Edith Walks

Andrew Kötting undertakes a pilgrimage in honour of Edith Swan Neck, first wife of King Harold, in this eccentric odyssey in search of English identity.

Andrew Kötting and fellow travellers including Claudia Barton, Alan Moore and Iain Sinclair undertake a pilgrimage inspired by the life of Edith Swan-Neck, first wife of King Harold. The 80-mile journey navigates from Waltham Abbey, where parts of Harold’s body was buried in 1066, to the remarkable sculpture at St Leonards-on-Sea in East Sussex depicting Edith and Harold in dying embrace. Andrew Kötting’s eccentric and invigorating odyssey re-connects these ancient lovers after 950 years of separation.

Largely shot using a Super 8-imitating iPhone app, Kötting once again proves dextrous and playful in his manipulation of film form – not least in ensuring the film’s duration (66 minutes) drolly reflects its historical subject matter. But despite the fun, Edith Walks is also a canny meditation on English identity in a time of spiritual crisis; traversing a land where ancient myths and legends continue to influence our modern lives.