When you aspire to something extraordinary, you can find the hero within.

On a Clear Day is an inspirational drama with humor, about forgiveness and fortitude, from an exciting new voice in filmmaking. Filmed on location in Glasgow, the Isle of Man, and Dover, the film centers on Frank Redmond (Peter Mullan). After decades of laboring as a Glasgow shipbuilder, this no-nonsense 55-year-old working-class man suddenly finds himself laid off. For the first time in his life, Frank is without a job or a sense of direction, and is too proud to ask for guidance. His best mates – rascally Danny (Billy Boyd), timid Norman (Ron Cook), and cynical Eddie (Sean McGinley) – are there for him, but Frank still feels desperately alone.

An offhand remark from Danny inspires Frank to challenge himself. Already contemplating the state of his relationships with loving wife Joan (two-time Academy Award nominee Brenda Blethyn) and all-but-estranged son Rob (Jamie Sives), Frank is determined to shore up his own self-confidence. He will attempt the near-impossible – swimming the English Channel. As Frank plunges headlong into his new daily life, his astonished friends are swept along with him. Prodded by stalwart fish-and-chips shop owner Chan (Benedict Wong), the men support Frank, train him – and keep their goal secret from his wife and son. Frank is unable to confide in those closest to him, but as the big day and moment of truth draw near, there is a sea change. Frank’s family confronts him, and he realizes that he must repair his strained family ties. As Frank and those closest to him discover – or re-discover – reserves of love and compassion, he realizes that he is also swimming from one part of his life to another.

Focus Features presents a Forthcoming/InFilm/Take Partnerships production in association with Baker Street, Glasgow Film Finance Ltd. and Scottish Screen and produced in association with Isle of Man Films. A Film by Gaby Dellal. Peter Mullan, Brenda Blethyn. On a Clear Day. Sean McGinley, Jamie Sives, Ron Cook, Benedict Wong, Jodhi May, and Billy Boyd. Casting by Gail Stevens, C.D.G. Music by Stephen Warbeck. Costume Designer, Kate Hawley. Production Designer, Mark Leese. Edited by Robin Sales. Director of Photography, David Johnson, B.S.C. Executive Producers, Bill Allan, Steve Christian, Lenny Crooks, Emma Hayter, Nick Hill & Andy Mayson. Produced by Sarah Curtis & Dorothy Berwin. Written by Alex Rose. Directed by Gaby Dellal. A Focus Features Release.
On a Clear Day

About the Production

Taking the Plunge

Director Gaby Dellal recalls that she first heard about On a Clear Day when “my agent called me and said, ‘There’s this script about a man who swims the English Channel –’ I said, ‘Next! Pass!’ But he insisted. So I read the script and by the end, I was in tears. It was a beautiful story, one that I fell in love with.”

She soon met with screenwriter Alex Rose, and the two of them began an 18-month collaboration, moving the project forward with the full support of producers Sarah Curtis and Dorothy Berwin. As the latter reflects, “The filmmaking process is by nature collaborative. We worked and worked on the script until it was ready to send out for casting and financing.”

Rose adds, “You can’t write for film in isolation, and the development process was vitally important to take the script from its initial stages to its shooting stages. It’s easy to argue for a scene to stay the way it was first written just because it works. But Gaby pushed and prodded me and I’m indebted to her for it. She prompted me to find answers for things and, in finding those answers, to make the script stronger.”

Dellal elaborates, “On the surface, On a Clear Day is about a man who is ‘made redundant’ due to the scaling-down of his shipyard in Glasgow; his self-respect and self-esteem are hit hard, and he has to build himself back up again – which he determines to do by, against the odds, swimming the English Channel.

“Yet it’s really about a man who lost a son 25 years ago, and who has shut down completely and incarcerated himself in his work. When that work is taken away from him, he must face up to those feelings he never dealt with decades earlier.”

Rose remarks, “The story slowly crept up on me and came together. I feel it started with my son. Because, when he was 4 years old, I’d drop him off at the school gate and he’d let me kiss him goodbye; now that he’s 7, he makes faces and squirms away. That hurt me – it was an element of loss, and it got me wondering how I’m going to feel when my son is 16 or 17 and I’m lucky if he says, ‘Right, see ya!’ From there, I got to thinking what it would be like to truly lose a child. I imagined a man who’s torn apart by a dual loss; one child has died and while another child is alive, he doesn’t speak to the surviving twin and can’t get along with him.”

“It’s quite an emotional story,” says Dellal. “I used to lean on Alex to make sure that nothing was too schmaltzy…

“From my first reading of the script, Peter Mullan was the man I imagined straight away to play Frank.”

Curtis concurs, “We never considered anyone else for the part. Like everybody, I am an admirer of Peter’s work – especially in Ken Loach’s My Name is Joe – and I knew he would bring enormous truth and compassion to the role. But I also knew that Peter was off directing as well as acting these days, and couldn’t think how we would get him. Finally, Gaby wrote him a simple letter, enclosing the screenplay and saying ‘If you don’t respond to this script, I’m going to kill myself.’ He called within two days’ time and asked us to meet him in Glasgow.”

Mullan offers, “What I loved about it when I read Alex’s script, and what attracted me instantly, was the opportunity to look into an area of masculinity where everything is so internalized. The script was also a hair’s breadth from toppling over into sentimentality. I think Gaby did a very good job in terms of casting, because there was no one among us who would sentimentalize true human emotions and no one who would try to ingratiate themselves instead of trying to explore.”

“Peter goes exactly against sentiment every time,” confirms Dellal. “If it indicates, in a script, that a man might cry, he won’t do it. Instead, he’ll surprise you. He’ll only give you what’s good and true; you can’t push him in any other direction.”

The actor adds, “To me, On a Clear Day is not a ‘heartwarming tale’; it goes deeper than that. It’s not simple triumph-in-the-face-of-adversity stuff; hopefully, it’s something more poignant. It’s about something I deeply believe in, which is the meeting of human souls and the evolutionary need, if you like, to support one another in some shape or form. It’s also as far as you can get from the whole neo-conservative concept that you must look after Number One, because that, to me, is anti-civilization and anti-human, really.

“In terms of its narrative, the film is quite old-fashioned. To me, it recalls early 1960s English films like Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, and Billy Liar. Those are films that had a big impact on me. In On a Clear Day, Frank chooses to do the most singularly difficult thing he can possibly think of – to find out whether he’s actually worth something.“

“On a Clear Day is that rare film where men are as moved as women by the relationships and the story,” adds Berwin.

Friends and Family

With Peter Mullan on board and the script locked, the filmmakers were able to recruit an ideal cast.

Sean McGinley, cast as Frank’s oldest friend Eddie, comments, “Often when you get scripts, they’re not fully formed and you sense that there might have
been a good idea somewhere but it’s been weathered away by committees. This, on the other hand, was a fully formed piece of writing. It’s always the writing that gets you interested in the first place and if it has any depth to it, it’s also that which sustains you through rehearsing and performing it. The more you dig into good writing, the more you get back from it.”

Billy Boyd, who plays Frank’s youngest mate Danny, adds, “You have no idea how many bad scripts an actor gets to read! It’s such a treat when you get a good one. When I was reading this one, I was laughing out loud, and by the end, I had tears in my eyes.”

“The strength of the writing is quite rare,” notes Jodhi May, who plays Frank’s daughter-in-law Angela. “There’s the powerful element of the estrangement between a father and his son and the emotional scar between them that hasn’t healed, interspersed with these more lighthearted ensemble moments and the themes of hope and trying to do the impossible. During the course of the film, you see a group of men going through these late-life rites of passage and sharing them in a very close and intimate way. That’s very unusual, and quite uplifting.”

