Spoonbenders
The second in a trilogy of films made about paranormal/anomalous phenomena between 1998 and 2001.
Spoon Benders is a child led documentary into the strange world of paranormal metal bending. The film looks at two different generations of 'child benders', and with contributions from established scientists, probes beneath the surface of society's preconceptions about children. This juxtaposing of the world of the scientist and the world of the child give the film both its internal dynamic and its sense of poignancy. Spoon Benders is a humanist story set against the background of an intense and passionate controversy.
Fetching it out of the closet and re-viewing Spoonbenders I was surprised to find that my original thoughts about the film were little changed. It has an eternal quality, a feeling of eternal recurrence that it draws from the nature of its subjects: mainly young children and old scientists, almost like the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrope redimensioned as a doc. This feeling is heightened by the magical score of Keith Morris (his last soundtrack, sadly KM was brutally taken away from us in 2005).
At one level Spoonbenders is about innocence but the film also catches the dark side of innocence: its shadow. Is there innocence without a shadow? I don’t know. There are judgements you have to make for yourself. What interested me in making this film and the other films was how people look to make sense and give meaning to their lives and situations. Making sense can be a tricksy business.
Anyway with the help of scientists and children Spoonbenders probes beneath the surface of society’s preconceptions about these paranormal events; and it is this contrast between the world of science and the world of the child that gives the film both its internal dynamic and its sense of poignancy.
Contributors include:
Scientists:
Professor Arthur Ellison
Professor John Hasted
Dr Christopher French
Children:
Mark Henry
Simon Williams
Nicole Bain
Technical Credits:
Camera: Ken Slater,Paul Sadourian
Sound:Tony Cogger
Music:Keith Morris
Editor:Robert Hargreaves
Performers:
Boy: Joe Garnett
Voice Over: Ben Price
Produced and Directed:Adrin Neatrour
1999, UK, SP, 28 mins.
