Commissioned by Great North Run
Culture, Melanie Manchot’s film features ten North East parkour runners,
or traceurs, making their way
along the course of the Bupa Great North Run. Tracer is a portrait
of the landscape of the North East and the incredible feats these young performers
are capable of.
Parkour, or freerunning, has
become more popular since featuring in movies such as Casino Royale and The
Bourne Ultimatum. Melanie’s film proposes a new perspective on this
exciting discipline: filmed in long takes, it focuses on how the parkourists
trace a route across spaces, interacting with and becoming part of the urban
environment.
Filming for Tracer started
in the early hours of the morning on the day of the 2012 Great North Run when
the team from Apeuro Freerunning performed an amazing display in the underpass
of the closed central motorway in Newcastle city centre before tens of
thousands of runners streamed through. Since then, Melanie has captured some
incredible footage including one of the parkourists on the roof of The Sage
Gateshead, another running along the top of the Newcastle Swing Bridge while in
motion as a film crew captured all the action from the top the Tyne Bridge
Towers and a group portrait of hundreds of Great North Runners at both the
start and finish areas of the Run on race day last September.
Melanie explains, "I’m working with a group
of local parkour runners to re-imagine the architecture and spaces along the
route of the Great North Run through the amazing discipline and philosophy of
parkour. Through the parkourists’ movements these iconic, atmospheric locations
are re-articulated and brought to life in unexpected ways. Andrew performed a very sculptural move
and handstand on the roof of The Sage, which will look stunning outlined against the
aesthetic of this unique building and the skyline beyond.”
Beth Bate, Director Great North
Run Culture, said, "We're delighted to be working with Melanie to show
the course of the Bupa Great North Run in a completely new way. Every year we
invite artists to apply for our Moving Image Commission and every year we’re
amazed at the talent and the diversity of ideas out there. Whether they focus
on the runners, the elite athletes, the landscape or its incredible heritage,
it seems the Run has the ability to continue to inspire artists in new and
exciting ways.”
Funders and partners
In Motion programme supported by:
Project partners:
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