To hold her own opposite Peter Mullan, the filmmakers needed an actress of comparable caliber, and two-time Academy Award nominee Brenda Blethyn topped their short list. After all, the duo had to be believable as a longtime married couple. Gaby Dellal explains, “Joan and Frank have been together for about 35 years. When Alex Rose first introduces her character in the script, he notes that Joan and Frank are very silent together, writing ‘Theirs isn’t a bad relationship, just an old one.’ That moved me and I think that’s exactly what Peter and Brenda portrayed and what I hope we’ve shown successfully – a strong relationship between two independent people who, as the film progresses, get even more independent.”

Blethyn says, “Gaby had a very clear insight into the world of these characters, and she wanted the story to be told as truthfully as possible, without tricks played. She had already lived with the project for a long time; I sensed that she’d played these characters for herself many times. I met with Gaby, I thought, just to chat about the project – but by the end of our talk, it was, ‘Okay, I’m doing it, then.’

“For me, On a Clear Day is the story of a family’s struggle to stay together as a unit. There’s a rift between Frank and Rob, and they keep trying to reach one another at a place of reconciliation – but it’s a stalemate every time. Deep down they know there’s as much affection as there ever was, but there’s a block they can’t seem to get past.”

“I think the film is about communication, or lack of communication,” states Jamie Sives, cast as Rob. “That’s true for Chan and Danny as well as for Frank and Rob. There’s this sense that everyone’s life would be better if they only communicated, if they only said how they were feeling or what they were thinking. Rob feels like he’s never really been included in his father’s life. He believes that Frank has been left with the son he liked less and he resents
Frank for this. This has been building up since he was 7 years old, but Brenda’s character says they’re like magnets that won’t stick together, flip them over and they stick like glue.”

“I’d seen Jamie in Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself,” remembers Dellal. “I felt that he had a uniqueness which would be ideally suited to Rob. He portrays vulnerability well. There’s a great disparity between Frank and Rob – a highly traditional father and the home-loving, househusband son – but it’s not about Frank believing that Rob is not ‘manly’ enough.”

Sives adds, “Gaby used to be an actress so she used a sort of actor’s shorthand to tell me what she wanted. At the first read-through, there was a lot of hilarity among Frank and his mates and I felt that my character was a bit too gloomy and morose. It was important to find a balance and the right pitch for Rob.”

In this, Mullan believes that his fellow actor succeeded, confiding, “Jamie made some brave choices. An integral part of Frank’s journey is not just coming to terms with the son that he lost but with the son that he retains. It works both ways; it‘s also Rob coming to terms with the father he’s got. At times, Jamie played Rob as nothing more than a spoiled brat and that takes guts. I hope that the rest of us were doing the same – we had a good ensemble and I believe we were unafraid to show the characters in all their different shades, not just the most flattering ones.”

The ensemble of Frank’s mates is a motley crew, inspired by Rose’s early morning swims at a local gym and the diverse types in the pool at that hour. Billy Boyd finds this to be the right approach, saying, “There are so many different characters and that’s just the way it is in real life when you work in a factory or a shipyard or an office. It’s not like playing on a football team where everyone’s around the same age and has the same basic physical capabilities.”

“Before we started filming, we talked about who the characters are and where they came from,” adds Sean McGinley. “My character, Eddie, is a highly skilled tradesman who absorbs a humiliating demotion to stay at work. As it is for all of the lads in the group, his work is as important as his family. There’s also a very strong bond among them; all of the older lads look out for Danny because he lost his father – even though he irritates the hell out of them.”

Boyd laughs, “Danny doesn’t really think before he talks, so he’s unintentionally funny a lot of the time. But I believe he’s quite brave. When we meet him, he’s a young man with no money, no girlfriend, no prospects. So he asks himself how he can win back some respect, and decides that he’ll swim the Channel. He loves the guys and he looks up to Frank. Danny may be foolhardy, but he tries to enjoy himself.”

Ron Cook, who plays Norman, calls his character “afraid of life in its entirety. He used to work at the shipyards, but took early retirement. He’s old school,
very fastidious and particular; he always wears a tie. He’s a bit of a mother hen, because the others are his family.”

Benedict Wong plays Chan, who becomes part of the circle of friends during the course of the film. The actor explains, “Frank and Chan realize that they share a connection, a sort of empathy. Chan is a rather solitary figure who gradually finds his voice as he becomes part of the group.”

“Benedict is a chameleon,” marvels Dellal. “I remembered him in Stephen Frears’ Dirty Pretty Things as playing a slender doctor, but when I met with him for this part, he was a funny big guy. Here, he’s playing much older than his actual years; he has a very wise manner about him which lends itself to the character of Chan.”

Mullan adds, “All these guys invested themselves in their parts so that they weren’t just playing stereotypes, they were very much a group of individuals who come together as a collective. We explore their communal spirit, and the difficulties of trying to help somebody; they stick by Frank – and he’s not the easiest guy to get on with – and they get something out of it for themselves. Their journeys are just as important as his.”

While the shipyard, the locker room, and ultimately, the Channel, are predominantly male environments, the female characters – as incarnated by Brenda Blethyn and Jodhi May – are not overlooked.

Blethyn concedes, “Although it’s a male-dominated story, you mustn’t forget that the director and the two producers are women – and it’s my character who gets to drive a bus!”

“There’s a parallel between Angela and her mother-in-law in the way that the two marriages sort of mirror one another,” adds May. “You have two men held together by strong women and for me, that’s very true to life.”

On Location

On a Clear Day was filmed over eight weeks on locations in and around Glasgow, the Isle of Man, and Dover (in Kent).

Various locales in and around Glasgow played host to the cast and crew during the first four weeks. The workplace scenes at the shipyard were shot on authentic Glasgow docks, although the opening sequence of the film was very nearly tabled; “I was told to cut the ship launch out of the film before we started because we would never be able to afford it, neither using CGI nor staging our own,” remembers Gaby Dellal. “But there was an actual ship launch taking place before we began filming, so we set up a pre-shoot and got it on film! We captured the excitement of a real ship launch and later intercut it with our actors and a crowd of extras, which lent more scale to our picture.”

Dorothy Berwin adds, “We had a time of it while negotiating how many cameras we could actually bring into the shipyard because of tight security.
After much to-and-fro, we persuaded them to increase the number of cameras from the initial two to five! So now it’s all up there on the screen.”

Glasgow also provided the settings of Chan’s fish-and-chips shop and the swimming pool where the gang’s regular sessions take place.

Sarah Curtis comments, “When we first started working to get the movie made, we all agreed that a sense of place and community was hugely important for the film. We found all that in Glasgow.”

Billy Boyd, himself a native of Glasgow, remarks, “I thought Gaby would go in for the typical approach – gray Glasgow with all these men in dungarees. But she’s very visual as a director, and filmed it as the beautiful city that it truly is.”

Brenda Blethyn enthuses, “The film paints a great picture of Glasgow! The preconceived notion is that it’s gray and miserable – which is simply not true; it’s quite a vibrant city. The architecture is grand and glorious, with a lot of new buildings going up. Gaby worked with all of us to bring out the color of the place as well as the light in the script, rather than the stereotypical impression of dour Scots.”

Jodhi May adds, “Gaby has an exciting visual sense, and there’s a sensuality to her vision – she’s quite un-English in that regard. On a Clear Day portrays a Glasgow that’s evocative of many different eras, as Gaby brings a kind of timelessness to it and really shows the fabric of the community.”

