Hollow Production Notes
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Transcript of Hollow Production Notes
INTRODUCTON
Award winning director Rob Sorrenti’s latest short film
Hollow is a sensitive observation about the nature of
addiction. Exploring the idea that love isn’t always enough
when it comes to getting clean and the inevitable sacrifice
that comes with sobriety.
Hollow was written by Lee Thomas and Rob Sorrenti. The
film was produced by Roopesh Parekh and Rob Sorrenti
and is a Future Time Pictures Production.
The film stars Morven Christie (The Sinking of the Laconia,
Lost in Austin, Oliver Twist), Martin McCann (The Pacific,
Killing Bono, Clash of the Titans) Haydn Gwynne (Sherlock,
Rome, Drop The Dead Donkey) and Nonso Anozie (Conan,
Brighton Rock, Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang).
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SYNOPSIS
Hollow is a sensitive observation about the nature of
addiction. Exploring the idea that love isn¹t always
enough when it comes to getting clean and the
inevitable sacrifices of sobriety.
Alice and Marcus are young and in love. They keep
trying and failing to get over their heroin addiction
until they find out Alice is pregnant. Now it¹s not just
about getting clean, it¹s about staying clean. But can
they do it?
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TREATMENT
Alice and Marcus are a young couple, very much in love but
blighted by their heroin addiction. Alice is particularly desperate to
get clean, Marcus less so, and they are caught in a heartbreaking
cycle of trying to get clean, but not being able to stay clean.
Alice discovers she is pregnant. She and Marcus believe their love
for the baby is the spur they need to maintain their sobriety. They
ask social services if they can get onto a detox program. To their
frustration, the authorities tell them they should consider other
options, such as relocating and separating; that there are other
factors to consider apart from the physical ramifications. Alice
defiantly spurns their suggestions, telling them that they will do it
their own way - together, as a family-in-waiting.
Going cold turkey is torturous, but with the help of their neighbour
Angelo and their resolve to fight for their unborn child, they manage
to pull themselves through. They clean up their flat, recover their
health and vitality; Marcus even finds a job. They believe that they
have weathered the storm.
However, cracks in their new life soon start to appear. Marcus
comes home legless, after a night out with the boys from work. A
distinctly unimpressed Alice is placated by his gift; a top-of-the-range
buggy. Parading with the pram helps her enjoy the feeling of being a
mum-to-be, while Marcus revels in the feeling of being drunk.
Alice’s quiet confidence in her ability to stay sober becomes a
cocksure arrogance. She revisits the social workers to show them
that she has recovered by herself. She gets the plaudits she is after
but also a stinging appraisal; she is warned that if she relapses the
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baby may be taken into care. In her anger and pride, she
declares that she will never relapse.
Alice returns home to find Marcus having succumbed to the
needle again. A devastated Alice immediately throws him out of
the flat. He tries to grab his heroin but she ejects him before he
can get it.
Alice, in turmoil, has a drink. One drink leads to another, and
then another. Alice passes out and wakes up in the middle of
the night - alone, wracked and befogged. She turns to the old,
familiar solace, and shoots up with the gear Marcus left behind.
When Alice wakes she is full of self-loathing and horrified at
the potential harm she has inflicted on the unborn child. Alice
realises for the first time that her demons are bigger than her and
will floor her every time. She goes back to the social workers and
reveals that she wants to give the baby up for adoption.
She tells the social workers that after she gives birth she doesn’t
want to hold the baby for fear she won’t let go. They uphold her
request and after giving birth Alice kisses her baby once before it
is taken away.
Afterwards, a heroin-addled Marcus pleads his love for Alice. She
tells him that she loves him too but makes it obvious that this is the
end of their relationship.
Later, Marcus gives the buggy he bought to Angelo. A confused
Angelo offers him money for it; Marcus shakes his head and
pleads: ‘Don’t let me sell it.’ We see Marcus entering his flat with
another drug dealer just before Alice nervously enters a Narcotics
Anonymous meeting.
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Director. Writer. Producer – ROB SORRENTI
After graduating from the Ravensbourne School of Professional
Broadcasting in 2000 (the youngest student ever to do so), Rob
founded Future Time Pictures and produced, directed and edited
The Real Billy Eliot Diaries. It was broadcast on ITV and attracted an
audience of 1.75 million.
Short-listed for C4’s Young Talent Award for Best Director (2008) he
has worked on behind the scene featurettes for a range of features
including Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason, Pride & Prejudice,
United 93, Bourne Ultimatum, Atonement, Rock N Rolla, Green
Zone and most recently 47Ronan. He has also worked as the digital
content director on the hit BBC comedies Rev and Him and Her.
