Murray Martin, founder member and key visionary in the founding and the achievements of Amber, died following a cardiac arrest on 14th August 2007. Anybody wishing to contribute memories or testimonies to his work can write them here or send them to Amber. An album of photographs of Murray, together with funeral addresses by Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen and Peter Roberts and an obituary, can be seen at http://www.amber-online.com/exhibitions/murray-martin-the-album_2.
I'm so very sad to hear about Murray. My heart goes out to all at Amber, you must be devastated. I wish you courage and send much love. What a mighty legacy he has left us all.xxx Charlie (Hardwick)
Still utterly gutted by the news. Murray is family, friend, inspiration. Charlie, you're right. A mighty legacy. We owe it to him to see that the torch continues to burn, is passed on, continues to inspire. You're deep in me, Murray.
Message form Peter Hewitt, Chief Executive, Arts Council England.
I am deeply saddened to hear of the death of Murray Martin. From the day I met him in 1977 what shone through immediately was his integrity, passion and commitment to photography that spoke of the lives of working class people, principles that he maintained throughout his subsequent film making career. Quality and honesty were always powerfully at the heart of what he did. For nearly four decades he led Amber / Side with conviction, imagination and a bloody minded determination to be true to his own principles and not to be corrupted by agendas he did not believe in. He was a lovely man, a giant in North East culture and a film maker of international reputation. I hope if nothing else his death brings him and Amber the recognition they deserve. His loss is a great loss indeed.
It is with great sadness that we learn of the death of Murray Martin. As academics working on projects relating to Amber’s film work, we were honoured to hear firsthand Murray’s vivid reflections on Amber’s past, present and future. Murray was always generous with his time, and patient with our questioning. We were struck by his intelligence, his wit, and his sharp analysis of politics and culture. His passing is not simply a loss to the region but to British (and international) film culture. He will be greatly missed. Tobias Hochscherf and James Leggott (Northumbria University)
I was so sad to hear of Murray's untimely death. We worked together closely whilst I was running British Screen in the late eighties and Iam very proud to have been involved with Amber's work which was and is both unique and exceptional. I learnt so much from him and his Amber colleagues and I know that his guiding spirit will be a huge loss to them. I am so sad too not to have seen him recently. He was and will continue to be an inspiration to so many of us and happilly we have a splendid volume of work from Amber that will live on indefinately. Murray's contribution to that work was huge and should be celebrated which I am sure it will be.
I am so sad to hear about Murray's death. Murray was a huge influence on my life in my twenties -when he galvanised us all in the workshop and regional film movement -using Amber as an example of what can be achieved.He was unbelievably kind to me when I moved to Newcastle in 1996 to help run NEMTC and our families happily shared the same week to deliver our much wanted children- our daughter Nia and Ellie and Murray's son Matty. I have very many happy memories of a unique and wonderful individual and send much love to Ellie and the family and all at Amber.
Both Paula and l are so sad to here of murrays, death. What can we say, only that he was a lovely man with a big love of the North east, we both send are love to Ellie and Matty and will be thinking of you, A big loss. xxx
I am very very sad to hear that Murray has died and so terribly sad for Ellie and Matty and those close to this great man. He was an extraordinary and inspiring individual who changed us all. Murray will be sorely missed but never forgotten by those who knew him.
Everyone will have their own fond memories.
I had the good fortune to spend many years working with him in the 1980s and 90s - we spent countless hours together in meetings and on the train going to and from London - the 3 hour journey meant we were always the best prepared for the meetings and the return trip was spent plotting the follow up - it amused Murray to think this travel time gave us the winning edge in negotiations and this long and often delayed train journey was yet another advantage to living in the North East! He was serious and committed but also great fun - Murray would be scanning the racing paper as we headed south and then slip into the betting shop which was directly across the road from the Channel 4 offices in Charlotte Street. Our meeting finished, we'd make a dash to pick up Murray's winnings (always winnings and always in a brown envelope). Little did our friends at Channel 4 know that we were not leaving early to catch the last train but to pick up Murray's winnings before the betting shop closed.
