THE SOLWAY

THE SOLWAY

A FEATURE DOCUMENTARY FILM

Synopsis

ABOUT THE FILM

The Solway is a deeply personal debut feature documentary from filmmaker Eamon Bourke.

Sue died suddenly in 1983, leaving behind three young children. Eamon was three and can’t remember his mother. When his father, John, decides to sell their family home in Cumbria, Eamon doesn’t want to let it go, so returns to capture it on film.

In the process of clearing the house, Eamon unearths several cassette tapes recorded by Sue, full of personal reflections and intimate moments that bring her back to life in astonishing detail.

These are the missing memories that Eamon has longed for his whole life but also a gateway back to a family tragedy now forty years in the past.

Sue’s last tape captures her illness taking hold and ends with her and Eamon singing together.

A final devastating discovery awaits Eamon on a damaged tape he must take apart and put back together.

Set amidst the cinematic beauty of the Lake District, with a powerful original score, The Solway is an extraordinary meditation on love, grief and the wound of losing a parent in early childhood.

Archive Artifact #1 TAPE OPENING
Archive Artifact #2 TAPE REPAIR
Cinematic Preview

THE TRAILER

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“That’s where she lives for me, in this slightly out-of-reach world”

SLIDE LIGHT TABLE

SUE — KASHMIR

John and children, Cumbria

Audience Reactions

WHAT AUDIENCES SAY

“Medicine for the soul”

— The Brothers Gillespie

“That was genuinely worth 100 therapy sessions. I feel quite profoundly moved on a somewhat fundamental level, like something has shifted within me”

“It was the description of grief I didn’t know I needed”

“A raw, honest, human story that will resonate with anyone who has loved, lost or tried to hold onto something that matters”

“A life-affirming celebration of love and family”

The Creators

THE TEAM

Eamon Bourke
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Eamon Bourke

Director & Editor

Eamon directed, filmed and edited The Solway. The Solway is an act of devotion to his mother, an honouring of her memory and an attempt to understand why his grief still feels so raw after forty years. On the tapes, Sue asks Eamon to sing her a song, and Eamon feels this film is his reply.

Ed Arthur
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Ed Arthur

Producer

As the Mitos Studio founder, The Solway is close to Ed's heart, as someone who also lost a parent when he was a child. Ed's last documentary, The Road of Excess, was recently released into cinemas.

Nicola Cutcher
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Nicola Cutcher

Producer

Nicola was Bafta-nominated for co-producing the C4 documentary 'Syria's Disappeared: The Case Against Assad’. She has found her life immeasurably enriched by working on The Solway and believes the film has the capacity to touch audiences deeply.

Artistic Collaborators

SOLWAY CREATIONS

A variety of artists have come together to make The Solway, with music composed by The Brothers Gillespie and Ceitidh Mac, alongside Máiréad Kerr and pianist Rollo Clarke; animation from Ashley Dean of Broken Pixel and land art created by Rachel Shiamh.

Get in Touch

CONTACT

For distribution requests, screening inquiries, or further information about the film, please contact our producers. Click below to secure the email address:

Ed Arthur

Producer

Nicola Cutcher

Producer

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