Kim and the Shepherd Boy — Village Tale Productions

Funded on

Synopsis

Kim Lewis is a Canada-born children's book author and illustrator, whose work captured the realities of rural life from a child's point of view living in the hills of Northumberland. Feeling that there weren't any books that mirrored her children's experiences, Kim took inspiration from her family's lives to tell stories imbued with a sense of realism, with the goal of immersing children in her world.

The film follows Kim's journey of writing the books, with a focus on exploring the relationship between her art and her key inspirations, the land and her family. As time moves on, however, and the circumstances change, will Kim be able to maintain this balance?

Through interviews with Kim, experimental sequences shot on Super 8, and an immersive approach to sound design and visual aesthetic, the film explores the themes of parenthood, art, time and memory to present not only Kim's story, but how she views the world around her.

Why make a film about Kim?

My initial connection to Kim was simple. My favourite book to have read to me as a child was ‘Little Baa’ by Kim Lewis. I decided to create a story around the woman who created one of the first stories that ever truly engaged me as a child.

In early 2021, I reached out to Kim to explore the possibility of making a documentary about her and her work. After many email conversations and a few zoom calls with Kim, In the summer of 2021, I had the opportunity to visit Kim in Northumberland.

Over two days, we explored the landscape, discussed her life and work, and I documented everything visually and audibly to comb through later and find the core of her story - the connection between the stories and images she created and the family life she had on their hill farm.

This visit not only allowed me to gather reference footage and audio interviews but also played a crucial role in building a rapport with Kim, making her comfortable and willing to share her stories.