It was on one of these many trips to London that I remember Murray and Ellie meeting.
Murray was a great man who achieved so much in his life not least the love and respect of those who met him, and he will be dearly missed by us all.
We are all very sad to learn of Murrays death. He was a good and genuine friend who we will always remember with great affection. Our thoughts are with Ellie and his family and everyone at Amber.
So sorry to hear of the passing of Murray. He was one of the people instrumental in giving me my first start in the film business. He was intelligent, understanding, forgiving and inspiring. I shall miss him greatly, Brian.
How very sad to hear about Murray's death, his family and all at Amber are in our thoughts. My first memory of Murray was at the London Film Festival, when, after the screening of an Amber Film, the film maker was invited onto the stage. Murray went up, and was then followed by a dozen others from the collective. As a film student, it was a wonderful moment to see the tiny stage packed with the film makers and to realise that films could be made differently. When I applied for a job in the North East, all my knowledge of the place came from Amber Films. So in a small way, I have Murray to thank for my being in the North East. He was a very great man who always went his own way, we are all grateful that he did. Tom Harvey
Murray was a one-off whose life has touched people from a wide range of disparate communities. He had a remarkable capacity for engaging with people and pulling them together to do things that they never dreamt of doing – and they did them well. He leaves behind, at Amber, a remarkable testimony to his achievements, but I will remember him, first of all, as a friend. It is going to be difficult coming to terms with his not being around. I will even miss the annual prediction that the Boro are going to go down.
I don’t know where he has gone but I know he will be making his presence felt. He has probably already set up a handicapping system.
So long Murray, and thanks. I will think of you often, especially whenever I hear the Stoke score.
I am deeply saddened by the news of Murray's death. I unfortunately have only known him breifly, but i will always remember him with great fondness and affection. He was an inspiration for many, a kind man with an amazing vision, a real credit to his proffession and the North East. My heartfelt sympathy goes out his family and friends during this difficult time. Murray will always be in our hearts and memories.
I was very sad to hear of Murrays death. A dynamic man who held to his vision through all. I remember with affection passionate discussions on a wide range of subjects, always surprising, very funny and on the ball. Deepest sympathy to Ellie and Matty for their terrible loss. With love Robert SmithXXXX
I am saddened by the news of Murray’s death. I first met him in 1986 and worked with him whilst he was a Director of North East Media until his resignation a few years later. After that I did not meet him again until earlier this year when we chatted about times past and politics in Blyth Valley where I now work. Murray was a man of principle who loved to debate; his clear strong views shaped everything he did. I remember him as a kind, warm man with a fierce commitment to his beliefs. Murray and his associates at Amber have produced a unique body of work that the North East can be proud of. I hope Amber will continue.
I was very sad to learn of Murray's death, acknowledging the important contribution he made to film and photography and, on a personal level,his warmth, humour and generosity.
With best wishes and sympathy to all at Amber, colleagues, friends and family.
Pauline Hadaway, Director Belfast Exposed Photography
So sad to hear about Murray. Murray was a great character with a wicked sense of humour. He was always prepared to help anyone, was passionate about life and brought a new perspective into everyhting he became invloved with.He will be greatly missed by everyone who knew him. Our thoughts are with Ellie and Matty in these sad times, love to you both from Joe and Janice Armstrong.
I just happened onto the site and read about Murray. It's 24 years since I was a child actor in 'Keeping Time' and I believe I've only seen Murray once or twice since, but I remember him being a very vibrant character and a great inspiration. My love to his family and to everyone at Amber who will miss him.
Previous posts have captured the essence of Murray very well. All I can add is that the first time I met Murray, I was inspired. An intelligent, thoughtful, interesting man full of infectious conviction. The North East has yet again, lost one of the best. My thoughts go out to his family and everyone at Amber
I was put in touch with Murray in the mid-nineties. A friend-of-a-friend kind of thing. Although our conversations were telephone-only I was always struck by his warmth, his welcoming character, and the time he was always able to give a (relative) stranger.
