Karl Hyde (Underworld) and Kieran Evans (Finisterre, Kelly + Victor), 70 min, UK.

Introduction by Karl Hyde.

A seventy-minute film that tracks a peripheral route from north Essex to the Thames, The Outer Edges documents a journey that follows the flow of the River Roding from its source to its conclusion at Barking Creek and along the Thames Gateway to Tilbury.

Stopping off variously at allotments, boxing clubs, Saturday markets and working men’s clubs, the film celebrates the vibrant energy and attitudes of the people living and working within London’s invisible borders – the unmapped boundaries that Hyde crossed each day to record Edgeland, his first solo album.

Says Hyde:

“The film is an extension of the journey that Edgeland takes, one inspired by the positive vibes spread by the Olympic volunteers. And it’s about remembering what it was like when Rick and I first moved to Romford - the welcome we received, the feeling of belonging to a tribe that was always positive no matter what the political, economic or natural climate; a tribe that always had an answer to every problem. The search for that energy led us to the zone where the city crumbles into fields. It’s a place that's too often forgotten, one that rarely makes the news and never appears in travel brochures. Yet it’s somewhere that important history was made and where a rich and vibrant spirit is still alive. I felt it was time to remind myself of it.”

Drawing on the influences of inspirational psychogeographic films such as Patrick Keiller’s Robinson In Space and Andrew Kotting’s Gallivant, The Outer Edges is built around a series of stunning visual snapshots that explore the stories and reminiscences of real-life characters met along the journey. Cut to a soundtrack made up of Hyde’s tracks reworked specifically for the film, The Outer Edges offers a fascinating insight into lives lived along the edges of London.

Kieran Evans is a filmmaker who works in both documentary and narrative genres. His acclaimed debut feature Kelly + Victor - adapted from the novel by Niall Griffiths - is due for theatrical release later this year after receiving its premiere last autumn at the 2012 London Film Festival. It received its US premiere at the SXSW Film Festival only this week.

Kieran's previous work includes the iconic London film Finisterre, which he co-directed with Paul Kelly (and due for re-release by the BFI this summer to celebrate its tenth anniversary). He has previously made films with artists such Vashti Bunyan (From Here to Before) & Manic Street Preachers (Culture, Alienation, Boredom and Despair).

Of the film, Evans says:

“The Outer Edges began and ended with a series of long walks coursing river routes and motorway lanes along the edge of London yet stuck to a path that always kept the city at arms length. On each of these journeys, we saw extraordinary spaces in a state of flux and change that felt like a world away from the city on the horizon. The people we met along the way seemed to frame the places we passed through and gave it a character all of its own. With that in mind, The Outer Edges is a film not about a set geographical route, it's more about the people who showed us the way.”

The screening is only accessible to those attending the Karl Hyde concert later this evening. Admittance is free of charge but you are required to register: send an email - making mention of your ticket-number - to reservationshuis23@abconcerts.be with ‘Edges’ as the subject.