Director's Statement
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SYNOPSIS Dave is a petty criminal who thrives on drugs and violence in London’s East End. When his actions kill his best friend Tariq he’s propelled into unknown feelings of shame and remorse. He discovers Islam and begins to find peace until his old life of crime comes back to test his new belief. Snow In Paradise is a hard hitting feature based on the true story of Martin Askew, who grew up in a crime riddled east end in a culture of violence. It is the debut feature of editor-turned-director, Andrew Hulme, known for Control, The Imposter, Red Riding 1974, Lucky Number Slevin and Gangster No. 1. DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT When I met writer Martin Askew I found It's a journey through violence and guilt towards someone with a story so incredible I was religion and possible redemption. compelled to try and tell it in cinematic form. Here was someone born into East End It was my intention to make a film that works crime, whose uncle was ‘The Guvnor’ Lennie on many levels: a film that straddles both the MacLean, yet had converted to Islam. Here was arthouse and mainstream markets, one that someone with a dark past who had managed works with narrative but also has poetry in it. to control his anger and aggression through I didn't want to make a British gangster film, I religion, someone who had understood he wanted a more ambiguous film, one that didn't needed to correct himself if he were to escape spell everything out to the audience but left them and survive. to think about what they'd just seen. Snow In Paradise is only loosely based on The film begins much like any gritty inner city Martin’s experiences. Real names have been story: here are two roguish but likeable characters changed, real events dramatised because trapped in a changing world that they are not ultimately this is a drama and not a documentary. part of. As the story unfolds and Dave’s stupidity DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT and arrogance gets his best friend killed then the revealed itself to contain universal themes that story takes on a more dream-like but nightmare- took it beyond just entertainment. Fundamentally, ish tone. As Dave’s situation within the crime this is the story of the man who reneges on world becomes more fraught and dangerous so the Faustian pact, and of the misunderstood he comes to question the meaning of his life and youth who escapes his background to re-invent discover the world around him is full of people himself. What I think makes it unique is the refuge he can't trust. In turning towards Islam he finds to which both Martin and our main character a warmth and acceptance that is not available to escape. him elsewhere. When I was growing up, stories of conversions When Martin and I started writing the film began were commonplace. But they were Christian as pure character, but we realised in order to stories. What this journey represents is a change tell this extraordinary story we had to grab the within the heart of Europe. Islam is the outsider audience's attention. Consequently Snow In religion, castigated and reviled by many but Paradise became a character piece hidden within simultaneously appealing to the marginalised the structure of a thriller. The story though quickly and voiceless in our society. Whilst Dave DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT (and Martin's journey) may be totally unique it seen before. As a result of this instinct we found illuminates Europe's dilemma regarding Islam. Frederick Schmidt on a Hoxton street corner in a bad mood smoking a cigarette. He was our The journey of making Snow In Paradise has perfect Dave, not a privileged young kid from been very difficult, mostly due to a lack of interest West London but someone who had experienced from the British funding bodies. We were lucky life and had a well of emotions to dig into. that through Cinemart we found sympathetic partners in France and Germany who believed in As a film editor I have learnt how to make the story and in me as a director. We have had to films work and how to tell stories. I have had the make this film with limited money and resources, opportunity to watch directors and learn from we were forced into the sidelines and so we had them and to sculpt performances from great to be resourceful. Consequently it's a film that is actors. I'm grateful for that experience and hope not like everyone else's. that I've managed to use it in the telling of Snow in Paradise, a true story of our times. I didn't want