Rob’s short film debut, Wednesday, was exec produced by Stephen
Daldry and to date has screened at 50 Film Festivals around the
world. Among the many awards it has won are Best Short Film,
Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (2007); 1st Jury Prize,
Short Cuts Film Festival, Cologne (2007)and Best International Short,
Garden State Film Festival (2007). In 2010 Wednesday was sold to
i-Tunes and released worldwide.
Rob recently completed a new short, Hollow, which stars Morven
Christie, Martin McCann, Haydn Gwynne and Nonso Anozie. The
film has just started the festival circuit.
Rob is now working on his first feature with Elton John & David
Furnish’s Rocket Pictures.
Agent: Jessica Cooper at Curtis Brown E: [email protected]
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Directors Statement - Hollow
In 2007 I was deeply affected by an article about babies born with heroin
addiction. The article described the heart-breaking ordeal these babies suffer.
The shock and distress I felt after reading the piece led me to investigate this
tragic subject matter further.
As my awareness of the circumstances surrounding heroin addiction grew I was
touched by the journeys that the mothers themselves undertake.
Amongst the horror stories I found light. Many women would stop using when
finding out they were pregnant. Against the odds their maternal instinct kicked
in and their love for their unborn child gave them the will to get clean. These
selfless acts showed me that even in the darkest of times hope could still exist.
These fantastically powerful themes of hope and change; choosing life
through self-awareness resonated deeply within me. Around that same time
I was developing Hollow, two close friends were going through NA and AA
respectively. It was truly beautiful to watch people I cared about completely
transform their lives.
Then, as if the film was waiting for its heart: the story about a heroin-addicted
mother, fused with my friends internal battle with addiction and Hollow became a
film about the nature of addiction.
Hollow isn¹t just a film about two young people taking drugs; it¹s about love not
being enough when it comes to getting clean and the inevitable sacrifice that comes
with sobriety.
Ultimately, the film is about hope and re-awakening. And it is my hope that our
audience comes away believing it is possible for people who have lived in the dark
to turn their lives around.
Rob Sorrenti November 2010
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Writer – LEE THOMAS
In 2006, Lee Thomas wrote, directed and edited the promo which was
integral to Simon Fuller’s 19 Entertainment winning the multi-million
pound contract to represent the commercial interests of the England
national football team.
He has several feature film projects at various stages of development
with a number of production companies, including two scripts with
Scala Productions. Lee recently completed The Rough, a contemporary
coming-of-age tale in the vain of Rebel Without A Cause, in conjunction
with [Scala Productions Head of Production] Ian Prior.
Other notable screenwriting achievements include an award from the
British Short Film Scriptwriting Competition for the script Bluebottle
Waltz and a commission from the Paramount Comedy Channel.
This year he has worked on Extraodinary Feats Of The Seventh Period,
which was directed by William Bridges and funded by Screen South and
the Film Council. Lee has also recently collaborated with award-winning
filmmaker Rob Sorrenti (Wednesday) on the short film Hollow.
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Producer - ROOPESH PAREKH
Roopesh gained international recognition when Chicken Tikka
Masala, the indie film which he wrote and co-produced was
nominated for a British Independent Film award in 2005. In
2006, Roopesh was named Producer of the Year by Triangle
Media Group, a particular honour, as other stellar nominees
included: Pratibha Parmer and M Night Shyamalan. In 2008, the
National Board of Review of Motion Pictures named Roopesh
the Best Producer for Out There (2008).
Recently, Roopesh has just finished producing Mad Hot
Birmingham, the sequel to New Line Cinema’s Mad Hot
Ballroom, based on Paramount Pictures bio-epic Take The Lead.
He also recently finished line-producing a Spanish feature film
Solito. Over the span of his career, Roopesh has produced 34
short films, 7 feature films and is accredited as one of the top
50 achievers in the UK in Global Mainstream Media. Roopesh is
currently attached as the line producer of BAFTA award-winning
director Stuart Urban and producer Alan Jay’s (founder of IMDB)
musical comedy Babes of Baghdad, distributed by Lionsgate.
Filming begins later this year.
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Editor - LEO KING
Leo has been editing for the last 8 years. In that time he has
won various awards, including Best Young Editor in Broadcast
Magazine’s B+ Young Talent awards and Best Breakthrough Editor
in Boards magazine’s, First Boards awards. He was also featured in
the industry magazine Campaign as a Rising Star of Post.
