Vote today for RUFUS STONE in Bournemouth University's Research Photo Contest

Description: Student crew and extras mix with professional crew, director and actors shooting a location scene in rural Dorset for the award-winning research-based, short biopic, RUFUS STONE.

‘Can you tell the story of your research in a single image?’  That’s the challenge  set BU’s academics and postgraduates earlier this year, and the overwhelming response saw researchers from all across the university downing tools to take up their cameras and think of unusual ways to illustrate their research.  The resulting images demonstrate not just the creativity of our academics and postgraduates, but also the fascinating range of research taking place at BU.

One such project was carried out across disciplines at the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences. Postgrad students, academics joined forces with a professional film crew, director and production company to make this project the world-wide success it has become.  The film is now available on the Internet.
 

The Gay and Pleasant Land?Project  was a research project that took place as part of the New Dynamics of Ageing Programme (a unique collaboration between five UK Research Councils—ESRC, EPSRC, BBSRC, MRC and AHRC) on ageing in 21st Century Britain. Our project at  Bournemouth University is one of the seven projects in The Grey and Pleasant Land? group of projects funded by the NDA in south west England and Wales.   The Bournemouth project, “Gay and Pleasant Land?—a study about positioning, ageing and gay life in rural South West England and Wales” took place over three years.

The emerging recollections, perceptions and storied biographies of older lesbians and gay men and their rural experiences formed the bulk of the data studied and the basis for story and characterisation in the short professionally made film, RUFUS STONE. The project aimed to empower older lesbians and gay men in rural areas and open hearts and minds in the larger community. The main output of these efforts is the film which was made to encourage community dialogue and inform service providers.

Project Director, Author and Executive Producer of RUFUS STONE, who took the photo on location in rural Dorset said, "Aside from the great amount of activity taking place in this one shot, the fact that it is shot from behind, rather than in front of the action, gives the feeling of being on the film set, just outside of frame".

Vote for the photo here!