Fiona

'In Motion’ is a portrait series that explores the simple in-between gestures of life – small moments become big – little pieces of a city that are anonymous to everyone else that walk through them, but to us feel like home – personal, instinctive, familiar. The first instalment was created in collaboration with photographer Tamibé Bourdanné featuring The Lounge Suit. Film Director Fiona Jane Burgess walks us through her neighbourhood, revealing the intimacy of familiar paths, the beauty of routine, and seeing the world in motion. Fiona is a film director specialising in fashion films, music videos and commercials. As a proud feminist, she is drawn to projects that empower women and provoke debate. 

GERBASE:   Talk us through this route.
FJB:   This is a route that I walk quite regularly. It's in my neighbourhood and because I work from home, it's quite nice for me to make time at least once a day to just get out of the house, you know, get out of my head a little bit. I do several things on this walk. Firstly, I drop my kids off to school and then walk to Wilton Way which is just at the end of the route. It’s got a couple of cafes, a deli and a couple of shops. My friend's house is near so sometimes I'll meet her after school, and we'll go for coffee or I'll pop over to her house.

GERBASE:   Do you switch on or off when you're walking?
FJB:   I think it's 50/50. I'm a list person – I do spend a lot of time when I'm walking or cycling thinking through the day or I'm thinking through stuff I want to do. I find it quite good for organising my brain. But for switching off, I will listen to music – when I'm listening to music, I can't think of anything else.

GERBASE:   And what made you choose this particular route today?
FJB:   I live quite an insular life, everything's quite local to me. I can Skype and go a week without leaving the area – so this route is just part of my daily life, I guess.

GERBASE:   Is there anything thing that marks the journey for you?
FJB:   I really like the moment where I get to a bit of green space. I really like walking through the park – when you're walking next to cars and then through a park there's quite a big difference in the way that environment makes you feel.

GERBASE:   Do you feel like you move slower and with more engagement when you’re with your kids?
FJB:   Yes – you notice what they notice. They're so curious about the world, about plants, insects, evolution and what things are made of … stone, brick. When I'm with them I naturally notice things I otherwise wouldn't.

GERBASE:   How does moving with purpose look and feel?
FJB:   I come from the Lake District, so I guess I have two kinds of connections to walking. One is walking in the fells or the hills, which is very a conscious act. It's something you do for pleasure, there's a ritual to that kind of walk – you take sandwiches, you search for the perfect stopping place. But then when I'm in a city my purpose is practical. Although it can be enjoyable, walking is for getting somewhere, getting something done. I'm always looking for shortcuts. I love it when I find a new shortcut because I’m time poor – especially since becoming a parent and I make much better use of my time now than I ever have before. I can maximise what I can do in an hour in a way I have never before, I’ve never had such a sense of drive or ambition to get something done. Maybe that purpose comes from being a parent and having a lot to juggle.

GERBASE:   And if this walk had a colour or a feeling what would it be?
FJB:   I think the feeling would be warmth because it feels like comfort to me. Like when someone you're familiar with – a friend or a partner or a relative – hugs you, you feel safe, you feel loved. I feel comforted when I walk in an area that I know well, that I love to live in and that I feel really myself in.