For four weeks throughout the months of September and October 2011 Andrew Kötting and Iain Sinclair pedalled a plastic swan over 160 miles from the seaside in Hastings to Hackney in East London. They drank 84 litres of water, 2 bottles of whisky, 4 bottles of wine and 24 cans of special brew. They got through 8 pairs of sunglasses, a handmade suit, a pair of walking boots and a camper van. Andrew Kötting wore the same clothes throughout. Iain Sinclair was changed regularly.

They met all sorts en route, from the Hoi Polloi to the Hoity Toity, from the very old to the very young, with the pedallo acting as a catalyst and magnet. Sometimes they were accompanied by invited guest pedallers, Alan Moore, Stewart Lee, Dudley Sutton, Dr Mark Lythgoe and Marcia Farquhar.

Swandown premiered at Abandon Normal Devices, Manchester on 22nd June 2012, and screened at the East End Film Festival, London on 7th July 2012, followed by a theatrical release in the UK with Cornerhouse Artist Film. It received its international premiere at CPH Dox in November 2012, where it screened in the New Visions Competition. The film screened in L’ ACID 20th anniversary CANNES FILM FESTIVAL selection on May 22nd 2013, and at International Film Festival Rotterdam in January 2015.

Fly Film produced five three minute short films with C4’s Random Acts, which can be viewed on the Swandown website.

Swandown is a Fly Film Production for BFI, Britdoc, Channel 4, Abandon Normal Devices, Cornerhouse and Screen South.

Swandown is available to view on-line from the BFI on BFI Player

For bookings contact: artistfilm@homemcr.org.
Contact Wavelength Pictures for international sales: john.flahive@wavelengthpictures.co.uk.