Film shows what it's like to travel around Southampton

Claudia Murg, founder and executive director of We Make Southampton Community Media, debuted her film at the Inclusive Film Festival at Central Hall in the city centre on Saturday, November 25.

Titled ‘Is this street good enough for me?’ – the purpose of the film was to showcase the everyday realities of six residents travelling across the city – some with disabilities – by bike, bus, and mobility scooter.

The documentary was filmed throughout 2022 when the government introduced measures to encourage less car reliance and healthier ways to travel, in line with the climate change emergency.

Claudia told the Echo: “I made this film because a few years ago, when I started driving a single-decker bus, which was our mobile office, I began to experience, in a totally different way than before, the road infrastructure, the local travel habits, and the lack of empathy between road users.

“I became curious about the wider impact of the inconsistencies that shape our habits.

“I have been aware of the University of Southampton Future Communities Hub, led by Dr Alan Wong and Dr Tony Curran, which aims to involve residents to contribute to making Southampton a more vibrant, people-oriented city that promotes healthy, sustainable living.”

Claudia added: “We set out to collaborate on a project that facilitates resident involvement in a practical and specific way that goes beyond the type of general consultation questionnaires that residents are invited to contribute to by the city council.”

Central Hall hosted the first incarnation of the Inclusive Film Festival, that was developed by founding director, Gregory White, of Drop the Mast Productions.

Gregory told the Echo: “It would be great if we could expand this going forward.

“The films at the festival are based on a lot of lived experiences around mental health, from people living in and around Southampton.

“Claudia’s film looks at the problems with road traffic, but we also have other stories looking at addiction and suicide.”

Gregory added: “Documentary film is a really good way of showcasing these stories and allowing people to tell their stories.

“It’s a real mixture of great films and we’re so grateful to everyone involved.”