COLCHESTER’S surrounding areas are set to be the backdrop to a new feature film which will hit screens next week.
Kindling follows a group of young men who return to their hometown to turn their friend Sid’s final summer into a celebration of life and friendship.
With his obsession for astronomy and the atmosphere, Sid, portrayed by Sex Education star George Somner, comes up with a plan to bring everyone together and make their summer unforgettable.
He gives each boy a category – love, home, friends, family, and location – and asks them to find an item that connects them all with the word they’ve been given.
The entire film, which is inspired by true events, is set in rural England, in a small town where the boys grew up.
Most of the film was shot in Essex and Suffolk, including in Wivenhoe, Dedham, Langham, and Boxted.
Producer Jamie Gamache said: “Our main location was a beautiful house in Great Wigborough and we shot there for two weeks.
“We even had 30 members of the cast and crew living in the Essex University student accommodation for five weeks.”
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The idea for the film was born after its director Connor O’Hara suddenly lost two friends within two days.
United in grief and seeing how his friends responded to this loss, he set off to make a film that encapsulated that experience of grief and represented young men on screen in a new light.
“[Losing my friends] was shocking; agonising; unfathomable,” explained 28-year-old director Connor.
“For me and my friends, grief nurtured within us a quiet peace. It showed us that light could be found at the very heart of the tunnel, not merely at its end.
“Kindling is my love letter to those I’ve lost and continue to love. While it was inspired by my own experience, it is ultimately a celebration of the human spirit.”
Kindling boasts an impressive British ensemble cast, and charities including Movember and Teenage Cancer Trust are partnering on the film’s release.
The film will be on cinema screens and digital platforms from next Friday, April 21.
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