A scene from Melody Gilbert's "Urban Explorers: Into The Darkness". Photo courtesy of the filmmaker.


Production Report: "Love and Mary," "Sisters," "Solstice," "Urban Explorers," "We Own The Night"

by Jason Guerrasio (May 2, 2006)

[EDITOR'S NOTE: indieWIRE's monthly production report looks at independent films in various stages of production. If you'd like to tell us about a film in production for future columns, please contact us.]


"Urban Explorers: Into The Darkness"

Melody Gilbert's ("A Life Without Pain") latest documentary highlights a group of thrill seekers known as Urban Explorers who survey abandoned buildings, storm drains and anything else derelict for the sudden rush of being somewhere they shouldn't be.

Gilbert first learned about the group three years ago when a few were mistaken for terrorists in her hometown of St. Paul, MN. "They were walking down the street wearing black, had night vision goggles and cameras and all kinds of equipment," she recalls. "It turns out they were these guys called Urban Explorers; I was like, 'What's an Urban Explorer?'"

Managing to gain the trust of one, Gilbert learned Minnesota is a popular spot for urban exploring. "We have a lot of people who come here [and explore] drains and sewers because we have incredible networks of pipes that leads to all these crazy places." Other Urban Explorer must-sees are the northeast for their abandoned mental institutions and the west for mines and abandoned train stations. Overseas, Europe and Australia are also popular.

The doc follows four explorers as they travel the globe seeking out their next expedition. The film also takes an inside look at the Urban Explorer convention in Glasgow, Scotland.

Filming the doc for the last three years, Gilbert's learned there's more to these explorers than their mischievous behavior. "There's a very serious side to this that has to do with preservation and caring about the past," she says, "and I think it's a reflection of how we are as a society, how we make things and don't care about them and let them disintegrate."

Currently in post, the doc is financed through Gilbert's Frozen Feet Films and co-produced by Channel Z Films. Shot on DV by Gilbert and Adrian Danciu, the editor is Charlie Gerszewski. The film features music from The Owls, The Hopefuls and Kid Dakota.