Stephen Pierce - DIRECTOR.
Stephen is from Belfast, Northern Ireland, where he studied Graphic Design and Advertising, moving on to direct TV commercials, and youth programming for UK networks; BBC3, BBCNI and E4. Stephen’s commercial work has been awarded in the UK and Ireland, initially as a student (Channel 4 - D&AD student Yellow Pencil) and professionally (National Trust - The Drum Awards). This is Stephen’s first screenplay and first directed drama, and what he hopes will be a step towards film and television directing.
Director’s statement:
I’m interested in the more melancholic aspects of dark comedy; characters trapped in a scenario, somehow put-upon by the world. There’s something gently funny and endearing about a character with absolutely no prospects trying to escape their reality (quite literally, in ‘Back in Five’).
I’ve always loved the films of Martin McDonagh, and was inspired by the way he can take an often pathetic character, who really isn’t going anywhere, and take us on a journey with them. Stephen Mullan (Dave) played that role brilliantly, giving a performance that balances happy/sad perfectly in a scenario that really is a dead end.
Some aspects of this film are based on my own recurring nightmares and experience of fleeting subconscious, but mostly it’s a story about being thrown into something that initially seems awful but might actually not be that bad.
There is an underlying narrative and backstory to Dave, that’s revealed through some of the dialogue, but also more subtle elements perhaps not noticeable on the first viewing. However, I like the idea that it doesn’t really matter what’s going on, or what put Dave in the bar, this is really a story about a man searching for connection as the subconscious finds its way back to reality.
The biggest challenge making this film was shooting during the covid-19 pandemic. We’re a low budget production, and had to change our schedule several times based on changing restrictions. Social distancing all cast and crew on set made every setup so much more complicated, and because of that we’ve relied on special effects and edit techniques to make even the simplest 2-shot possible, something that just wouldn’t be an issue in normal circumstances.
However, the restrictions of filming in this way all contributed to a surreal feeling around our filming location and ultimately this strange environment that we were trying to get on screen.
Behind the scenes.
View production stills from behind the scenes of ‘Back in Five’, filmed during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.