His inspiration stays with me.
With best wishes to all at Amber and to Murray's family.
I didn't know Murray well, but whenever I did meet him, I was aware I was with someone unusual, someone whose seriousness didn't stop them having a great sense of fun, and who had made a huge impact. The arts in the North East would not be the same were it not for the pioneering work of Murray and colleagues, in the days when the Quayside was not on the tourist trail.
All at Arts Council England, North East send their best wishes and condolences to Murray's family and the Amber/Side family.
I am devastated to hear about Murrays death. Amber Films were and are a source of great inspiration to me and I am devistated for their collective loss. The world has lost a wonderfully sharp and creative mind. I am sad that the region has lost a chance to learn more from someone who was always keen to engage and debate - someone truly committed to changing the world we live in, someone passionate warm, creative and inspiring. I feel extremely lucky to have worked with and been influenced by Murray in the begining of my career and more recently to have attended Ambers screening of T Dan Smith and Byker where Murray led a discussion about T Dan Smith, working class heroes/ villans and life. It was a truly communal, energising experience - everything cinema going should be. I hope that we can all work together to use this year to mark the achievements of this amazing group of people and help strengthen them in these difficult times.
My love goes to all of Amber and to Ellie in particular who is a genuinely beautiful human being and whose loss breaks my heart.
My very dear friend. I`m on the other side of the world and still reeling from the news of your death.
47 years is a long time to be friends and know someone and your death is hard to bear. We first met at interview for getting into the Fine Art course at Newcastle University, became friends instantly and then good friends ever since... you still are even though you`re now gone, which makes it so painful.You have been an important part of my life throughout...joining me on the first bird trips I organised in the 1960`s (even though you were more interested in racing form than birds and put me through hell forcing me to choose horses & jockeys when all I wanted to think about were birds!), falling in Scottish bogs together ( even though you claimed you did it on purpose to check the depth!), teaching film & film history together at Newcastle Poly before you went on to study film-making and then start Amber. I even helped out on a few of your films... throughout all of this you were always so generous to me and I remember your regular small gifts which you used to keep contact and show affection. You were the person I knew I could trust and who would "be there" for me in an emergency and I am grateful for you being in my life: Some parts of it wouldn`t have happened without you. Lorna & I finally got together with your help, I started to teach film with you getting me part-time work alongside you. If I`m finding your death hard, god knows how hard it must be for Ellie & Matty and my heart goes out to them both. Thanks for the chance meeting in 1967 and for all the times since, Roger
My very dear friend. I`m on the other side of the world and still reeling from the news of your death. I have so much to thank you for during our 46 years of friendship/25 years of partnership at Amber/Side. When you "invited" me to join Amber I was initially intimidated by the prospect - no hard and fast rules just "....do the job in whatever way you choose" ! Shit, how scary was that? Never for a moment did I imagine that I might become part of the "creative core" (washing cups, cleaning lavs and giving Cyril the mannequin the occasional sponge down were my strong points) but with the encouragement of yourself and the other Amber-ites, it happened and I shall be forever in your debt for that. My life with Amber was one of THE great blessings. Thanks Murray for so very many warm, loving and irreplaceable memories. Always to be remembered, Lorna x
