Norfolk-based short film-makers Lesley van Dijk and Teele Dunkley are going for the awards again, with new film Losing us, a moving refugee story about family love and survival. In advance of its private screening, Producer Lesley explains how their latest film has turned out to be a major production involving 100 people!
We last featured you in May 2021, with Metres Apart – how was the film received?
As we had hoped and more! It’s about a teenage girl and her estranged dad who surprises her with a visit during the first lockdown. We have submitted it to several UK and international film festivals, and we have had wonderful feedback. People related to the story and had a lot of praise for the acting and cinematography.
Have you been busy working on Losing Us ever since?
We have and have since filmed all our scenes in seven days – all in and around Reepham. We raised a large part of the funding for the filming in the summer last year and our talented Director Teele Dunkley has been finalising the sound mixing, music with composer Andrew Taylor, and technical requirements to show Losing Us online and in cinemas. We will submit it film festivals around the world.
Who has been involved in the production this time?
More than 100 people! Altogether with our crew, cast and extras on set and during post-production we have involved a big group of people – we never anticipated to work with such a large number. But the film has turned out a major production! The same crew from Metres Apart was involved, including Anton Kamillus (Co-Producer and Casting Lead) and Paul Cook (Director of Photography) and Andrew Taylor (Composer), and of course many more. Early on, Teele involved writer Stephan Drury and me in the development of the script. It’s turned out to be a huge production, almost small feature film scale level! Feature film productions are of course bigger but for a short film we had a large cast and number of extras. A great buzz on set for sure!
What is the theme of Losing Us and were you very much on location in and around Reepham?
The story shows how an Albanian refugee family is trying to survive in the UK after fleeing from their home country where violence is rising. They end up being human trafficked into the UK and their lives keep being affected by the gangsters who transported them here, even after they have arrived. It’s a heart-breaking tale which also shares the beautiful family bond.
Reepham was the core filming hub. We filmed at great places in Reepham, including the Bircham Centre, Reepham Sixth Form College, the shop ‘Johnson’s of Reepham’, Market Place, and at Eves Hill Farm in Booton and Easton College in Norwich. And everyone has been incredibly supportive.
When is the first screening?
When you make a short film, you submit it to film festivals and hope it is selected for screening. So, fingers crossed it will happen soon! We have a surprise for our team though and are very much looking forward to showing the film early September to crew, cast and supporters during a private viewing in Norwich.
What film festivals are you entering?
We are entering it into film festivals that are BAFTA and Academy Award qualifying, so the top festivals first. We are aiming high and see how the film is received there. At the same time, we will be submitting it to festivals around the world who either have a connection to the story and crew and are recognised in the film industry. So next year Pöff in Estonia is on our list as Teele is Estonian. UK ones that are on our list are Leeds, Cambridge and London. And Tirana festival which is in Albania plus several in America, Australia, Asia and possibly South America. So, plenty to get our teeth in!
What’s next for you? Is there already another film in the pipeline?
I’ll continue with communications and photography projects while working on film productions. I’ve just finished a big comms project for UEA’s research and innovation division and joined the Norwich Film Festival team again working on marketing and PR, and possibly work on a new film next year – a comedy called That takes the biscuit. Not as a producer but Art Director working with Teele, Anton, Stephan and Paul. And I still hope to develop my own script about a teenager’s climate change quest to find solutions. Always staying creative!
Find out more about Losing Us on the film page and follow the team’s journey on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Watch the Losing Us Official Trailer on YouTube.
Featured image of Losing Us Producer Lesley van Dijk by Seb Dunkley
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