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Under the North Sea

Federico Barni, Alberto Allica | 2020 | UK | 18

One kilometre underneath the cliffs of North Yorkshire, two very different tribes come face to face everyday. Since the late 80s, when the deepest dark matter research laboratory in the UK was built in the salt mine at Boulby, miners and research scientists have been working side by side in the underground network. In the darkness of this extreme environment, a young woman finds a new future. Scored with a soundtrack made entirely from underground recordings, this sensorial mosaic reveals a fragile equilibrium, a dimension in which utopian and dystopian futures coexist.

UK Premiere

Writer: Federico Barni
Producer: Alberto Allica
Editor: Federico Barni
Development Producer: Sara Archer, Elly Steinberg
Sound Design: Federico Barni, Lars Koens
Location Sound Recordist: Rory Smith

Director Biography

Federico Barni is an Italian-British filmmaker. His films have been shown internationally at film festivals including DocLisboa and DIFF as well as art institutions such as the South London Gallery, Cryptic Glasgow and on Nowness. He has years of experience as an editor of documentary and fashion film. His work and interests have developed alongside his cell biology and anthropology studies at UCL and Imperial College.

Alberto Allica is a Spanish-born, London-based filmmaker who since 2016 has been helping established directors and production companies make films – from documentary, to branded, to narrative – for the likes of the BBC, Channel 4 and Netflix, among others. Federico and Alberto met while studying at the Science Media Production unit at Imperial College.

Director Statement

Underneath the cliffs of North Yorkshire, two very different tribes come face to face everyday. Since the late 80s, when the deepest dark matter research laboratory in the UK was built in the salt mine at Boulby, miners and research scientists have been working side by side in the 1.1 km deep underground network. In the darkness of this extreme environment, a young woman finds a new future.

Scored with a soundtrack made entirely from underground recordings, this sensorial mosaic reveals a fragile equilibrium, a dimension in which utopian and dystopian futures coexist.

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