“I don’t think Glasgow is at all grim, and I was so pleased to shoot there,” states Dellal. “The look of the film was very paramount to me, and we played around with yellows, greens and blacks. I didn’t want to make it a ‘blue’ film just because we have these scenes in the sea and swimming pools. It’s as realistic as possible, yet it does have a certain stylized quality which I hope sets it apart. I had to be mindful of making it too self-conscious and visually stylized, because this is very much a performance-driven film.”

“That was an ongoing discussion that Sarah, Gaby, and I had – how to make the film visually exciting without taking away from the critical drama of the characters,” notes Dorothy Berwin.

The start of Frank’s epic cross-channel swim was filmed in Dover, which is where most real-life England-to-France Channel crossing attempts commence.

Frank’s first attempt at braving open waters was filmed on location in and at Loch Lomond. Bonny though its banks may be, the waters of the Loch are bone-chilling and the actors did not have to reach to recreate realistic reactions to its icy temperatures.
 
The climactic portion of the film found the production filming extensively on the Isle of Man. Interior scenes were shot in studios on the island, while the film’s denouement on Victory Beach was shot at Ramsey Harbour. The
freezing waters of the Irish Sea (off the Isle of Man’s coast) were used for Frank’s open-sea swimming scenes.

“The Isle of Man proved to be the perfect base for our open-water filming,” says Curtis. “Every day for 10 days, a small flotilla of boats carrying actors, camera crew, make-up artists and safety divers steamed out of Ramsey Harbour and then spent all day in the middle of the sea recreating Frank’s Channel swim.”

The English Channel and Its Swimmers
 
The English Channel is a stretch (or “sleeve,” according to the French appellation of La Manche) of seawater between 21 and 23 miles long (depending on how you measure it), separating England from France.

The water temperature rarely goes higher than 57 degrees Fahrenheit, and can go as low as 16 degrees Fahrenheit. The shifting tides and currents can lengthen a swim by several hours.

Gaby Dellal states, “I don’t think people realize what a huge feat it is to actually swim the Channel! It’s about 15 hours in the sea; you can’t touch the boat monitoring you, and your food is handed to you. It’s bitterly cold; you don’t necessarily swim with a layer of goose fat anymore. It’s not unlike climbing Everest.”

In fact, more people have climbed Mount Everest than have completed a swim across the English Channel. As overseen and authenticated by the Channel Swimming Association (formed in 1927), approximately 4,400 people have made more than 6,300 attempts, some 950 (and counting) of the latter successful (a number of “Kings” and “Queens” of the Channel have crossed it more than 30 times apiece). Most Channel crossing attempts are cut short due to hypothermia and/or the unpredictable tides.

At its narrowest (at the Strait of Dover), the English Channel is 21.26 (land) miles wide (1,360 times the length of a regular swimming pool). At its widest, it is 150 miles wide. The Channel is also active as the world’s busiest shipping corridor, with over 600 ships crossing every day.

The first person ever to swim from England to France was Captain Matthew Webb (aided by a layer of porpoise fat) on August 24th, 1875. He crossed the 21.26 miles in 21 hours and 45 minutes. No one else attempted the feat for 31 years.

In 1927, E.H. Temme became the first man to swim in both directions, and later became the first to repeat the feat. In 1961, Antonio Abertondo, from Argentina, became the first man to swim both ways non-stop, clocking in at 43 hours and 10 minutes.

In 1988, Eltham Swimming Club’s Thomas Gregory, at the time just under 12 years old, became the youngest to cross the Channel, which he did in 11
hours and 54 minutes. Since 1994, a new rule has barred solo attempts by anyone under age 16.

The first woman to swim the Channel was a 19-year-old American, Gertrude Ederle, on August 6th, 1926. She broke the men’s record of the time by almost 2 hours, clocking in at 14 hours and 31 minutes.

The current records for men and women Channel swimmers are also held by Americans; Chad Hundeby made the crossing in 7 hours and 17 minutes in 1994, and Penny Lee Dean did it in 7 hours and 40 minutes in 1978. Another American, Henry Sullivan, made the slowest crossing, 26 hours and 50 minutes, back in 1923.

The undisputed “Queen of the Channel” is English distance swimmer Alison Streeter MBE, who has swum the Channel no fewer than 43 times – including three-way and two-way swims without stopping.

The least successful (if pluckiest) would-be Channel swimmer was, coincidentally, from Glasgow. Accompanied by a bagpiper, Jabez Wolffe made 22 attempts to swim the English Channel; on one, in 1911, he fell short of reaching the shore by a mere 100 yards.

“I’ve come to admire Channel swimmers,” marvels Peter Mullan. “It’s mind-boggling to me that they’re able to focus and persevere the way they do, over 21 miles in quite horrendous conditions.”

Swimmers are especially at risk from the jellyfish that populate the Channel, and from hypothermia and its effects.

Mullan elaborates, “They often start hallucinating. Apparently it’s like daydreaming, but more serious than that; it’s what the mind does to get through all those pain barriers, the loss of energy, the cramps, the fatigue, the aching bones…the mind must take you to some different place so that the body can cope with it all. This does happen to Frank in the film.”

Swimming the Channel for the Movie

In On a Clear Day, Frank’s determination to reconstruct himself and his life by swimming the English Channel is layered with a poetic sense and sensibility within the context of the reality-based story. Brenda Blethyn explains, “It takes huge strength on Frank’s part to forgive himself for the loss of a child and to overcome the emotional block between himself and his living son. He is drowning under the weight of that.”

Peter Mullan says, “Frank is hurting, and the goal of swimming the English Channel gives him purpose. With our poetic license, it’s also a metaphorical journey in that it’s not just this man swimming the Channel, it’s him facing up to various demons in his life and trying as best he can to come to terms with them.

“Now, my character is a good swimmer, but what I learned from doing this film is that being in open water is a far cry from being in a swimming pool. I wasn’t really a swimmer before I started the film so I trained for about six months in a swimming pool, mostly working on my stroke and developing a certain ease so at least it would look plausible that Frank could swim the Channel. I did open-water swimming only a couple of times, though, so if I had to do it over again, I’d do more cold-water training.”

The actor performed 99% of his own swimming scenes in the pool (a double was used for the tumble turn and an underwater shot), but filming in the open water proved intolerably cold for Mullan, who found that it took four or five hours to recover from four or five minutes in the water.

“It was incredibly hard to get into the freezing water but hopefully you’re not aware when you watch the film,” notes Gaby Dellal. “Peter kept saying, ‘I want them to know how cold it is!’ and after he’d seen some rushes, he said, ‘It looks like the Caribbean – they won’t realize how freezing it was!’ “

Mullan shudders, “Where we shot, in the Irish Sea, was 5 degrees colder than the English Channel; I did have words with the location manager and the director once I discovered that we had managed to find a location more inhospitable than the one we were supposed to be in!”

Sarah Curtis admits, “The water temperature was a huge logistical difficulty when it came to getting the swimming scenes on-screen. Peter not only had to swim and look credible doing it, he had to do dialogue scenes while in freezing water. We definitely had to do some rewriting and rethinking on the spot.”

“Gaby was amazingly inventive about filming the Channel swim,” says Dorothy Berwin. “Sarah and I would look at all the divers, boats, and equipment and ask ourselves if we were shooting a James Bond movie or an independent film…”

Dave Feakes, who doubled for Peter Mullan in the open water, swam the English Channel to celebrate his 40th birthday in 2002 and made it across in 13 hours and 26 minutes. Feakes comments, “Training should consist of swimming as often as you can in open water to build up your stamina and tolerance for the cold. Basically the rules are that you don’t touch the boat; you wear the right equipment (trunks, goggles and a cap); and when you get out, you clear the water line.

