We Held Our Breath
Short | United Kingdom | Matthew Denham
Informed by the historic and contemporary carbon-intensive industries of North East England, this experimental video surveys a landscape altered by industrial cycles and the values of growth and extraction. It captures three years of complex conversations with local communities, reflecting on potential futures. Through scenes of production, consumption, and waste, it serves as a metaphor for living with the environmental crisis we’ve created.
About the Filmmaker
Matt Denham is a visual artist based in Newcastle upon Tyne. From the visible and invisible structures driving the climate emergency to experiences of ageing in austerity, from the architecture that defines our daily lives to the values that shape our future, his research-led practice explores shared experiences of our physical, virtual and psychological environments in a changing society. Starting with intimate stories of people and place, his video installation artworks reveal and connect global issues. His work has been exhibited across the UK; including ICA, London; The NewBridge Project, Newcastle upon Tyne; Crown Street Gallery, Darlington and HOME, Manchester.