A film producer and a screenwriter from Hull will be among the special guests at a special screening of mysterious period drama LAPWING on Wednesday 9 February.
Guests from the film’s cast and crew will be on hand to talk about their film and answer audience questions at the event, organised by Hull Independent Cinema and held at Hull Truck Theatre. Local film fans are being encouraged to get their tickets for the chance to enjoy the work of some brilliant local talent.
Screenwriter Laura Turner and Producer Justin Tagg, who both grew up in Hull, will be joined by the film’s director Philip Stevens, Director of Photography Stewart MacGregor, and Producer Andy Mullins, all based in the Lincoln area, alongside stars Sarah Whitehouse and Lewis Gemmill. Laura Turner began her career at Hull Truck Theatre, where the screening is taking place, as a member of the theatre’s Playwrite, Female Writers and Young Writers Groups, and adapted Jane Eyre for Hull Truck’s national theatre tour. She also works regularly with East Riding Theatre in Beverley.
LAPWING is an atmospheric drama set in the 16th century, a time when Gypsies and others were officially persecuted and driven from their homes. The local community leader, David, agrees to help one family to flee by boat – for a fee. At first the community accept the outsiders, until a mute young woman, Patience, starts an affair with one of them and is thrust into a vicious psychological battle with David, who sees her actions as a threat to his authority.
The Lincolnshire coastal setting is a vital element of the film’s atmospheric feel, providing a bleakly beautiful setting that captures the feel of an isolated community exposed to hostile elements, both natural and human.
The event is part of Hull Independent Cinema’s January to March 2022 season of films. HIC Chair James Russell said, “We’re delighted to be hosting such fantastic guests for this event. It’s great to give our audiences the chance to speak with the people involved in making this wonderful film, and the fact that we’re also showcasing the work of hugely talented people from Hull and the nearby area is something we’re really proud of.”
LAPWING is “intriguing, stark, oppressive, menacing … resourcefully uses the blank canvasses of wild coastline and forest … this is confident, distinctive work” (Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian); “brooding and brilliant … a striking and stunning debut feature [with] heart-racing performances as sublime as the roaring sea and coast.” (Sarah Cook, HeyUGuys).
The film might be set over 450 years ago but its themes of toxic masculinity, psychological abuse, gaslighting, xenophobia, and official persecution of foreigners and minorities are, sadly, as relevant today as ever.
Tickets are available for £7 (£6 for HIC members, £5 for students and under-25s) from the Hull Truck Theatre box office in person, by phone (01482 323638) or online (hulltruck.co.uk). Advance purchase is highly recommended. Details of other HIC events can be found at hullindependentcinema.com.