About Lost Histories

Lost Histories is an independent film production company set up by Roland Keates during his time studying at Derby University. His budgets are low, but his production values are high so giving documentaries alife of their own.

Roland wants to “encourage and promote an appreciation and understanding of heritage, history, and art in Derbyshire” via making short films, looking for those themes that are alas losing an audience or popularity in no small part from neglect of the sector. Lost Histories, therefore, sums up the activity of this small production company to perfection.

Lost Histories a small production documentrary production company Crew Photograph. Photograph taken by Ted Rokita at Hartington, Derbyshire. “working together”

Why Derbyshire?

Derbyshire has a wealth of lost histories from Witches, Giants, Druids, Celtics, Wisemen/Women and many more. We hope to bring life to these lost histories of Derbyshire via Short Films.

Roland actively encourages weekend historians, storytellers from towns, villages, communities, cultures, artists to tell there researched stories which have been lost underfoot. We are a small but dedicated crew who have worked in the filmmaking business collectively for more than 50 years, so we know how to make films and deliver fabulous results.

Even though a small group, we take on each new project with passion, dedication, perseverance, great teamwork developing from working and spending weekends together, when need be, over drinks solving that which requires urgent attention or any crisis faced of the moment. More than work colleagues, through our common interests, friendships have developed. It certainly is a bonus when working together.

Short Documentaries

Our aim is to make five minutes to 90-minute historic documentaries films, researched through many different channels. Once a complete picture with all the complexities is understood, we prefer to shoot in a traditional and realist way.

Derbyshire and beyond

Because Lost Histories is a self-financing production company, this restricts us to work only in Derbyshire (where all the crew lives), for the time being. If you are a Philanthropist or a producer who would like to donate money to make documentaries or even be part of the crew we would love to hear from you. We are open to researching/filming/promoting documentaries for the private or public sectors, having vast experience in research and filming with original ideas.

“If Walls Could Talk”

Our Last Film on dry stone walling “If Walls Could Talk” is gaining momentum around Derbyshire entering Film and Documentary Film festivals, our last film festival entered was:

http://www.losthistories.co.uk/docs-without-borders-film-festival/

Watch the film online via Amazon Prime visit this link https://www.amazon.co.uk/If-Walls-Could-Talk