Yesterday I called into the Lit and Phil and by chance picked up Chris Steele- Perkins book Northern Exposure, I particularly noticed two images which included Murray and thought how relaxed and well he looked. It seemed all the more of a shock when a friend called that night to ask if I had heard of Murray’s death and I have been trying since then to collect my thoughts and conjure up the echoes of that wonderful voice I met Murray when I first arrived in Newcastle in the early 70’s. I walked into the newly opened Side Gallery and pretty soon got talking to someone there. Before long was being shown some more images from the already large archive held at the gallery and of course it was Murray that I had met. I came away feeling utterly surprised that someone who ran a gallery would have time to stop and talk to a punter who had just come through the door. That memory has stayed with me because it told me that the North East was a very different place, but also that openness and willingness to engage with others which Murray showed then, was the measure of the man. We met on and off over the years, sometimes at the Grainger Market Café on Saturday mornings, sometimes at conferences and the conversations continued. Always there would be a detour into some sharp observations by Murray about the politics and funding of the arts, but always delivered with a wry humour. It was as if this was a world in which he had to operate but he was going to make sure he got some entertainment from it. His knowledge and experience of that world was great but he was always willing to share what he knew and offer advice. ‘Always find the enthusiasts and activists and work with them.’ was a piece of advice that has served me well over the years. More recently Murray became concerned that the history of independent film and photography in the North East and the early years of Live Theatre needed to be written by the people who had been there. I remember his outrage- and swift counter attack, when a speaker at a conference on the history of documentary photography said ’.. and of course I was surprised that there were a few interesting things happening in the NE in the early 70’s and 80’s’- as if all that work was a mere by-line. This year by chance, my son started working at Side Café. When I asked him about it he said ‘There’s this interesting bloke that wanders around but I can’t quite make him out.’ ‘Watch him,’ I said ‘ you might learn a thing or two.’ When Murray found out who Tom was he was delighted at the thought of there being a thread running across the generations. I can only say now how pleased I am that my son had a chance to meet and work with Murray. I feel a great sense of loss- how much more it must be for his family and those who worked more closely with him. I feel privileged to have known him. Chris Madge
I am incredibly sad to hear of Murray's death and I send my condolences and love to all at AMBER, and in particular to Ellie and Matty. I first knew of you all seventeen years ago, and when I went to the BBC some years later, I had the enormous privilege of working with you and watching Murray's conviction and huge energy at work. I'll never forget my first day with you - I left, at the end of that early evening, determined that you had found the perfect and most creative way of working, and I felt enormously included and welcomed. AMBER and Murray have remained a great inspiration to me. So many people have said it on this moving noticeboard, and it's so true, that Murray's spirit will live on in the work and has touched very many lives. Tessa Ross
Murray Martin was the starting point for the cultural regeneration of Newcastle, taking premises on the Quayside at a time when others had lost sight of the central importance of the river and Quayside, working in communities in North Shields and Durham when others had neglected them. Murray was the first person I ever met in the arts in Newcastle and the existence of organisations like Live Theatre and AmberSide had an influence on my decision to relocate here 18 years ago. I will remember his vision and film projects, the plotting and planning on film funding, the purchase of the pub in North Shields and the phantom trawler trip. I will remember his arguments about the use of arts funding. The thing about Murray was that he was invariably right or so persuasive and reasonable that that you could always agree with his part of his philosophy. My thoughts are with his families at home and at AmberSide and are filled with nothing but positive memories of a great great man.
The news of Murray's death came as a terrible shock. It's difficult to take in that someone I've come to accept as such a vital and permanent feature of the Tyneside landscape is no longer with us. Along with the shock come the memories: meeting Murray for the first time at a screening of Amber's work at the Tyneside in the early 1970s and discovering we were both Potteries lads who'd been putting down new roots in the North-East; Murray and Tom Hadaway at Live Theatre; organising a conference on independent film at the Side in the mid-70s; and then so many memories from that rich period of the 1980s and 90s with the workshop movement, the advent of C4 and the warm relationship between Amber and Trade on opposite sides of the river. Murray's vision permeates all this, as does his personality - open, generous and clearsighted.
