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An Unbridgeable Gap

For two centuries, the Sycamore Gap tree stood as an iconic sentinel along Hadrian's Wall, shaping the landscape and lives of Northumberland. Its sudden destruction triggered an international outpouring of grief. This film examines the tree's cultural and emotional significance through local voices, highlighting the enduring power of history in our present.

  • Raffaele Trasatti
    Director
  • Grace Ford
    Producer
  • Raffaele Trasatti
    Producer
  • Jinxin Hua
    Director of Photography
  • Sonal Arya
    Director of Photography
  • Raffaele Trasatti
    Lighting
  • Armani Ali
    Sound Recordist
  • Sonal Arya
    Film Editor
  • Grace Ford
    Film Editor
  • Armani Ali
    Sound Editor
  • Jinxin Hua
    Colourist
  • Davide Ravasi
    Composer
  • Project Type:
    Student
  • Genres:
    Poetic Documentary
  • Runtime:
    9 minutes 40 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 13, 2024
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Newcastle University
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • 10th Sunderland Shorts Film Festival
    Sunderland
    United Kingdom
    May 13, 2025
    World Premiere
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Raffaele Trasatti

Inspired by the global resonance of the Sycamore Gap tree's destruction, Raffaele Trasatti embarked on his first documentary project, 'An Unbridgeablel Gap'. This film is a testament to his belief in the power of documentary to reveal the emotional landscape behind a news story, and to explore the enduring connection between people and their natural world.

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Director Statement

This project was part of the undergraduate degree Film Practices: it was required to be 5-10 minutes long and match the theme ‘something worth fighting for’. The film reflects on the historical and symbolic value of the Sycamore Gap Tree, located along the Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland National Park, in light of the latest vandalic attack and its irrecoverable damages to the plant. The entirety of the project was conceived and produced in four months, with the pitching and planning starting in January 2024, and the editing and mixing finalised in May of the same year.