“You are totally dependent on the tide. I started at 3:00 A.M. and broke it up into hourly slots so that each hour I’d have a drink or something to eat. That way, in your mind, you only have one more hour to go.”

Feakes adds, “I think that the crossing in the film is very realistic, and Peter Mullan looks pretty good. But If he does want to actually swim the Channel, he needs to get more acclimatized to the cold.”

Benedict Wong laughs, “Peter does 60 lengths a day and about 20 menthol lights, too. But he really does have amazing stamina; I think he’s developed whale blood now.”

Regarding his own character’s prospects of successfully crossing the Channel, Billy Boyd says, “We wanted the audience to believe that Danny could have a chance but for the fact that he lacks have the kind of focus and purpose that Frank attains. I’m a surfer, so I’m used to being in the sea, although the thought of swimming the Channel has never really occurred to me before. Now, I’m actually thinking about having a go at it. I was talking to Dave Feakes about maybe doing it for my 40th birthday, like he did.”

Dellal feels that another challenge has already been successfully met by the cast and filmmakers of On a Clear Day. She says, “Pulling off the last 20 minutes of the film was always on my mind. People were saying to me, ‘I don’t know how you’re going to do it. Swimming is swimming is swimming!’ But it was fun, and I think we were as inventive as I hoped we would be. I believe we’ve made a good film which will cheer and inspire audiences.”

About the Cast

Peter Mullan (Frank)

For his performance in Ken Loach’s My Name Is Joe, Peter Mullan received the Best Actor Award at the 1998 Cannes International Film Festival. The performance also earned him 1998 Best Actor honors from the Valladolid Film Festival, British Independent Film Awards, and Empire Film Awards.

Mr. Mullan’s other films include Emily Young’s BAFTA Award-winning Kiss of Life; Eleanor Yule’s Blinded; Gregory Jacobs’ Criminal; David Mackenzie’s Young Adam; Brad Anderson’s Session 9; Mike Figgis’ Miss Julie (which brought him a Best Actor nomination from the British Independent Film Awards); Charles Sturridge’s FairyTale: A True Story; Michael Winterbottom’s The Claim and Mel Gibson’s Academy Award-winning Braveheart (both with his fellow On a Clear Day actor Sean McGinley); Ken Loach’s Riff Raff; David Leland’s Crossing the Line (a.k.a. The Big Man); and Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting and Shallow Grave. He has recently completed filming Clive Gordon’s Cargo (written by My Name is Joe screenwriter Paul Laverty) and Doug Lefler’s The Last Legion, and is currently filming Alfonso Cuarón’s Children of Men.

The Scot is also an accomplished filmmaker. He has written and directed three shorts: the multi-award-winning Fridge (honored with 13 international prizes), Close, and Good Day for the Bad Guys. He has written and directed two features, Orphans (which earned, among other honors, a record four prizes at the 1998 Venice International Film Festival, all decided by different juries); and The Magdalene Sisters (which won the Golden Lion at the 2002 Venice International Film Festival, the Discovery Award at the 2002 Toronto International Film Festival, and the British Independent Film Award for Best Ensemble Cast; and which received BAFTA Award nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best British Film).

For television, Mr. Mullan has directed several episodes of the BBC drama Cardiac Arrest, starring Helen Baxendale, earning a nomination for Best Director from the Royal Television Society. His numerous stage credits in the Scottish theatre include a production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, directed by Robert Carlyle.

Brenda Blethyn (Joan)

Brenda Blethyn’s most recent film is another Focus Features release, Joe Wright’s Pride & Prejudice, in which she starred as Jane Austen’s unforgettable matriarch Mrs. Bennet, opposite Keira Knightley and Donald Sutherland.

Her performance in Mike Leigh’s Secrets & Lies gained the actress international recognition, as she won Best Actress honors from the Golden Globes, the BAFTAs, the Cannes International Film Festival, and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. She was also nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award and the Academy Award.

Ms. Blethyn was again nominated for an Academy Award, as Best Supporting Actress, for her performance in Mark Herman’s Little Voice, which also brought her BAFTA, Screen Actors Guild, and Golden Globe Award nominations. She has been nominated a third time for the latter, for her performance in Nigel Cole’s Saving Grace.

Her other film credits include Cherie Nowlan’s upcoming Clubland; John McKay’s Piccadilly Jim; Kevin Spacey’s Beyond the Sea; Nicole Holofcener’s Lovely & Amazing; Robert Redford’s A River Runs Through It; and Nicolas Roeg’s The Witches.

Ms. Blethyn was an Emmy Award nominee for her performance in Robert Dornhelm’s miniseries Anne Frank: The Whole Story. Her other notable television credits include Christopher Menaul’s Belonging (for which she earned a BAFTA Award nomination); Benjamin Ross’ RKO 281 (as Louella Parsons) and Roger Michell’s miniseries The Buddha of Suburbia.

She has been acting on the stage for 30 years, and recently starred on Broadway in Marsha Norman’s ‘night, Mother, opposite Edie Falco for director Michael Mayer.

In 2000, Ms. Blethyn was awarded the Order of the British Empire.

Sean McGinley (Eddie)

For his performance in On a Clear Day, Sean McGinley recently won the Irish Film & Television [IFTA] Award for Best Supporting Actor.

The Dublin native has acted in, among other films, as Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York; Michael Winterbottom’s The Claim and Mel Gibson’s Academy Award-winning Braveheart (both with his fellow On a Clear Day actor Peter Mullan); Alan Parker’s Angela’s Ashes; Neil Jordan’s Michael Collins and The Butcher Boy; John Boorman’s The General; Gillies Mackinnon’s Trojan Eddie; and Jim Sheridan’s The Field.

Mr. McGinley’s theatre work on the London and Dublin stages includes award-winning turns in Whistle in the Dark; Much Ado About Nothing; and The Shaugraun.

Mr. McGinley has also had several U.K. television roles, most notably the lead role of Charlo Spencer in Michael Winterbottom’s highly acclaimed miniseries Family as well as in Kieron J. Walsh’s Watermelon (with Elaine Cassidy, Brenda Fricker, and Anna Friel).

Jamie Sives (Rob)

For his performance in the title role of Lone Scherfig’s Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself, Jamie Sives won Best Actor honors at the Festroia Troia and Valladolid Film Festivals and was nominated for London Film Critics Circle, European Film Academy, and British Independent Film Awards.

Mr. Sives’ other films include Stewart Svaasand’s One Last Chance; Juliet McKoen’s Frozen; Barry Skolnick’s Mean Machine; and Richard Jobson’s forthcoming A Woman In Winter.

His most notable theatres role are as Lightborne in Marlowe’s Edward II, opposite Joseph Fiennes and directed by Michael Grandage; and as Lovborg in Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler, directed by Richard Eyre for the Almeida Theatre and in the West End. His U.K. television credits include starring in the series Rockface and Glasgow Kiss and, most recently, the BBC’s epic miniseries To the Ends of the Earth (directed by David Attwood), which will soon air in the U.S. on the Hallmark Channel.

At the 2003 Berlin International Film Festival, Mr. Sives was selected to represent the U.K. as one of the up-and-coming “Shooting Stars.”

Ron Cook (Norman)

Ron Cook has starred in a host of productions on stage, screen, and television.

Cinemagoers have seen him in Mike Leigh’s Academy Award-winning Topsy-Turvy (as D’Oyly Carte) and Secrets and Lies; Gillian Armstrong’s Charlotte Gray (opposite Cate Blanchett); Michael Radford’s The Merchant of Venice; Jonathan Frakes’ Thunderbirds; Michael Winterbottom’s 24 Hour Party People; Lasse Hallström’s Chocolat; Philip Kaufman’s Quills; and Peter Greenaway’s The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover, among other films. He will soon be seen in Debbie Isitt’s Confetti.

