Chris Kirtley pays homage to his hometown in this evocative promo for Hector Gannet's new version of the Geordie anthem, now being played at Newcastle United's home matches. 

The monochromatic promo for Gannet's arrangement of The Blaydon Races boasts a photojournalistic style, unfolding through slow-motion vignettes of the city and its people. All Geordie life is in here, including the huge part that the football club plays in the city, with fans making their way to the cathedral-like St James Park, and watching a match.    

Kirtley reveals that his approach was strongly influenced by the work of photographer Tish Murtha, who documented her life in Newcastle in the 1960s and 70s.

"My work has always been an extension of who I am, but I rarely get to showcase that quite like this," director Chris Kirtley explains. "These are the stories I want to tell, about people and places that mean something to me. [It's] my love letter to Newcastle. Where I was born, where my parents and grandparents grew up, and a place I'm endlessly proud to call home.

"The Blaydon Races is a 19th-century Geordie folk song, woven into the fabric of North East culture. A celebration of its people, humour and working-class spirit. Alongside Hector's beautiful arrangement, I wanted to reinterpret the lyrics through a modern lens, finding the characters, places and moments that still embody the song over 160 years later.

"I wanted the film to feel like opening an old box of photographs. Inspired by the extraordinary photographer Tish Murtha, we retraced her footsteps through Newcastle's West End, finding that while the streets have changed, the spirit of the people hasn't. Shot on 16mm and digital at 1000fps, capturing fleeting moments and real characters you simply couldn't script.

"Street casting, underrepresented communities, local businesses and the social clubs that hold them together. We took it back to our student days in parts, just me, the DP and a car. Tracking shots of street life, pockets of humanity on every corner captured at 1000fps. The play, shoot now, ask questions later (and make sure we get them signed off eventually).

"The frame rate was an important part of my approach. I wanted to slow everything down, allowing each frame to exist as a photograph, a fleeting moment frozen in time. Is it modern day? Is it a period piece? Neither, really. I wanted the images to feel timeless, free from any particular era. Something that could be a memory, a feeling, or a moment you recognise without quite knowing why.

"That was always my intention with the visuals. Not necessarily to document a place in time, but to capture how that place feels in our memories. If you're from the North East, I hope you recognise a bit of yourself in this. If you're not, I hope it gives you a glimpse into what makes this part of the world so special and why I'm proud to call it home.

"Could've spent years making this. Unfortunately, someone eventually had to call wrap."