The Sleepless Bat film campaign has changed its title to "NIGHTSHIFT SPITALFIELDS" (UK, 2020)
This short-film is the brainchild of an anthropologist. As I am writing this, it is being crafted by a talented cinematographer, Tim Marrinan (read bio below).
The promise:
- We are committed to deliver a 15-20min final cut by the end of 2019
- Film launch event in the first trimester of 2020.
The Crew:
Timothy Marrinan, Cinematographer | Role: Editor
Tim Marrinan is a documentary filmmaker based in London. His first feature documentary, BURDEN, was released in 2017. His past work has been screened internationally at film festivals, broadcast on the BBC and Sky Arts in the UK and on Plum TV in the US. His clients include The Royal National Theatre, The Old Vic, Tate, The V&A Museum, The British Heart Foundation and many others.
Julius-Cezar MacQuarie, Anthropologist | Role: Producer
J-C. MacQuarie is a Teaching Fellow at University of Babes-Bolyai (UBB, Cluj) and Researcher affiliated with Centre for Policy Studies (CPS/CEU, Budapest). He is a former INTEGRIM Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions fellow in social and labour integration of migrant night workers in global cities. At the Nightworkshop, he produces short films and podcasts applied to research and teaching on migrant integration, night-time economy, and decent work agenda.
The Story (of our collaboration):
![]()
In March 2013, Tim and I won the competition part of Roundtable Projects supported by the Romanian Cultural Centre/Ratiu Family Foundation, London. We wanted to portray the lives of night workers in London. Our short documentary, Invisible Lives: Romanian Night Workers in London (UK, 2013) focuses on the experiences of Romanian night workers.
In February 2019, I asked Tim to join the Sleepless Bat project, and he agreed to back it with his craftsmanship and accepted the editor's role. Since, we have been working on all fronts to raise funds and edit the material. We had some breakthrough with our milestones and are close to deliver the final cut.
The main funding backer of this project is Phil Horsley - he is a long-term supporter of my work and concerned about the invisibility of night workers in London. Phil has been working as a London fire fighter for over 30 years. He has contributed to the NightWorkPod series №1 alongside Georgina Perry, an NHS Public Health Practitioner, both sharing their views and experiences in this episode: Health Workers and Firefighters (NightWorkPod, Aug 3, 2018). The funds raised so far include contributions by researchers, Carmel Chiu Satcliffe (University of South Australia) and Mateusz Zatonski (University of Bath, UK).
-------------------------
Will you join this team of supporters? ... in case you are not able to back it financially, there are other ways in which you can help me raise the rest of the needed funds:
- Write a good paragraph
- Blogging a post or instagram it
- Share it with others and tell the 'why it's worth it story'
If we have not convinced you yet, scroll to find out why it is HUGELY important to have this film out there.
The Pledge:
With only 17 days left, this pledge on indiegogo aims to bring the making of the Sleepless Bat film to the finish line. The Sleepless Bat film carries a powerful social message about the problems behind the invisible lives of night workers that keep global cities going 24/7.
Sleepless Bat is "... a heart wrenching poem of survival in a callous world." | San Francisco Film Festival Reviewer, 2016
Here's what the screener and the main portfolio reviewer for the San Francisco International Film Festival wrote about the draft I sent him: "The Sleepless Bat is a heart wrenching poem of survival in a callous world. Ali, the protagonist, cannot seem to escape the hopelessness of his life--even the act of finding a daytime job seems impossible to him. The themes of invisibility, immigration, sleep deprivation, poverty and survival are ubiquitous in today's nocturnal cities of the future. Ali, however, seems to encounter all, at the same time. This short film isolates each of Ali's encounter in an effort to canvas the traps of his livelihood." In Werner Herzog's inimitable way, this film reveals and "ecstatic truth" that just hits you emotionally.
Why a film about Nightwork?
Night workers have been invisible to the day people for far too long. This film comes out for this reason: to make visible a part of the world of work that is invisible to many. Sleepless bat is born out of my doctoral research. As an anthropologist, I felt that aside classical methods of publishing the findings, a film tells a story in ways that words cannot. Join us to make this story come alive on screen to show that for day people to do their job, night people are up and working all night.
Why am I so invested in this project?
To make this film, I worked 6 nights per week, for 8 months amongst workers in a night fruit and vegetable market, the New Spitalfields, London. I also did multi-sited nocturnal ethnographies in Budapest, Istanbul, London, Milano, Prague and Sofia to meet, talk, observe, and film about invisible night workers. So far, I produced two short films, part of a trilogy: Invisible Lives: Romanian Night Shift Workers in London (UK, 2013) and Nocturnal Lives: Day Sleepers (UK, 2015). The Sleepless Bat is the last in the series: Watch the trailer of The Sleepless Bat.
I also created podcasts to reach out to mixed audiences: the NightWorkPod talks on issues faced by people working the night shift. Listen here what London residents and migrants say about night work: London, the Glocturnal City's 'Other Workers' (May 27, 2018) | Health Workers and Firefighters (Aug 3, 2018). Also, my Reflections from Researching Night Shift Workers in London (Oct 29, 2018).
Some themes keep reappearing. Most obvious one, is related to the invisibility that causes nightshifters to work in precarious working conditions. Who are the people contributing to the night-time economy? At what hours do they have their meals in the night? What kind of energising drinks do they use to stay up and alert while working all night? How many are migrants? There are many more unknowns about the invisible lives of night workers that keep global cities spinning round-the-clock. So, i continue to inquire because the specifics are still missing. The night workers remain invisible to the eyes and minds of day people (missing from public debates, political agendas... even from the tittle-tattle).
However, this creative work is time-consuming and it requires finances. With this pledge, creative time turns into concrete, real outcome. Be one of those people, curious enough and willing to support the Sleepless Bat and to unveil a part of the world that remains largely unseen, unheard .... practically invisible.
I faced many challenges...
From working/researching all night at the market to a long and arduous editing phase and to postponing the post-production due to lack of money. I started filming in 2015, but I stopped in 2016 due to lack of funds. I re-started post-production earlier this year. Nonetheless, with Tim on board and the backers' support I am very confident that this project will see the screen light in the very near future. Don't miss the opportunity to play your part in it!
Thank you in advance for your generous support and patience.
Any clarifying questions? Get in touch @tweetsfromdrjc // @anightworkshop // via the website: or email:
No story is left behind with the Nightworkshop.