Mr. Cook’s extensive stage credits include Patrick Marber’s Howard Katz at the National Theatre; Robin Le Fevre’s Helpless and John Crowley’s Juno and the Paycock (for which he received an Olivier Award nomination) at the Donmar Warehouse; Yasmina Reza’s Art (in the West End version); Mike Leigh’s Ecstasy; and stints with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Court Theatre.

His television credits include Stephen Poliakoff’s telefilm The Lost Prince and Jon Amiel’s miniseries The Singing Detective.

Benedict Wong (Chan)

Benedict Wong’s first major film role was alongside Robert Redford and Brad Pitt in Tony Scott’s Spy Game.

His subsequent films include Stephen Frears’ Dirty Pretty Things; and Michael Winterbottom’s Code 46 and Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story. Recently he co-wrote and starred in Eicke Bettinga’s short film Double Happiness. He will soon be in a leading role in Danny Boyle’s new science-fiction thriller Sunshine.

For U.K. television, Mr. Wong costarred in David Yates’ celebrated miniseries State of Play and has been a regular on the BBC comedy series Tlc and 15 Stories High.

Jodhi May (Angela)

At the age of 13, Jodhi May shared the Best Actress award at the Cannes International Film Festival, with Barbara Hershey and Linda Mvusi, for Chris Menges’ A World Apart (written by Shawn Slovo).

Her subsequent films have included Michael Mann’s The Last of the Mohicans; Nancy Meckler’s Sister My Sister; Phil Agland’s The Woodlanders; Terence Davies’ The House of Mirth; and Eleanor Yule’s Blinded (with On a Clear Day star Peter Mullan).

Ms. May has appeared in such notable U.K. telefilms as David Thacker’s The Mayor of Casterbridge; Philippa Lowthorpe’s The Other Boleyn Girl; Geoffrey Sax’ Tipping the Velvet; and Tom Hooper’s Daniel Deronda.

Her stage work includes starring with Ralph Fiennes in Howard Davies’ staging of Christopher Hampton’s The Talking Cure, at London’s National Theatre.

Billy Boyd (Danny)

Billy Boyd attained worldwide fame and acclaim with his portrayal of Peregrin “Pippin” Took in Peter Jackson’s epic film trilogy adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King).

Mr. Boyd holds the distinction of starring as part of an extraordinary ensemble in two of the Academy Award nominees for the Best Picture of 2003: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (which won 11 Academy Awards, including the Best Picture prize) and Peter Weir’s Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (which won 2 Academy Awards).

His other film credits include Geneviève Jolliffe’s Urban Ghost Story; Robert Cavanah and Iain Macdonald’s The Soldier’s Leap; Michael Hines’ Instant Credit; and, as the voice of Glen, Don Mancini’s Seed of Chucky (a Rogue Pictures release). In post-production are two features in which he has leading roles, Lukas Erni’s Save Angel Hope and Douglas Mackinnon’s The Flying Scotsman, as well as an animated adaptation of the classic Shakespeare play A Midsummer Night’s Dream (in which he voices Puck).

A native of Glasgow, Mr. Boyd graduated from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama with a diploma in Dramatic Arts. He then performed in numerous theatre productions in Scotland and the U.K. His stage work includes St. Andrew’s Repertory productions of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole and The Slab Boys; the Original Shakespeare Company production of Much Ado About Nothing; the Royal Lyceum productions of The Merchant of Venice, Hansel & Gretel, Britannia Rules, Thérèse Raquin, and An Experienced Woman Gives Advice; and the Traverse Theatre productions of The Chic Nerds, Kill the Old, Torture Their Young, and The Speculator. He toured the U.K. in stage productions of Trainspotting (starring as Tommy and Sick Boy), Widows, Caledonia Dreaming, and The Ballad of Crazy Paola.

For U.K. television, he has appeared in such shows as Taggart and Still Game, as well as Annie Griffin’s feature Coming Soon and Paul Holmes’ short Sniper 470. He has also performed in numerous radio plays.

About the Filmmakers

Gaby Dellal (Director)

Gaby Dellal began her career as an actress before moving behind the camera. On a Clear Day recently earned her a British Independent Film Award nomination for Best Debut Director and two Scottish BAFTA Award nominations, for Best Director and Best Film, winning in the latter category.

She has written and directed several award-winning short films, among them Football, which starred Helena Bonham Carter and screened at the Sundance Film Festival. Ms. Dellal subsequently returned to open the Festival with On a Clear Day.

Another short that she wrote and directed, Rosebud, starred Rachel Weisz and formed part of the omnibus feature Tube Tales, which opened the 1999 London Film Festival.

Alex Rose (Screenplay)

On a Clear Day, Alex Rose's first feature screenplay, recently earned him the Scottish BAFTA Award for Best Screenplay.

Mr. Rose’s upcoming projects include Ice Maidens (in development with Ecosse Films) and a romantic comedy feature, An Ordinary Girl. He recently scripted the wartime drama My Friend the Enemy.

He has also worked as a reader and script editor, having previously studied illustration at both Chelsea School of Art and St. Martins. At Arts Educational Schools, he discovered the theatre and trained to become an actor.
Sarah Curtis (Producer)

Sarah Curtis’ previous films as producer include the Academy Award-nominated and BAFTA Award-winning Mrs. Brown, directed by John Madden and starring Judi Dench and Billy Connolly; Gillian Armstrong’s Charlotte Gray, starring Cate Blanchett; Patricia Rozema’s Mansfield Park; Sandra Goldbacher’s The Governess; Christopher Monger’s The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain; and Les Blair’s Bad Behaviour (winner of the Evening Standard Peter Sellers Award for Comedy).

She has collaborated with the latter filmmaker on three other features, as executive producer of Bliss and Jump the Gun and producer of News Hounds, for which they were jointly honored with a BAFTA Award.

Ms. Curtis began her career in television, and segued into producing with such telefilms as John Clive’s The Yellow Wallpaper, starring Dorothy Tutin and Stephen Dillane; and Bruce MacDonald’s Tell Me That You Love Me, starring Sean Bean.

Dorothy Berwin (Producer)

Dorothy Berwin has produced Bedrooms and Hallways (starring, among others, Jennifer Ehle, Tom Hollander, Kevin McKidd, James Purefoy, and Hugo Weaving), which won the Audience Award at the 1998 London Film Festival; and The Safety of Objects (starring, among others, Patricia Clarkson, Glenn Close, Dermot Mulroney, and Kristen Stewart), which won two prizes at the Deauville Festival of American Cinema. Both of these independent features were directed by Rose Troche.

Previously, Ms. Berwin executive-produced Nicole Holofcener’s Walking and Talking (starring Anne Heche and Catherine Keener); and Po-Chih Leong’s The Wisdom of Crocodiles (starring Jude Law and Elina Löwensohn).

Bill Allan (Executive Producer)

Bill Allan has been executive producer of over a dozen independent features in recent years, ranging from Emily Young’s BAFTA Award-winning Kiss of Life (with On a Clear Day star Peter Mullan) to Charles Dance’s Ladies in Lavender (starring Dames Judi Dench and Maggie Smith) to the forthcoming Irresistible (starring Susan Sarandon, Sam Neill, and Emily Blunt).

He was a founding director of the London-based production finance company Baker Street Media. This followed his extensive career in international film and television sales with such companies as Granada Film, Carlton Television, and BBC Worldwide.