to cast this film with the same old familiar faces, I wanted to see something I hadn't ANDREW HULME Andrew is one of the UK's top film editors having worked on films such as Control, Lucky Number Slevin, Gangster No1, The Imposter and Appropriate Adult as well as receiving a personal BAFTA nomination for editing for Red Riding 1974. He also writes and produces music, sound designs and has directed 2nd Unit. Snow in Paradise is his debut feature film. WRITER/DIRECTOR RED RIDING 1974 SOULBOY (dir: Julian Jarrold) (dir: Shimmy Marcus) SNOW IN PARADISE Revolution/Channel 4, 2009 Ipso Facto, 2010. Ipso Facto 2014 Starring Andrew Garfield. Feature. Co-written with Martin Askew. BAFTA nomination for Best Editing. THE GIRL (dir: Julian Jarrold) CONTROL BBC/HBO Feature drama (2012). (dir: Anton Corbijn) FILM EDITOR NorthSee Films, 2007 WICKER PARK 1990 – present (selected credits) Starring Sam Riley/Samantha Morton. (dir: Paul McGuigan) Awards: 25 wins/20 nominations Lakeshore, 2004. THE IMPOSTER (dir: Bart Layton) PLAY YOUR OWN WHITE TEETH Raw TV/Passion Pics (2011) THING (dir: Julian Benedikt) (dir: Julian Jarrold) Documentary feature, premiered at Sundance 2011. Benedikt Pictures, 2006 4 part TV series, Channel 4, 2002. Awards: 10 wins/15 nominations Documentary about jazz in Europe. GANGSTER NO1 APPROPRIATE ADULT LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN (dir: Paul McGuigan) (dir: Julian Jarrold) (dir: Paul McGuigan) Feature, Film 4, 2000. 2 part ITV drama, 2011 Ascendant Pictures, 2005 Starring Emily Watson & Dominic West. Starring Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, THE ACID HOUSE Awards: 12 wins/9 nominations Ben Kingsley. (dir: Paul McGuigan) Feature, Umbrella/Channel 4, 1998. THE AMERICAN HANGAR 10 (dir: Anton Corbijn) (dir: Daniel Simpson) BLUE NOTE – Focus Features, 2010. Newscope Films, 2014. A STORY OF MODERN JAZZ Starring George Clooney. (dir: Julian Benedikt) No.1 US box Office, September 2010. EuroArts, 1997 Debut feature film. CHRISTINE ALDERSON / IPSO FACTO PRODUCTIONS Ipso Facto Films started in 1994 and Ipso Most recently Comes A Bright Day by Simon Facto Productions was started in 2012 by Aboud, starring Craig Roberts, Imogen Poots Christine Alderson, previous films include Nasty and Timothy Spall and Event 15 starring Jennifer Neighbours directed by Debbie Isitt (Confetti/ Morrison. She just completed Snow In Paradise Nativity), School For Seduction (2004), starring the feature film debut of Andrew Hulme, which Kelly Brook; Bye Bye Blackbird, directed by is in Official Selection Cannes 2014 and also Robinson Savary, Dot Com by Luis Galvao Teles Second Origin the posthumous film of Bigas and Irina Palm directed by Sam Garbarski Luna, Christine Alderson is a graduate of EAVE, starring Marianne Faithfull. She executive EAVE+ ACE and INSIDE PICTURES. She is a produced Valhalla Rising (Mads Mikkelsen) voting member of the European Film Academy from director Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive) and BAFTA. and Northern Soul feature Soulboy (Martin Compston, Felicity Jones). CAST & CREW SNOW IN PARADISE CAST CREW CREW A film by Dave: Directed by: Casting: ANDREW HULME FREDERICK SCHMIDT ANDREW HULME AISHA WALTERS Tariq: Written by: SHAHEEN BAIG B MEDIA GLOBAL AYMEN HAMDOUCHI MARTIN ASKEW Sound: presents an Uncle Jimmy: & ANDREW HULME GIANCARLO DELLAPINA IPSO FACTO PRODUCTIONS MARTIN ASKEW Produced by: ANDREW STIRK in association with Theresa: CHRISTINE ALDERSON PAUL DAVIES MILLBROOK PICTURES CLAIRE-LOUISE CORDWELL Director of Photography: Line Producer: SNOW IN PARADISE UK Amjad: MARK WOLF VANESSA TOVELL GLOUCESTER PLACE FILMS ASHLEY CHIN Production Designers: and and Mickey Young: ALEXANDRA WALKER Executive Producers: BACK UP MEDIA DAVID SPINX SOPHIA CHOWDHURY JANE BRISTOW Editor: ROSHANAK BEHESHT NEDJAD BARRY MOEN PAUL DE LA PENA Composer: YASMINE ASKEW KEVIN POLLARD THOMAS STERCHI Costume Designer: LARS WIEBE IAN FULCHUR BEAT ARNOLD Make Up & Hair Designer: NIGEL THOMAS TAHIRA HEROLD CHARLOTTE WALLS INTERNATIONAL PRESS TECHNICAL DETAILS WORLD SALES Wolfgang W. Werner Public Relations Running Time: 108 min THE MATCH FACTORY Tal 46, 80331 München, Germany Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 Balthasarstraße 79–81 Tel: +49 – 89 – 38 38 67 –0 Sound Format: 5.1 Dolby Digital 50670 Cologne Fax: +49 – 89 – 38 38 67 –11 Original Version: English Germany [email protected] Tel: +49 – 221 – 53 97 09 –0 In Cannes: Fax: +49 – 221 – 53 97 09 –10 Christiane Leithardt [email protected] Cell: +49 – 175 – 588 80 86 www.the-match-factory.com Wolfgang Werner Cell: +49 – 170 – 333 93 53.