It was with great sadness to here of Murray's passing; I first got to know him when I came to college here in 1970, and he was the the only person left in Newcastle who still use to refer to me by my college nickname. He always had a friendly welcomely nature and was keen to show people round at the Side, and I enjoyed listening to his lively discussions. A great man, will be missed, from Gok(Dave Fry)
Dear Ellie and Matty, Dear friends at Amber. I am so sorry to hear about Murray. Although I didn't know him that well, it was always great to bump into him every now and then, and to see him meet people, and relate. He was a kind man, funny, and interesting. I will miss him, because there must be loads of stories I will now not hear from him.
Mark Husmann
I'm thinking especially of how Ellie and Matty and my friends at Amber will miss this warm, extraordinary and interested man. I met Murray about 40 times over the last 30 years, usually after a film, and was always struck by how passionate and involved he immediately became in every conversation. His work and his legacy ensures that people everywhere, both inside and outside the North-East, will continue to know its contribution to our history and to a sense of humanity. I still bump into people in Europe who have seen and been moved and impressed by an Amber film. Thank you, Murray.
Even though I haven't seen him in many years, I'm very sad to hear about Murray. The comments here testify to the man's qualities - his passion, vision, principles, warmth, wit, incredible energy and inspirational 'can-do' attitude... Like many others, I feel privileged to have known him.
Murray was a formidable man. He had immense charm, an incisive intelligence and a tenacious attachment to principle. I met him when Murray and other independent film makers decided to take the strategic objectives of their sector into the ACTT, forerunner of BECTU, the industry union. At that time the union was despite its left politics, a firmly based craft union whose membership was suspicious of film makers from outside the mainstream. Despite this Murray and his allies achieved recognition, membership and finally the ground breaking Workshop Agreement which until the high water mark of thatcherism, transformed the sector. It was a stunning achievement. Murray was good but demanding friend, both realist and visionary. When I interviewed him for the BCTU History Project I asked my first question and Murray spoke non stop for half an hour! What a man. On behalf of all his friends and contacts in the Union can I extend our deepest sympathy to Ellie and Mattie at their huge loss.
I'm so very sad about Murray's death. He was the first person I made friends with when I first came to Newcastle 38 years ago and he immediately made me feel at home here. When I eventually became a film maker myself he was always encouraging and did everything he could to help. He was a great and inspirational friend. To Ellie and Matty and everyone at Amber I'm so so sorry.
Listening to him speak at Derby two years ago I was again impressed by his quiet certainty - a quality that was such a significant part of his vision. It was a treat to be there.
Unlike so many, I only knew Murray for a relatively short time. His talk at the opening of the Child Slavery Exhibition had a profound effect on me. We spoke afterwards and had a hugely enjoyable (for me anyway!) conversation at all the openings since. As a photographer myself, he gave me a great idea for a project around the Durham Miners' Gala which I acted upon and it came to fruition in 2006 and a follow up one in 2007. As everyone is saying, a truly great man - and one with a wonderful generosity of spirit. It is so sad that Murray is no longer with us but what great memories. Deepest sympathy to Murray's family and friends.
from Sylvia Harvey I was shocked and saddened to hear of Murray's death. He was such an important figure both for the North East and for the movement for independent film. He was a fine film-maker and a tough, committed and creative organiser - working hard to pull off the Workshop Agreement in the early 1980s. I have a vivid memory of meeting Murray and Stewart at a cafe in St. Martin's Lane, London on the day that they finally knew they'd won a new industrial agreement. The world looks very different now, but his enduring achievement has been to win respect for a different kind of film-making - collective in approach and rooted in a sense of place. It's a wonderful irony that the more local Murray and his colleagues became, the more their work was of interest to film-makers and audiences world-wide. Long before 'regionalism' became fashionable, and long before the BBC began to move investment outside of London, and politicians and regulatory bodies began to accept the cultural and political case for devolution in film and television, Murray and his many friends and allies had laid the basis for a new kind of locally based creative work. Even when you disagreed with him, you had to admire his determination to get things done and to keep things moving. I remember lots of arguments, lots of cigarette smoke and a gravelly voice that required and got respect. We'll remember you, Murray, 'presente'. Sheffield, 28 August, 2007.
