A new moving image and live music joint commission with Flatpack Festival, The Dark Mirror weaves a mythological tale inspired by the rich recorded history and transnational cultural significance of canals.

Composed using archival footage, the film delves into the untold stories of those who built and used the canals, exploring the displacement of people and geographies caused by their construction and the eco-human relationships shaped by these waterways. The title is inspired by the Falkirk Tunnel, known in the local imagination as "The Darkkie" which serves in the film as a site of confluence and transformation for three imagined historical travellers connected via the global trade routes of canals.

Created by artist Moira Salt, the film premieres at HippFest, accompanied by a newly commissioned live score by Tommy Perman and Andrew Wasylyk, who were invited by Flatpack Festival to create the film’s soundscape. Known for their combination of meditative ambient soundscapes and folktronica, Perman and Wasylyk have developed the score collaboratively with Salt’s filmmaking process. Field recordings, a hallmark of their work, will feature prominently in this elemental composition.

Based on research into the Falkirk Archives and using footage from BFI National Archive, Media Archive Central England, Collection Eye Filmmuseum Netherland and the National Library of Scotland’s Moving Image Archive, this creative non-fiction film brings some of the many mythologies of these waterways to life. 

The Dark Mirror is part of the wider project: What the Water Remembers, originating in Birmingham and Falkirk and gathering perspectives on these often-overlooked but surprisingly rich sites that carry stories of industry, migration, anti-capitalism and rewilding. Learn more at the accompanying exhibition, which you can visit at Bo’ness Library, 14 Feb - 20 Apr. 

Dir. Moira Salt | UK | 2024-5 | N/C U | 45min approx.

Performing live: Andrew Wasylyk and Tommy Perman

Commissioned with Flatpack Festival. Funded by Creative Scotland National Lottery Open Fund for Organisations and PRS Foundation

Community partner: Ian Macleod Distillers

CONTENT ADVISORY: Themes relating to racism, flashing images that may trigger photosensitive epilepsy.