Trail of the Spider (Kirschner and Panos, 2008)
SD, 54min, sound
Recreating sweeping panoramas of the Wild West on landfills, wastelands and gravel pits linked to the construction of the 2012 Olympic Park, Trail of the Spider draws on the suppressed history of the American West and fuses the Western motif of the vanishing frontier with the material and psychological conditions of present-day East London, where access to land use and housing is increasingly dominated by volatile property speculations and financial interests. Featuring a large cast of local actors and non-actors, the film's dialogues are rooted both in historic sources and the collective experiences of the players and filmmakers, linked through friendships and political activism.
Funded by Arts Council England, London with the support of Film London Artists Moving Image Network and supported by the Elephant Trust.
