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After reading this letter 4 years ago, I decided to go and meet Julie Arthur. I wanted to tell her story. I wanted to show her struggle to keep her family united. And that’s how I ended up directing this documentary Vaarheim (which means ‘‘our home’’ in Shetlandic).

At the time, Julie and her family were still living in Out Skerries (a small group of islands in the East of the Shetland Islands). Out Skerries was inhabited by a community of approximately 70 people.

In 2013, the government of the Shetland Islands decided to close the secondary school in Out Skerries. Scott, Julie’s oldest son, was forced to move to the Mainland and leave his home, to attend another school.

Julie is the mother of three children (Scott 16, Ethan 12 and Sofiana 2). She’s married to Ryan who works at the salmon factory on the island. The year 2013 / 2014 saw the population of Out Skerries decrease to a small 20. The closure on the school played a major role in this. But the final blow was given by the closing of the fishing factory. The factory used to give work to all the men on the island. All the men had to move away in the search of another job.

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The movie tells the story of Julie and her battle to keep her family strong and safe. In the heart of her home, she sees her sons and her husband forced away during that critical year.

It’s the story of a mother who tries her best to keep afloat their dreams of family and home.

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My name is Victor Ridley and I studied in Belgium, at the ‘‘Institut des Arts de Diffusion’’ until 2013. I directed a documentary called « Envoles » as a student there.

Here is a link to the teaser : https://vimeo.com/75717522

Here is a link to the movie : https://vimeo.com/70809609 // password : envolesvictorperrine

After that, I started working on « Vaarheim » but also on a short-film documentary for the ASBL Mentor-Escale.

At the moment, I’m working on a new documentary about childhood through the story of a young MENA (Mineur Etranger Non Accompagné = Under Age Immigrant, with no parents to go with them). This film is about a Belgian family welcoming a young boy waiting for his authorization to stay.

I also work as a First AD or Second AD on short films, feature films and TV series.