Lemmings: Can You Dig It? the new feature-length documentary that received its world premiere in Dundee, in December 2021, has now hit YouTube.
Lemmings, which celebrated its 31st anniversary in 2022 (February 14th), was one of the first global multi-platform hits to come out of Scotland. The documentary, Lemmings: Can You Dig It? celebrates this icon of Scottish and UK games culture by speaking to the people behind its original success, while investigating its legacy in gameplay and taking a look at how it inspired some of the world’s biggest games franchises ever since.
The creators have pulled together a seriously impressive list of games industry veterans, ex-DMA team members and industry luminaries and legends (some of whom are one and the same) to discuss the impact and legacy of the game.
Gary Timmons, one of the original DMA core team, is a revelation. A quiet and reserved person who’s rarely, if ever, heard from in the various histories and documentaries around Lemmings, DMA or Dundee, shows his enthusiasm, creativity and delight in being part of the game’s creation. The film also features the late Ian Hetherington, the former head of publisher Psygnosis, who sadly passed away in 2021.
The whole film is a joy. FIlmed over lockdown, the documentary captures the development and evolution of the game perfectly. Alongside Gary and Ian, the film features:
- Adrian Powell (original Lemmings cover artist)
- Alyson Conway (sculpture artist)
- Brian ‘Biscuit’ Watson, (ex-DMA)
- Chris Scullion (journalist)
- Chris van der Kuyl (Chroma Ventures & Kingsway Club alumni)
- Eli Mouawad (streamer)
- Enrique Hervas (Exient)
- Gary Penn (ex-DMA & journalist, now Denki)
- Gary Timmons (ex-DMA)
- Gary Whitta (screen writer & journalist)
- Ian Hetherington (ex-Psygnosis, ex-Realtime Worlds)
- Jake Montanarini (Norwich University of the Arts)
- James Roadley-Battin (Exient)
- Kish Hirani (BAME In Games, ex-PlayStation)
- Larry Bundy Jr (TV presenter, YouTuber)
- Mike Dailly (ex-DMA)
- Nia Wearn (Deep Silver)
- Nick Gorse (Coventry University)
- Paul Farley (ex-DMA, Firestoke)
- Peter Molyneux (games industry legend, 22 Cans)
- Robin Gray (Gayming Magazine)
- Russell Kay (ex-DMA, YoYo Games)
- Ryan Locke (Abertay University)
- Silvio Micalef (Exient)
- Steve Hammond (ex-DMA)
- Tim Wright (ex-DMA)
- Trista Bytes (superfan, YouTuber)
- And many more…
The film was commissioned by Lemmings publisher Exient and is directed by leading video game film producer Richard Wilcox of That Video Company.
You should watch it.
