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Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre - War Women
War Women - A Film by Lou Hamilton
As part of the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre project, Wiltshire County Council, North Wiltshire District Council and Swindon Borough Council commissioned digital artist Lou Hamilton to create an artist film using the the county and borough’s records in combination with her own photographic montage and filming techniques. Lou’s film "War Women" is a visual exploration of the relationship of women to war over the last 300 years; pre-World Wars, World Wars and post-World Wars as seen through the eyes of soldiers’ wives, camp followers, nurses, widows, women soldiers and peacekeepers. The film’s imagery is interwoven with interviews with three women from the Second World War, a female war correspondent, a woman soldier, a military historian, and a human rights' lawyer.
Lou Hamilton is a filmmaker and a photographer and runs a company called Create Lab, which was established to use creativity to inspire change. She studied photography and multi media at Byam Shaw School of Art, and film and photography for her MA at Chelsea College of Art. She then went on to make short artist films funded by the Arts Council, two of which were short listed for the David Altshul Award for innovative filmmaking. Lou was asked to direct a documentary series for Channel 4, which was nominated for the Royal Television Society Awards and the Broadcast Awards. She continues to direct films for television, cinema and public spaces. Her recent photographic projects have included magazines, books, exhibitions and public art projects.
The film is a companion piece to Lou Hamilton's triptych " Bone Memory " now on on display in the main reading room of the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre.
The film can be viewed at the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre, during our opening times. Please ask at the Centre's Reception.
