting for the connection, I noticed a group of about eight women speaking English, all around my age. It turned out that they were waiting too and were heading to the same place, so we travelled on together.

What followed was a demanding but exhilarating week. This wasn’t a retreat; it was deep, soul-searching work focused on shaping and finalising what each of their year-long MA projects would become. For me, it was invaluable as it gave me the space to pitch my twin documentary, receive thoughtful feedback, and begin forming a clearer strategic plan for the year ahead.

The Calm Estate's frozen lake

The Calm Estate was set in woodland, with a large frozen lake that we were able to walk out onto and stand in the middle of. It was truly extraordinary. I met some wonderful people that week, many of whom I’m still in touch with, and it has been lovely to follow the progress of their own MA projects since.

In the evenings there was yoga or the sauna, and the surreal experience of cooling down by lying out on the frozen lake afterwards. One of the things I loved most was having time to photograph the night sky - being away from the demands of home and able to fully focus on my creative practice. I had never seen so many stars, and the air was so crisp, with temperatures dropping to minus three on some days.

New Studio Space - Great Yarmouth

My new studio space

Alongside working on the film, I’ve recently taken on a studio in Great Yarmouth for my visual art practice. I’ve given myself a year there with no pressure - just the space to return to the work I began making after losing my mother in 2020. Following the further loss of my father in 2025, it feels important to find a way to bring that body of work towards some kind of completion, although I’m still working out what that might look like.

I've really valued having a place away from home where I can simply make things, away from the screen and the constant pull of the computer. It’s been a return to a more physical way of working, which feels necessary right now.

Sheffield DocFest - June 26

I had the pleasure of attending Sheffield DocFest in June. What a whirlwind few days it was! There were so many fantastic industry events that I didn’t manage to see many films during the festival itself, although I was glad that several were made available online afterwards.

A special shout-out to Lesbian Lines, which created an archive as part of its filmmaking process - such a powerful and poignant approach to documentary practice.

One of my biggest highlights was the masterclass with Maite Alberdi. She wasn’t a filmmaker I knew well beforehand, but her research process and way of developing stories was fascinating. Andrea Arnold’s masterclass was, as expected, both beautiful and playful in tone. I also really appreciated seeing the 'How Power Silences Women' talk, chaired by Sarah Mosses of Together Films, which was thought-provoking and important. It introduced me to three filmmakers whose work I now want to seek out and watch properly.

Sheffield DocFest Marketing

I had some great meetings across the few days, so there is a lot of food for thought and follow-up to do. What really stood out overall was how generous people were with their time, and how valuable it felt to learn about so many different filmmakers and their projects. It was a strong reminder that I am part of a much larger, vibrant documentary community.

I loved seeing We the Hated on the

opening night - a real call to action, focusing on the 'Just Stop Oil' campaign. It set the tone for an energising and politically engaged festival.

It was also lovely to reconnect with colleagues I hadn’t seen for years, to bump into filmmakers I wasn’t expecting to see, and to meet many new voices in the field. A big thank you to the producers who followed up afterwards to arrange meetings - I’m very grateful for that.

It was an exhausting few days, and I also celebrated my birthday whilst I was there, which made for a very different kind of celebration away from family. It proved to be a productive and energising experience. I didn’t stop the entire time, and I’ve come away with renewed focus, new contacts, and a real sense of momentum as I continue working towards finishing the twin documentary.

To conclude

All of this work feels like it is slowly finding its shape, even when that shape is still changing. I’m grateful for the people, places, and processes that have carried it this far, and for the continued space to keep making.

If you’d like to follow along more closely, there's a Facebook page for Identical - A Twin Story and I’ve also set up a new Instagram account where I’ll be sharing updates as the project develops. Later in the year I’ll also be launching a crowdfunding campaign to help bring the film to completion - every share and bit of support will make a real difference.

Thank you for reading, and for being part of this unfolding journey.