Mr. Allan is currently chair of the U.K. Screen Financiers Association, and is an independent assessor for Scottish Screen.
Steve Christian (Executive Producer)

As Director and Fund Manager of Isle of Man Film Limited, Steve Christian has brought over 75 film projects to the unique location in the middle of the Irish Sea, enhancing their visual appeal and storytelling. The Isle of Man has its own government and taxation system, independent of the U.K., as well as a revolving fund to invest in movies and television that film locally.

He is currently producing the highly anticipated Stormbreaker, based on the best-selling series of novels, which Geoffrey Sax is directing. The cast includes Stephen Fry, Damian Lewis, Ewan McGregor, Bill Nighy, Sophie Okonedo, Missi Pyle, Mickey Rourke, Alicia Silverstone, and, in the lead role, newcomer Alex Pettyfer.

Mr. Christian has executive-produced, among other features, Tom Hunsinger and Neil Hunter’s Lawless Heart; Sandra Goldbacher’s Me Without You; Thaddeus O’Sullivan’s The Heart of Me; Tim Fywell’s I Capture the Castle; John McKay’s Piccadilly Jim (with On a Clear Day star Brenda Blethyn); Laurence Dunmore’s The Libertine; Brian W. Cook’s Colour Me Kubrick; Guy Ritchie’s Revolver; Charles Sturridge’s Lassie; and Oliver Parker’s just-wrapped Fade to Black.

Lenny Crooks (Executive Producer)

As head of the Glasgow Film Fund, Lenny Crooks’ credits as executive producer include Lynne Ramsay’s acclaimed Morvern Callar, starring Samantha Morton.

He associate-produced David Mackenzie’s Young Adam (with On a Clear Day star Peter Mullan); and produced The Near Room, directed by and starring David Hayman.

Emma Hayter (Executive Producer)

Emma Hayter is an experienced European filmmaker who has been responsible for producing and financing a number of internationally successful independent films over the last twenty years.

Her films include Waris Hussein’s The Shell Seekers (which aired in the U.S. as part of Hallmark Hall of Fame); Robert Altman’s acclaimed Vincent & Theo; Aisling Walsh’s award-winning Joyriders; and Michael Raeburn’s Vent de Colère.

Emma’s executive producer credits include Michael J. Bassett’s upcoming Wilderness; Harley Cokeliss’ An Angel for May; Ludi Boeken and Michael Lerner’s award-winning Deadlines; Charles Dance’s Ladies in Lavender, starring Dames Maggie Smith and Judi Dench; and Pawel Pawlikowski’s BAFTA Award-winning My Summer of Love (which was also a Focus Features release).

She also produced 26 episodes of the globally popular comedy/drama Lovejoy, starring Ian McShane.

Nick Hill (Executive Producer)

Nick Hill is joint managing director of Capitol Films, one of Europe’s leading international film production, financing, and sales companies. Capitol has handled worldwide distribution of over 100 films, the majority of which it has financed or co-financed.

His two-decade-plus career in the entertainment business includes a stint as CEO, president and director of Icon Film Distribution Limited (U.K.), which he joined in early 1999 at the company’s inception and departed six years later.

During his years at Icon, Mr. Hill oversaw U.K. distribution of a host of titles, including such acclaimed films as Niki Caro’s Whale Rider; Joshua Marston’s Maria Full of Grace; Ken Loach’s Ae Fond Kiss; and, from Focus Features, Alejandro González Iñárritu’s 21 Grams.

He began his career in the record industry, then segued into film sales. In 1994, he moved to Pathé Entertainment and ran all Pathé Film Distribution (U.K.) operations as managing director. He was also a member of the board of Pathé Pictures, a film production company utilizing the National Lottery Finance. Films released during his Pathé stint included Roland Emmerich’s Stargate; Danny Cannon’s Judge Dredd; Doug Liman’s Swingers; Lars von Trier’s Breaking the Waves; Luc Besson’s The Fifth Element; Henry Selick’s James and the Giant Peach; and Jay Roach’s Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.

Andy Mayson (Executive Producer)

Andy Mayson is chief operating officer of Icon Entertainment International and Icon Film Distribution Limited (U.K.). He joined Icon in early 2003.

Previously, he was managing director of Artists Independent Network (AIN), where he was instrumental in structuring the company’s merger with New York talent agency Widescreen.

Prior to AIN, Mr. Mayson was at Intermedia for five years, where, as chief operating officer, he played a key role in negotiating $300 million of film financing facilities and acquiring the MEI and Largo film libraries. Before joining Intermedia, he worked at PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films.

Icon Entertainment International holds a significant film library of over 200 titles. Some of the most recent titles being licensed by the company include Mel Gibson’s international boxoffice phenomenon The Passion of The Christ and Richard Eyre’s Stage Beauty. Upcoming films include Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto and David Von Ancken’s Seraphim Falls (to star Pierce Brosnan and Liam Neeson).
David Johnson, B.S.C. (Director of Photography)

David Johnson has collaborated with On a Clear Day director Gaby Dellal as cinematographer on all of her filmmaking projects, including the Rosebud short that became part of the Tube Tales omnibus feature.

As director of photography, Mr. Johnson has also enjoyed multiple collaborations with filmmakers Anand Tucker (on Hilary and Jackie and Saint Ex), Oliver Parker (on Othello and An Ideal Husband), and Paul W.S. Anderson (on The Sight, Resident Evil, and Alien vs. Predator).

Robin Sales (Editor)

Robin Sales has edited five features for writer/director Mike Leigh. These were the Academy Award-winning Topsy-Turvy; Career Girls; and the telefilms Grown-Ups, Home Sweet Home, and Four Days in July.

His other features as film editor include Mike Binder’s The Upside of Anger; Peter Howitt’s Johnny English; John Madden’s Mrs. Brown (also for On a Clear Day producer Sarah Curtis); Po-Chih Leong’s The Wisdom of Crocodiles (also for On a Clear Day producer Dorothy Berwin); and Sara Sugarman’s Very Annie Mary (on which he was also the second unit director).

For television, his many credits include editing the hit series of Sharpe telefilms which starred Sean Bean. Mr. Sales was a Royal Television Society Award nominee for his work on one of the installments, Sharpe’s Company (directed by Tom Clegg).

Mark Leese (Production Designer)

Mark Leese’s first feature as production designer was the award-winning The Magdalene Sisters, directed by On a Clear Day star Peter Mullan.

His other features as production designer include Lone Scherfig’s Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself (which starred Jamie Sives of On a Clear Day); and Eleanor Yule’s Blinded (which also starred Peter Mullan).

Mr. Leese has also production-designed, for director David Mackenzie, the short California Sunshine as well as episodes of the popular U.K. television series The Book Group.

Kate Hawley (Costume Designer)

Kate Hawley marks her feature film debut as Costume Designer with On a Clear Day.

She has previously designed costumes for stage and opera productions in the U.K., Australia, and South America.
Stephen Warbeck (Composer)

Stephen Warbeck won an Academy Award for scoring John Madden’s Shakespeare in Love. The score also earned him Grammy, BAFTA, and BMI Film & Television Award nominations.

He has received three additional BAFTA Award nominations, for scoring Stephen Daldry’s Billy Elliot; Richard Spence’s telefilm Skallagrigg; and the (first) Prime Suspect telefilm, directed by Christopher Menaul.

Mr. Warbeck’s many other feature credits as composer include, also for John Madden, Proof, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, and Mrs. Brown (an earlier project with On a Clear Day producer Sarah Curtis); Gillian Armstrong’s Charlotte Gray (also for Sarah Curtis); Philip Kaufman’s Quills; Nancy Meckler’s Sister My Sister; and Erik Van Looy’s The Memory of a Killer (a.k.a. The Alzheimer Case).

