Jamie Shovlin's 'Rough Cut' Explores Fictional Film 'Hiker Meat' Through Documentary Lens

Jamie Shovlin's feature-length documentary 'Rough Cut' investigates the imagined 1970s exploitation horror film 'Hiker Meat', which exists solely as a conceptual project. The film centers on the fictional director Jesus Rinzoli, a composite character named after Robert Gober's sink sculptures, and screenwriter Mike Harte, whose original 300-word outline from 2005 sparked the idea. 'Hiker Meat' was initially conceived as content for the fictional band Lustfaust's seventh album 'Überblicken/Überzeugen' before evolving into this cinematic exploration. Shovlin's documentary reveals the collaborative process involving around thirty people who reinterpreted a script stitched together from hundreds of existing films. The project features contributions from musician Euan Rodger, who composed two separate scores—one as a 1970s genre homage for 'Hiker Meat' and another vocal-only score for 'Rough Cut'. Shovlin describes the directorial process as terrifying, working with over sixty hours of footage from a seven-day shoot in the Lake District where scenes were recreated shot-for-shot. The film intentionally focuses on production elements typically hidden, examining the social dynamics of filmmaking rather than presenting a conventional narrative. 'Rough Cut' receives a limited UK cinematic release starting December 6, with screenings at Curzon Soho in London and the Cornerhouse in Manchester. Excerpts are available on Shovlin's Vimeo channel.