I first met Murray in 1974 when, embarking on my first film, friends on Teesside suggested I contacted him for advice. He immediately introduced me to people with serious production expertise and unreservedly helped with access to essential production equipment. And ideas were shared too.
Murray's ability to articulate a collective rationale responding to the needs of the local community served was extraordinary in the true sense. As Roy comments above he was both incisive and tenacious. And he was very funny too.
I interviewed Murray late 90's during a research project. One of the questions asked was "What do you consider the greatest achievement of Amber Films?". His answer was simple: "Survival!". At that stage, on their own terms, Amber had been making and screening films for over 30 years. An early film "Launch", small, 10 minutes, remains a seminal work. Determinedly regional, Amber's work has had festival accolades worldwide. Now almost 40 years of survival, and production continues. Murray was a brilliant producer. Though he would deny that any particular importance be attached to his role - He was very firm that film involves interdependent skills and commitment.
A great contribution - the work and influence of Amber will carry on. Murray has enabled an example of working practice that all student / aspirational film or video makers should check out. And a great loss - when some people go we are all bereft.
Love to Ellie and Matty, to Pete and Sirkka and all at Amber at this time
I last saw Murray couple of months ago at the screening of In Fading Light in the Amber cinema that marked the re-publication of Pete Mortimer's book The Last of the Hunters, an evening that proved both had stood the test of time and that Amber was as ever a place to have a great night out - and I haven't even mentioned the lovely food. Murray was as he had always been, fizzing with reflections on the past and plans for the future. His son had to drag him away.
I did not know Murray closely, but he and I had been colleagues on the Northern Production Fund in the 90's. But he and my dad Sid Chaplin went much further back. In the early 70's Sid had an office in Akenside House at the bottom of Dean Street, a husk of a place then populated as he said by whores, caretakers of empty buildings and the last of the shipowners. And some young people who wanted to record the various rich cultures of the North-East. Murray of course was one of them and what a fantastic body of work has been produced as a result. But I am sure it will continue to grow and remind us all - in the era of a glittering new Quayside - of the unique legacy of this good man.
I send this message of condolence on behalf of the whole Chaplin family, including my mother Rene.
I met Murray and the whole collective when I came to Britain 11 years ago, because I fell in love with Richard, who is also an Amber man. I was and am very impressed by the way Amber works. It is absolutely unusual that a collective stays together for such a long time, sticks to its principles and even has the power to renew itself all the time. Murray was definitely the person who pushed the process, guarded the stability of the structure and maintained the collective with his practical sense for economic necessities. No doubt he was an outstanding personality at Amber, one of the founders, a 68er, as we call people like him in Germany. The gap he leaves behind is huge. My thoughts are especially with Ellie and Mattie but also with Amber.
I'm surprised and saddened by the news of murray's death, and I send my condelences to everyone at amber. I know he was the heart and soul of amber and he will be missed, but his work, passion and achievements will live on.
I am so very sorry to hear the sad news about Murray! I spent three months at Amber on work experience and shared many great discussions with Murray about Don McCullin and the work he did. Murray was an inspiration! His kind words of encouragement will never be forgotten and my thoughts go out to Ellie and Matty and everyone at Amber. Thank you for those great times!
I am sad and surprised to hear that Murray has died. I admire him as one of the very few political filmmakers of my generation who survived as a filmmaker without reneging on his politics. His ability to do this was so bound up with Amber, the workshop he was instrumental in founding and developing, that a tribute to his work inevitably includes tributes to Amber. The workshop proved (and Amber of course continues to prove) that it is possible to resist the economic and intellectual pressures of neo-liberalism. No doubt there were costs. Although Murray was an important figure in Newcastle, in the rest of England he never received the recognition he deserved as an artist. Many Amber films were, of course, screened and appreciated in London but the features were probably better known and more often seen in continental Europe. Among the reasons Amber’s films had limited exposure here was, I suspect, that the very working methods which gave Amber its resilience were alien to the British film establishment. The valuing of collective effort, Murray’s refusal to promote himself or his colleagues as star directors challenged the media’s obsession with personalities and assumptions about art cinema, while the ability to work on remarkably low budgets meant that big organisations never had serious vested interests in promoting Amber’s products.
