What’s a community without contact? What’s a neighbourhood without neighbours? Who are we without each other?

Three months ago, MIF and Paradise Works, an artist-led studio community by the Irwell in Lower Broughton, came together with local filmmaker Danielle Swindells to document a summer like no other – to make a snapshot of a moment we hoped and expected would soon be behind us.

We invited people living in East Salford to put down their thoughts and feelings on film. The 150-plus contributions we received ranged from phone-shot digital video to VHS tapes – and the end result is Capturing a Summer, a new short film created from them that stands as a deeply personal record of life in the right-here, right-now of the coronavirus pandemic.

Created by the residents of East Salford and Danielle Swindells

Music composed by Richard Harris

Image credit: Ethan Davies

Watch Here

Produced by MIF in partnership with Paradise Works.

Festival in My Neighbourhood is part of MIF’s year-round programme of activities for residents in Greater Manchester, supported by Paul Hamlyn Foundation.