First Darkness screens in Epping Forest

Our film “First Darkness” was recently screened at Epping Forest on the outskirts of London.



In the forest’s late afternoon sunshine, our day’s business being concluded, Denise and I met a bowler-hatted coachman sitting high on his roof seat brake vehicle, powered by two fine white Lipizzaner horses. From looking closely at Paul Foyle, the coachman, his arresting blue eyes and skin colouring suggested to me that we might share a common Irish heritage. I was right. As is often the case with us, on such a chance meeting, we quickly struck up a conversation. It was fast paced, with information swapped quickly in sort of shorthand. We took great enjoyment from this meeting.



The coachman, Paul Foyle from the Ostler Carriage Company, took us for a ride on his rig through the forest. I sat up high at the front beside him looking forward over the backs of the two strong white horses. Denise sat on a short bench seat behind us. To begin with, the ride had an odd rhythm, irregular in pace, with a rolling sideways movement. From a high vantage point you could see a landscape full of light and shade within the forest.



Giddy with excitement, the coachman urged me to “steady on girl”. I had to ask if he was talking to me or the horses? Well, it wasn’t the horses Jack and Vera (real names The Duke and Duchess).

With a bit of speed the rig got into a smoother, repetitive rhythm. Then it happened, that fleeting, elusive “being in the moment” moment. The sun filtering through the trees fell onto the horses’ backs, their livery shimmering and tinkling in time to the beat of their hooves. I look to my side to see the handsome coachman, resplendent in his cape coat and bowler hat, work his horses. We dip our heads in unison passing under low hanging branches. Looking behind, I see Denise smiling broadly. In a forest filled with light, full of joy, my spirit soars and it runs with the horses.

Who’d have thought that a day out Epping Woodland Burial Park would have been so exhilarating, so life affirming?


Riding past Reverend Paul Sinclair on his motorcycle hearse, we hear a band play to a group of visitors for this Inaugural London Funeral Exhibition, here in the woodland. Diverse and intriguing exhibition stands line part of our route through the forest including Winter Willow, Ecoffins, information on civil funerals and photographic services by Priscilla Etienne of Funeography. We give a small wave at fellow participants, Charles Cowling from the Good Funeral Guide and Brian Jenner from the Six Feet Under Convention.

I swap seats with Denise, to give her a turn at the front top seat beside the coachman. She is very quiet and I ask Denise is she is OK. In the rig, you sit really high up, and we are in woodland where people are buried. Denise had simply come over a bit shy. It’s an odd thing, we are both extroverts, we can talk to anyone, but now and then a quiet descends over her. I was conscious of being in full-on extrovert flight mode and put that down to genetics. My father, when at times, a bit merry at social occasions would turn and ask me – is this a wedding or a funeral? It didn’t matter, each being simply a celebration of life.

It was lovely to remember my father that day, and to have in my home a beautiful original painting of a mountain in Donegal that he bought me before he died. Artworks make a unique and lasting commemorative gift. In the “First Darkness” series of prints and paintings on which the film is based, Denise has been able to convey her personal experience of loss and her love of Nature in this sensitive and powerful group of artworks. You can see the artwork online and original prints are for sale in our online art shop:

http://wyllieohagan.com/pages/sale-first-darkness.html



We were delighted to screen “First Darkness” at the Inaugural London Funeral Exhibition 2011 in Epping. It is our aim to exhibit and screen our work outside of the usual gallery / film festival settings. At Epping there was much interest and enthusiasm for the film. The audience at this event were experts in many aspects of funeral management as opposed to film or art critics. The post screening discussions that followed were just as lively and successful, with the audiences covering many new aspects of the issues raised by the film.

Many thanks to the events organisers - Woodland Burial Parks Groups at Epping Forest - for staging the Inaugural London Funeral Exhibition. Congratulations on a successful, well planned and executed event.


Denise Wyllie and Clare O Hagan

Wyllie O Hagan

http://www.wyllieohagan.com

For further information about the The Ostler Carriage Company Horse Carriage Hire please go here:

http://www.theostler.org.uk/

For further information about the Woodland Burial Parks at Epping Forest please go to:

http://www.woodlandburialparks.co.uk/

For information on exhibitors at the London Funeral Exhibition 2011 please go to:



http://www.woodlandburialparks.co.uk/London-Funeral-Exhibition-2011/Exhibitors.ice