Coventry's City of Culture celebrations have begun!
It all started with a very special film
Last updated 17th May 2021
A special film has been released to mark the start of Coventry City of Culture.
Timeless Words Made New premiered on Saturday evening on the City of Culture website.
The film takes inspiration from the words of George Eliot, who lived in the city, setting her words to a new music track.
It'd been specially created for the film by Coventry producer Coolie.
The film takes us on a journey around the city led by Coolie, highlighting what being a City of Culture means to him, in a city he feels has often been overlooked.
As George Elliot’s timeless words are projected onto Coventry’s iconic mid-Century cityscape, Coolie takes the viewer on a personal tour of his city as it as it emerges from the challenges of the past year to be UK City of Culture.
Throughout the film Eliot’s observations on life and art are projected on the buildings of Coventry, while well-known people from the city speak their words.
The quotes were selected for their relevance after a year in which people have been isolated, communities have been challenged and young people have been particularly hard hit.
Mary Ann Evans, writing under the pseudonym George Eliot so her work could be taken ‘more seriously’ was the acclaimed writer of Middlemarch (1871), which is said to be a fictionalised version of Victorian Coventry. She lived at Bird Grove House in Coventry in her formative 20s in the 1840s, and was earlier schooled in the city.
Chenine Bhathena, Creative Director of City of Culture Trust said:
“TIMELESS WORDS MADE NEW will put the words of one of our amazing women at the centre of the emotional and cultural renewal of our nation.
“This dynamic film and its compelling soundtrack, speak to who we are as a city, putting our powerful social history at the centre of our future.
“It marks the start of what will be an incredible year for Coventry and the re-start of our cultural lives."
Coolie said:
“Coventry City of Culture Trust approached me with an idea about breathing new life into the words of George Eliot, which feel really poignant to remember as we come out of lockdown and celebrate the opening of City of Culture.
“We used her quotes about music, poetry, determination, and resilience. They are as relevant today as they were back when she was writing in Victorian England, but we wanted to present them in a way that was more accessible for today - so I mixed them in a drill track, and we’re using the city as a canvas too for projections.”
The launch of the UK City of Culture year was delayed until today due to the outbreak of Coronavirus.
The signature event – Coventry Moves – will take place on Saturday 5 June. It will tell the story of the city’s pioneering past, present and future throughout the day.
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