City of Cranes: Filmmaker Statement

Dear Viewer

I am fascinated by the fact that there is another world above London, yet most of us never look up to notice cranes or their drivers. The drivers in turn can see everything going on around them, yet their only way to connect with the world below is by watching it from a distance.

My objective in making City of Cranes was to take the viewer high up into the sky to experience first-hand what it is like to work hundreds of feet above the ground, surrounded only by a small metal cage. Each chapter of the film gives the viewer insight into a different aspect of crane drivers' lives and experiences, from the unique role they play in the way London is changing, to their relationship with the machines they operate, to the mental and physical challenges of working at such heights, to the impact their solitary existence has on their outlook on life.

Throughout the film, audio and visuals fuse to give a voice to the drivers and form a poetic celebration of their lives.

— Eva Weber, Director