He is Associate Artist at the Royal Shakespeare Company. Notable stage productions that he has scored include Stephen Daldry’s National Theatre production of An Inspector Calls; John Madden's staging of Proof; and Sam Mendes' productions of To the Green Fields Beyond and The Triumph of Love.

Mr. Warbeck has also written music for radio and television, and is a founding member of the anarchic pub band The hKippers.
On a Clear Day

The Cast
Frank PETER MULLAN
Joan BRENDA BLETHYN
Eddie SEAN MCGINLEY
Rob JAMIE SIVES
Danny BILLY BOYD
Norman RON COOK
Angela JODHI MAY
Chan BENEDICT WONG
Michelle ANNE-MARIE TIMONEY
Observer SHAUN DINGWALL
Merv the Perv TONY ROPER
Mad Bob PAUL RITTER
Andrew ANDREW MacLENNAN
James JAMES MacLENNAN
Vera IRENE ANN BURT
Sharp Suit NIGEL LINDSAY
Gus STEVIE HANNAN
Danny’s Ma ANN SCOTT JONES
Shop Girl 1 MICHELLE RODLEY
Shop Girl 2 CAROLYN CALDER
Driving Instructor JOHN YULE
Man in Job Center JAY MANLEY
Old Man in Library JAMES MARTIN
Dough Belly 1 MARK MCDONNELL
Dough Belly 2 ROBERT READ
Delivery Man ERIC BARLOW
Aaron AARON WILKIE
Water Therapy Carer ELEANOR McKINLAY
Water Therapy Children CAMERON COYNE, MICHAEL LOVE
Lifeguard MARTIN FORRY
Boy on Beach HAMISH JOHNSON
Self-Help Coach (voice) PENNY DYER
Young Stuart RAFAEL FELLNER
Young Rob PHILLIP CARSE
Young Joan ELLA McGEE
The Crew

Directed by GABY DELLAL
Written by ALEX ROSE
Produced by SARAH CURTIS &
DOROTHY BERWIN
Executive Producers BILL ALLAN, STEVE CHRISTIAN,
LENNY CROOKS, EMMA HAYTER, NICK HILL & ANDY MAYSON
Director of Photography DAVID JOHNSON, B.S.C.
Edited by ROBIN SALES
Production Designer MARK LEESE
Costume Designer KATE HAWLEY
Music by STEPHEN WARBECK
Casting by GAIL STEVENS, C.D.G.
Associate Producer AMY LO
Line Producer HILARY BENSON
Co-Producer MARTHA COLEMAN
Casting Associate WILL DAVIES,
GAIL STEVENS CASTING
Additional Casting VICTORIA BEATTIE,
JULIETTE ROBSON
Dialogue Coach PENNY DYER
Peter Mullan Swimming Double DAVID FEAKES
Additional Swimming Doubles ALEXANDER RUST,
GREG ORPHANIDES
Production Supervisor INGRID LITMAN
Production Supervisor (Glasgow) PETER GALLAGHER
Production Coordinator EVE SWANNELL
Assistant to Sarah Curtis TONIA PEARSON
Production Secretary ANNA McPHERSON
Assistants to Director EMILY FIELD, ELLA McGEE
Production Assistants LEE GROOMBRIDGE, LUCIE DAY
Production Runner JENNIFER BROOKS
Production Assistants
(InFilm Productions) JESSICA KANTOR, JUSTIN LANGE
Production Accountant CHERRY FIDDAMAN
Assistant Accountant RICHARD FIDDAMAN
1st Assistant Director MARTIN HARRISON
2nd Assistant Director MICHAEL QUEEN
3rd Assistant Director CHARLIE WALLER
Floor Runners ROBBY KIRKPATRICK,
HANNAH CURTIS,
SAHAR IBRAHIM
Stand-ins WILLIE SPEIRS, ELAINE FOSTER,
BRIAN WILSON
Script Supervisor RUTH ATKINSON

Locations (Glasgow)
Location Manager STEPHEN BURT
Assistant Location Manager MICHAEL CAMPBELL
Locations Assistant JACKIE WYLIE

Locations (Isle of Man)
Location Manager SIAN SUTHERLAND
Unit Manager/Security JIM EDGE

Locations (Dover)
Location Manager PAUL DIX

Focus Puller JULIE BILLS
Clapper Loader JULIA ROBINSON
Grip IAIN JOHNSTONE
Camera Trainee SHU LORIMER
Libra Head Technician MARIO SPANNA
Crane Technician AARON DOUGLAS
Steadicam Operators KEVIN O’BRIEN (Glasgow)
JOHN TAYLOR (Isle of Man)
ROGER TOOLEY (Dover)
Underwater Photography MARK WOLF
Underwater Camera Assistant SAM SMITH
2nd Camera Operator MARK MILSOME (Isle of Man)
2nd Clapper Loader ALISON LAI (Dover)
2nd Grips ADRIAN McCARTHY, DAVE MORRISON
Grip Trainee ROD PATTERSON

2nd Unit (Glasgow)
Camera Operator OSSIE McLEAN
Focus Puller JAMIE FELIU-TORRES
Clapper Loader STUART ANDERSON
Camera Assistant MITS MUMITSWARRA
Sound Recordist PETER BRILL
Boom Operator ALASTAIR MASON
Sound Trainees TIM DYER, JAMES LANTRY
Gaffer STEVE KITCHEN
Studio Rigging Gaffer STEVE SWANNELL
Electricians TERRY ROB, JOHN CORBETT
Genny Operator PETER DAVIS
Art Director CAROLINE GREBBELL
Assistant Art Director MARTIN KELLY
Production Buyer LEE PORTER
Assistant Props Buyers ANNA SHEARD, LORRAINE TOLMIE
Action Vehicles Coordinator RONNIE MORRISON
Property Master BOB ORR
Standby Props TRISTAN CARLISLE-KITZ,
MAT BERGEL
Dressing Props PAUL CAMPBELL,
STEWART CUNNINGHAM,
JIM CAIRNS
Art Department Assistant CLAIRE MacDONALD
Construction Manager PHIL BOWEN
Charge Hands ALEX ROBERTSON,
WILLIAM MAXWELL
Carpenters CHRISTOPHER BRESLIN,
BRIAN ADAMS
Painters ALEXANDER BORTHWICK,
GORDON FARLOW, JOHN HUGHES
Standby Carpenters DEREK WELSH, RICHARD HASSALL
Standby Painters JIM O’DONNELL, ROBERT GEE
Standby Rigger IAIN HARRISON
Stagehand PAUL CONNELLY
Assistant Costume Designer ANNA LAU
Wardrobe Master MICHAEL WELDON
Standby Wardrobe AMELIE HARPER GOW
Costume Trainee ELISA CUNNINGHAM
Make-up and Hair Designer DORKA NIERADZIK, M.B.E
Make-up Artist LIZZIE JUDD
Make-up Artist EMMA SHELDRICK
Additional Make-up Artist KAREN BROTHERSTON
Make-up Trainee ROSE OCTON
Stunt Coordinator STUART ST. PAUL
Stunt Supervisor MICHAEL SCOTT LAW (Glasgow)
Stuntmen STEWART (Tidd) JAMES,
LUKE AIKMAN, GABRIEL CRONNELLY
SPFX Supervisor NICK RIDEOUT
Senior SPFX Technician HARRY BRYCE
Marine Coordinator TONY TUCKER
Assistant Marine Coordinator JOHN “COOKEE” COOKE
Marine Crew DAVE DUNKLEY, MIKE KINGSTON,
KEVIN STEPHENS
Divers IAN NICHOLLS, ROSS WATERS
Isle of Man Boat Crew MIKE KEGGEN, TOM KEGGEN,
DAVE RICHARDS, GEORGE TLATT, DEAN COOKE
Dover Crew GARRY SMITH, BURT REYNOLDS, MILO MILES, ANDY WALTON,
PAUL CURTIS, RICHARD CARLESS
Unit Nurses STARS NURSES (Glasgow)
GWINETH HARRISON (Isle of Man)
Health & Safety Officers DAVID SUTCLIFFE, FAITH JENKINS
Peter Mullan Swimming Coach JAMES LEITCH
Chaperones ANNE MacLENNAN, SUZANNE WARD
Tutor BARBARA GIBSON
Stills Photography JOSS BARRETT
Unit Publicity MATTHEW SANDERS & LIZ MILLER
(McDonald + Rutter)
EPK SPECIAL TREATS PRODUCTIONS
Transport (Glasgow)
Head Unit Driver PAUL DUNPHY
Unit Drivers ANGUS FINLAYSON, SEAN JONES

