In the edit room

Since I returned home from the UK and Ireland at the end of October, I have been locked away in the edit room with almost 100 hours of footage, a great editor (James Bradley), all Spike's wonderful archive footage and audio tapes, and the daunting task of producing a 90 minute film. Spike, of course, moved into the edit room with us and has been directing the whole thing in his own inimitable style. He has also taken over the web producer (Kerry Sunderland) and the animator (Murray Debus) and is influencing the creation of a very unique and distinctly Spike style for all aspects of the film, website and the DVD.

The film is told from the perspective of Spike's daughter Jane and her desire to create a clearer and more accurate picture of her father, who he was and what he did in his life....and why his legacy is important and should not be buried, hijacked or smothered to death.

At the beginning of the film, Jane says: "Bad things have happened since Spike died within his close circle of people. People have done things that they shouldn't have done, and the press is sniffing around what they think is the truth and they're getting it all wrong...."

"My sisters Laura, Sile and I have decided to set the record straight.....all of Spike's creative work, and the personal possessions and family heirlooms that remind us of him, are being withheld from us now. We would like to see his legacy preserved and to have a say in the way this man is remembered. For this reason, we have decided to open our family archive and tell the story of Spike as we knew him, and the places and things that really mattered to him".