For 24 years Al Clark and Rachel Robey have produced independent films, from all around the world, through their Nottingham based company Wellington Films. They've just wrapped up their tenth feature film, Sister Midnight, which saw the pair travel to Mumbai to shoot on location, aired at Cannes recently and set to be released early next year. Their most recent film, A House in Jerusalem, saw them travel to Palestine - the film is the first ever UK/Palestine co-production - for several months. Last month it screened in Broadway, which is where the company is based, but it is returning for two more screenings due to popular demand.
Al and Rachel met on a training course that used to run in Broadway's third and fourth screen. Through the course both learnt the practical side of filmmaking such as lighting, editing and sound recording. At first Al wanted to be an editor and Rachel a sound recordist, with both working on amateur films to build up their portfolio, however they both quickly realised that few people were willing to take up the role of producing, which led them to picking up the task. Eventually they realised they much preferred the act of producing a film than that of actively making it. These beginnings give them both an acute sense of how films are made by crews and has no doubt helped them work with a variety of people all across the world.
Due to being in the industry for so long the pair have seen incredible changes taking place to the way in which films are produced and distributed. They spoke a lot about how the economic issues facing cinemas today causes difficulties in getting films booked for long amounts of time – getting a full week is something of a lucky win currently. However, streaming plays a big role in their distribution model with A House in Jerusalem already streaming in the Middle East and North Africa. This film now gives them an entry point to discuss other ventures with Netflix, including the potentiality for an entirely Netflix funded film, something which both seemed to be interested in.
Some leave the room affirming their own political beliefs, but others come away with visible signs that their perceived view on the situation might have not been entirely accurate.
Most of A House in Jerusalem was shot in East Jerusalem, the often forgotten third territory of Palestine alongside Gaza and the West Bank, but parts were also shot in Bethlehem. This involved the crew to travel around the various parts of Palestine frequently, most of which is guarded by strict Israeli checkpoints, restricting the freedom of movement for Palestinians living on their own land. Rachel even shot one scene which involved the characters going through a checkpoint, but the scene is not acted and the actor was actually forced to travel through it – capturing the event in real time. Giving an eerie dose of realism to the film.
Through the film we follow a Jewish girl from the UK who, after the death of her mother, moves to Jerusalem with her father to live in an old family home. However, within the walls of the home they are not alone and the spirit of a young Palestinian girl is haunting them. Director Muayad Alayan based the film on his own personal history: the creation of the Israeli state in 1948, through a campaign of ethnic cleansing known as the Nakba, caused his entire family to become refugees in their own country. The Nakba, which is perpetual in how many Palestinians still suffer these exact same crimes, saw Israeli forces violently displace and suppress Palestinians, forcing them to flee their homes, businesses and land in fear of death.
Despite the film not explicitly being labelled a ‘political’ film, Al talks to me about the impossibilities of making an apolitical film in a landscape that has been at the mercy of geopolitical ambitions for decades. He also highlighted how despite being filmed during the COVID pandemic in 2021, which posed all sorts of other obstacles to overcome, it feels even more poignant given Israel’s current assault on Gaza – something which he highlights started long before the events in October 2023.
Towards the end of the interview, Al and Rachel talk about people’s reactions to the film: some leave the room affirming their own political beliefs, but others come away with visible signs that their perceived view on the situation might have not been entirely accurate. The latter reaction, the one that forces people to ask questions based on the images and sounds they have taken in, are the ones that they believe make this film truly powerful. A sharp reminder that film is in itself powerful enough to make us reconsider the world around us.
A House in Jerusalem will be screening at Broadway on 18/19 of August. See their website for ticket information.
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