Transport (Isle of Man)
Transport Captain MIKE LEWIS
Unit Drivers FIONA SINGER, ADRIAN HOLLAND,
MALCOLM CORLETT

Facilities Vehicles MOVIE MAKERS LTD.
Costume Truck GEOFF HOOK
Support Truck CHRIS PARKER, FINN PARKER
Camera Truck CLIVE SMITH
Generator & Make-up Truck BILL McKELLAR
Catering SET MEALS LTD.
Script Clearances BARN OWL PICTURE COMPANY
Camera & Lighting Supplier VFG HIRE LTD.
Grip Equipment GRIP HOUSE NORTH
Underwater Tank ACTION UNDERWATER STUDIOS LTD.
Security TS SECURITY (Glasgow)
Post-Production Supervisor POLLY DUVAL
1st Assistant Editor JONATHAN SALES
Supervising Sound Editor JEREMY PRICE
Effects Editor MIKE GRIMES
Additional Effects Editors BERNARD O’REILLY, DAVID GERARD,
MIHA JARAMAZ
ADR Editor STEWART HENDERSON
Dialogue Editor MIRIAM LUDBROOK
ADR Recordist GRAEME STOTEN
Boat Recordist RASHID OMAR
Foley Recordist & Editor OWEN BLEASDALE
Foley Artists MELISSA LAKE, JASON SWANSCOTT
Dubbing Editors DAN GREEN, PETER MELEMENDJIAN
Assistant Dubbing Mixer GARETH LLEWELLYN
Re-recording Mixer HUGH JOHNSON
Re-recorded at VIDEOSONICS CINEMA SOUND,
LONDON
Digital Visual Effects MEN-FROM-MARS
VFX Producer SIMON FRAME
VFX Supervisor SPENCER FRIEND
VFX Line Producers VICTORIA McDOWELL, PAUL BEARD
Digital Imaging MARK DOLLERY
Lead Digital Artist PHIL ATTFIELD
Digital Artists TOM HOCKING, ROBIN BEARD,
GRUFF OWEN, ISAAC LAYISH,
TOM PEGG
Titles Design ANDY GREETHAM
Color by TECHNICOLOR LTD.
Color Grader CLIFF THOMAS
Lab Liaisons PAUL SWANN, RON TAYLOR
Film Stock FUJI PHOTO FILM (U.K.) LTD.
Negative Cutters REEL SKILL FILM CUTTING
Post-Production Facilities CLEAR CUT PICTURES
Editing equipment supplied by CLEAR CUT HIRES
Completion Guarantor FILM FINANCES INC. –
Graham Easton, Neil Calder Insurances MEDIA INSURANCE BROKERS –
Richard Moore
Film Auditors MALDE & COMPANY – Sirish Malde
Legal Advisors to the Production SJ BERWIN & CO., LONDON
TIM JOHNSON
SARAH BING
HANNAH WARDALE

Original Music
Composed and Orchestrated by STEPHEN WARBECK
Music Supervisor BECKY BENTHAM for
HOTHOUSE MUSIC LTD.
Conductor NICK INGMAN
Music Preparation ANDREW GREEN
Auricle Operator JAMES BELLAMY –
THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT
Music Recorded at ANGEL STUDIOS, LONDON
and AIR STUDIOS, LONDON
Music Mixed at AIR STUDIOS, LONDON
Engineer NICK WOLLAGE
Assistant Engineers CHRIS BARRETT, JAMES STONE
Orchestra Contractor ISOBEL GRIFFITHS LTD.
Orchestra Leader ROLF WILSON

Specialist Musicians
Guitar JOHN PARRICELLI, STEVE DONNOLLY
Piano/Accordion STEPHEN WARBECK
Bass Guitar TIM HARRIES, STEVE WATTS
Percussion PAUL CLARVIS
Drums MARTIN FRANCE
Fiddle SONIA SLANY

“TO A CHILD DANCING IN THE WIND”
by W. B. YEATS
Used by kind permission of the
SOCIETY OF AUTHORS
as the Literary Representative
of the ESTATE OF W. B. YEATS

Icon Entertainment International
Business Affairs CHRISTOS MICHAELS,
ALEXANDRA KEEN
International Sales PETER NAISH
International Marketing CAROLINE JOHNSON

Isle of Man Film
ALEX DOWNIE, LEONARD SINGER, HILARY DUGDALE, NICK CAIN
Legal Advisor ANDREW FINGRET –
CAINS ADVOCATES LTD.

Baker Street Media Finance
Business Affairs SHARON MENZIES
Legal Advisor RICHARD MOXON

Gas Works Media Ltd.
EMMA LIGHTBODY

Glasgow Film Office
JENNY WILLIAMS, HAMISH WALKER

Glasgow Film Finance Ltd.
STEPHEN FOSTER, YVONNE DUNN, JEREMY GAWADE, RICHARD LEVER

Gap Financing provided by THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND plc
65 Piccadilly, London W1A 2PP, U.K.
For The Royal Bank of Scotland plc LEE BEASLEY
Mansfield Associates
(Risk Managers for RBS) HEATHER MANSFIELD, PAULINE BURT

Made with the support of the National Lottery through Scottish Screen
CLAIRE CHAPMAN, ROGER SHANNON, ANITA COX, MARY BREHONY

In association with INVICTA CAPITAL LIMITED
World revenues collected and distributed by FREEWAY CAM B.V.

Developed with the support of
the MEDIA Programme of the European Community

The Producers would like to thank
Jeremy Thomas, Peter Watson, Jane Barclay, Nick Harris, Anne Coulter,
Sally Long-Innes, Aude Powell, Harriet Robinson, David Daly, John Grant,
Fergusons Ship Builders, BAE Systems, Whitehill Swimming Pool,
First Bus Glasgow, SPEEDO, Anne Klein,
Robert Corrin & Martin Burrows of the vessel Taroo Ushtey,
Alison Streeter of the Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation,
Duncan Taylor and the Channel Swimming Association,
The residents and businesses of St. Margarets Bay and St. Margarets at Cliffe,
The staff at Port of Dover and Dover District Council

Special thanks to
Jake, Raf, Dash, Fred, Joe, Ellie, Caleb & Samuel

Filmed on location in Glasgow, the Isle of Man,
and Dover (United Kingdom)

MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for some language)

Dolby SR/SRD, in selected theaters Aspect Ratio: 1:85/1 [Flat]