Director
A meditation on a lost era and the regenerative power of the sea, Song For Billy grew out of the haunting photographs of Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen’s photography project The Coal Coast. Tracing the scattered clues of England’s post-industrial northern coastline, with coal mining seams extending deep under the seabed, lead to stories embedded in the surreal landscape and the vivid re-enacting of the death of a young coal miner Billy, by his workmate. The story inspired the New York based percussion group So Percussion, who together with Amber created the film’s cathartic music.
Director
The last pits have closed, the redundancy money has been spent and a family is in crisis. 70 year old pigeon man Arthur Elliott is losing his allotment to the local authority’s coastal redevelopment scheme. Working as a trumpeter, teacher, club singer and club act agent, his son, 40 year old ex-miner Joe can just about scrape a living, but his marriage is breaking up. 10 year old Michael is left to grapple with his own realities as coalfield culture begins to disintegrate. Three generations struggle to come to terms with the past and find the ties that still bind them; three worlds unfold against the rich and extraordinary backdrop of East Durham.
Director
A chronicle of Finnish-born photographer Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen's return to her roots in Finland with her daughter Katja, after 23 years in Britain.
director
A richly lyrical documentary celebration of the vibrant beach life in the North East of England, constructed entirely out of Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen's black & white photographs.
Producer
A feature drama set in the declining fishing industry in North Shields, the film centres on the upheaval caused in a traditional fishing community by the unexpected arrival of a young woman.
Producer
An experimental mix of thriller and documentary exploring the scandal centred on the one-time Newcastle Council Leader, aka The Mouth of the Tyne, who was sentenced to six years imprisonment in 1974 for corruption. A dynamic and visionary politician, Smith collaborated closely as Amber unpicked the story of a leftwing group of ex-war resisters who took control of the city council in 1960, the socialist and civic ambitions and the betrayals; the claims of MI5 involvement, of ministerial cover-ups and the unseen role of the Privy Council. With Smith appearing as himself and filmmakers Murray Martin and Steve Trafford as two journalists, the film interrogates the interviews and archive footage, weaving them together with a fictional scandal unfolding on the streets around them…
