No Place (Looking Forward)

King’s Lynn and King’s Cross stand at either end of the railway line into and out of London and, provide archetypal representations of the ‘country’ and the ‘city.Consisting of a dream like collage of images from both locations No Place was originally shown as two interrelated but separate companion installations. No Place traces a series of parallel stories involving a number of young ‘country girls’ whose paths in life are played out against the backdrop of cinema and particularly the exemplary fantasy journey undertaken by Dorothy in The Wizard of OZ.Steven Bode, Film and Video UmbrellaNo Place: Looking ForwardSet in Kings Lynn, Norfolk, the surrounding fenlands are reminiscent of the hillbilly flatlands of Kansas, conjuring the Wizard of Oz. A young girl’s hymn to elsewhere. A crystal ball appears to tune in with the infinite. Dorothy falls asleep in a field of poppies marking the transition from country to city.I did a casting in Kings Lynn and decided to cast all the girls as Dorothy instead of the one girl. SMShot on 16mm and DVCamLighting/Camera: Nic Gordon Smith, Executive Producer: Steven Bode & Maggie Ellis, Assistant: Lotta PetronellaCast: Jade Bishopp, Emily Hinks, Faye Castleton.Premiere: Kings Lynn Arts Centre, Norfolk, UK.The installation was co-commissioned with Film and Video Umbrella in association with King’s Lynn Arts Centre. Supported by The Regional Arts Lottery Fund of Arts Council England East and Arts Council England Grants for National Touring. With additional support from Camden Council.Stills: Ed Miles, John Miles