My first contacts with Murray were at meetings of the Independent Filmmakers’ Association in the 1970s where I was impressed by the vigour with which he argued the need to encourage cooperative working as opposed to the individual freelancing which prevailed, even then, in the commercial film business. Much later, when I was writing Rogue Reels, I recorded an extended interview with him and looked more consistently at the films. The experience made me appreciate more both the difficulty of what he and his colleagues achieved and the value of it.
I would like to express my sympathy for his family, friends and all the members of Amber.
I interviewed him a couple of years ago and learnt a phenomenal amount from a short meeting. His passion for fairness and ensuring equality for all is something that I will always remember.
My hat could not be higher for the contribution that he has made to the film-making community.
In 1972 Murray Martin & Graham Denman were Lecturers at Teesside College of Art in Middlesbrough. Murray showed us wonderful short documentaries which inspired us. I should have thanked Murray for introducing us to the work of John Grierson and Humphrey Jennings. I like to think that Murray carried on the work of Grierson. The British Independent Film Sector has lost a great artist.
I was deeply saddened and shocked to discover yesterday that Murray had died. My heart goes out to Ellie, Mattie,Young, and all my former colleagues and friends at Amber/Side. You must be absolutely devastated to lose such a formidable presence and such a dear friend and colleague. Having read all the testimonies here, there is not a great deal I can add, except to say that it is in no small way thanks to Murray that I managed to have a career in the field of Photography and Film over nearly two decades. He came up to me in the pub one evening in 1982, a few months after I had finished my degree at Newcastle Polytechnic, and asked whether I was interested in a job as Publicity officer at Side Gallery. I leapt at the opportunity, and spent over two very happy, productive, inspirational and highly educational years working in the Gallery and Cinema, leaving to move down South and eventually (again, through Murray's introduction to Chris Steele-Perkins) into a career as a Picture Researcher at Magnum Photos and elsewhere. I really don't believe I would have found my way into this wonderful work without the encouragement and support of Murray and all at Amber/Side. Thank you so much. Nowadays, I teach teenagers to (hopefully) love film and media....and I always talk about Murray and Amber's pioneering work with the C4 workshop agreement and your apporoach to documentary film-making. 1982 to 1985 were some of the very best years of my life. Murray, wherever your soul/spirit may be now, I am sure you are having a heated discussion and winning your case! A very bright star indeed. My deepest sympathy and love to all at Amber/Side, past and present. xxxSara
I met Murray through work and ended up playing dominoes in a North Shields pub. It was in the 1980s, when film workshops were funded by Channel 4, when ACTT was the union, and committee meetings were the wallpaper. I soon saw that Murray had a vision beyond those rooms, and a life outside them. He was a very practical dreamer, who knew every nut and bolt because he believed in what he was making. He argued the same way. Murray was a prodigious achiever who stayed a human being.
I vividly remember the warmth of that crowded bar, on a night when the streets outside seemed deserted. Murray had as many facets as a fly’s eye, and yet he was brilliant at keeping things simple. He was earthy and idealist, effective and funny - and I still can’t say I knew him well. With Murray, that really didn’t matter.
It was such a shock to hear only recently about Murray's death, and it's been moving to read all the tributes on the forum.
Some things that I won't forget about him -
When he talked in public, the mood of the audience shifted perceptibly - people hung on his words, were reinvigorated and excited about the work and the politics, and what might be possible.
When we talked together, it would go on long and late; he was a fount of wisdom and inspiration. I feel like we're still in the middle of a conversation, and very sad that we can't finish it.
With best wishes from all at Redeye, the Photography Network.