About Me

Lost Histories is an independent documentary filmmaking project dedicated to exploring and preserving the rich local history of Derbyshire through carefully researched historical documentary films. Founded by Derbyshire filmmaker Roland "Roly" Keates, Lost Histories focuses on uncovering overlooked stories from across the county, from ancient folklore and medieval communities to industrial heritage, forgotten trades, and the landscapes that shaped everyday life. Working from the belief that history is rooted in place, Lost Histories documents the towns, villages, woodlands, and historic sites of Derbyshire and the Peak District, revealing how geography, culture, and memory intertwine.

Each documentary combines traditional filmmaking techniques with modern creative tools, allowing historical narratives to be presented with clarity, authenticity, and visual depth. Extensive research underpins every film, drawing on archival material, historic photographs, maps, newspapers, oral histories, and collaboration with local historians and heritage enthusiasts.

Lost Histories also works closely with community researchers and what might be called "weekend historians", individuals who hold valuable knowledge about local places and stories that rarely appear in formal archives.

When visual gaps exist in the historical record, Lost Histories carefully incorporates AI open-source visual tools to help reconstruct lost environments, buildings, and historical scenes. These AI-assisted reconstructions are always guided by documented evidence and clearly presented as interpretative visualisations rather than literal records.

By combining documentary filmmaking, local history research, heritage storytelling, and emerging AI technologies, Lost Histories creates films that reconnect audiences with the past while preserving historical integrity.

The project ultimately aims to celebrate the cultural and historical depth of Derbyshire, ensuring that forgotten stories, overlooked places, and local voices remain part of the region's shared memory. Through documentary film, digital media, and community collaboration, Lost Histories continues to build a growing archive of Derbyshire history, heritage landscapes, and local historical narratives.

Certain scenes in Lost Histories productions include reconstructed or illustrative material created to support historical interpretation. While these sequences are grounded in documented research, some visual elements are dramatised for storytelling purposes. Any resemblance to persons living or dead beyond the historical record is coincidental.