Meet Harry, the films Director!
We are really excited to announce Harry as our films director. Don't let his age fool you, Harry has 22 films under his belt as Director, including 5 commercially successful feature films.
We interviewed Harry ahead of his tenure for Dreams of an Eleven Year Old Witch.
How did you first become interested in directing this film?
Growing up a 30 minute drive from Pendle (I can see it from my house), witchcraft is in my local culture. This story is a fresh, new true tale of the culture I have been surrounded with since a child brimming with heartbreak and injustice. This story touches upon the forgotten peasant class of history. One I feel has an untapped well of potential for brilliant and original stories, visuals and scenes the modern audience has yet to see for the first time.
Growing up, what film inspired you to direct?
I was born with the feeling, it came to me more naturally than speech or walking film is my religion. Before I knew what movies were I was writing comics and drawing worlds. It has been with me since the very beginning. I always say- you can take my memories, you can take my humour, my body, my ability and it would still be me sat at the table across from you, take my dreams, take my ambition only then could you truly kill me. I suppose that is why I feel such a kinship with Alice, my dreams are all I have, they make me who I am.
What can people expect from the film?
You can expect an unflinchingly realistic look at what life in 1546 would have looked like. Gruelling cold and mud everywhere, but love in the house and heat in the hearth. My biggest passion in film is representing the lower class stories of history often forgotten about when looking at wars and royal dramas through the lens of the scholars that recorded it. This film will contrast the textured and atmospheric real world with the sheer fantastical imagination of an eleven year old girl with a brilliant twist- this girl was raised in a remote village with no true understanding of what palaces or kings looked like. Pure original child's imagination contrasting a genuine historical marvel. An absolute wish for me would be for this film to be studied for historical accuracy. Only for the scenes in the real world of course...
Without giving too much away, is there a scene from the film that stands out to you and why?
Many moons ago on my first read through I noticed the scene to me epitomises the film beautifully. Alice- after the death of her childhood best friend- instead of grieving, she surrenders to her pleasant and happy imagination playing with an imaginary version of her recently deceased friend. Watched by the community as she plays in the field talking to thin air, referring to her dead friend, this is seen as communing with the dead. Without the need for dialogue letting surrender the visual story telling this scene exquisitely illustrates Alice preferring to surrender to the bliss of her imagination to contrast the fear and terror of her community. Beautiful scene.
Why should people watch Dreams of an Eleven Year Old Witch?
Are you crazy? This film is on track to being a feast for the senses! With the waves of high end film industry talent backing this project supporting a rock solid foundation (an undiscovered masterpiece story born in true history) tied together by the masterclass of story telling named J Ashley. This film blends painful realism with the serene beauty found only in the dreams of an eleven year old witch.