Leo has worked on a wide variety of commercials, music videos
and short films. Recently he worked on the World Cup campaign
for Ladbrokes, the Nina Ricci Global re-brand, the Doctor Who? 3d
launch commercial, Robbie Williams’ Bodies comeback music video
and the Robbie Williams / Gary Barlow Shame video.
Director of Photography – DAVID RAEDEKER
David Raedeker has been working as a lighting cameraman
for over 8 years. He has shot numerous shorts, music videos,
documentaries, commercials, two TV dramas and several features.
He has filmed bands such as the Magic Numbers, David Gray, and
Madonna and has shot campaigns for Nike, RAF, Marks & Spencer
and Peugeot. Recent features include Elvis Pelvis, which earned
a nomination for best film at Berlin 2007, and Ali in Wonderland,
produced by Ben Kingsley.
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Composer – CHRISTOPHER SLASKI
Christopher, who works from his studios in London, Madrid and Paris, is gaining critical acclaim for his work as a film composer and orchestra arranger.
Part of his education was spent in Italy, where he studied with Ennio Morricone. He received his musical training at Cambridge University and the
Royal Academy of Music, and has since created sophisticated scores and arrangements for a growing roster of directors, artists, computer games and
corporate advertising campaigns.
Feature film scores include Kevin Spacey’s Beyond The Sea, the art-house film The Pianotuner Of Earthquakes, directed by the Quay Brothers and
produced by Terry Gilliam, the Spanish romantic-comedy Semen Una Historia de Amor and the thriller Proyecto Dos. His most recent feature film was
La Vergüenza.
Recently, Christopher was awarded one of the most prestigious prizes in film music: Best Young European Film Composer at the World Soundtrack Awards 2009.
Casting Director – DAN HUBBARD
Dan is one of the UK’s leading casting
directors and has cast such films as United
93, King Kong, Tomb Raider, Bourne
Supremacy, Bourne Ultimatum, The Damned
United, Harry Brown and Green Zone.
Dan is currently working on a raft of
television and film projects including Peter
Jackson’s The Hobbit.
Stills Photographer – JONATHAN OLLEY
Jonathan Olley is a documentary photographer based in the UK. Olley’s work has been
widely exhibited and collected, most notably by the Imperial War Museum-London, the ICA
(Institute of Contemporary Art)-London, Museo Carrillo Gil-Mexico City, Tate; (Britain &
Modern)-London and SFMoMA-San Francisco.
He is the winner of two first prizes at the World Press Photo Awards, a Bronze and Silver
Association of Photographers Document Award and the Observer newspaper’s David Hodge
Memorial Young Photojournalist of the Year Award.
Jonathan has also worked as stills photographer on the Paul Greengrass films, United 93
and Green Zone. His most recent film-work was on Kathryn Bigelow’s OSCAR wining film,
The Hurt Locker.
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Alice - MORVEN CHRISTIE
Morven grew up in Glasgow, before moving to London to study acting at the Drama Centre. She
graduated in 2003 and has worked on stage, film and television drama since.
A year after playing Juliet and Hero for the Royal Shakespeare Company in their Complete Works
season, Morven was cast in Sam Mendes’ first Bridge Project theatre company, alongside Rebecca
Hall and Ethan Hawke. That same year she played Anya in Tom Stoppard’s adaptation of The
Cherry Orchard, and Perdita in Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale, which played in repertory at The
Old Vic in London, after a sell out run at Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York, and a world tour.
Morven’s television and film credits include Jane Bennett in ITV / Masterpiece miniseries Lost in
Austen - a modern twist on Austen’s Pride & Prejudice, and Rose in the BBC’s Oliver Twist. She
played the leading role in ITV series Monday Monday and a supporting role in The Young Victoria.
She recently completed Alan Bleasdale’s The Sinking of The Laconia in South Africa alongside Franka
Potente, Brian Cox and Lindsay Duncan, which will be aired on the BBC towards the end of 2010.
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Marcus - MARTIN MCCANN
Lord Richard Attenborough cast Martin in his film Closing the Ring after seeing him play Alex in a
stage production of A Clockwork Orange. Lord Attenborough went on to recommend Martin to
Stephen Spielberg for the HBO miniseries The Pacific. Spielberg later cast Martin as RV Burgin in
the show.
In 2010 Martin was cast to play Bono in the U2 film Killing Bono. His other film credits include Clash
of the Titans, Occi Versus The World and Closing the Ring. TV credits include the HBO mini series
The Pacific and My Boy Jack.
Martin is also the patron of the local charity YouthAction NI’s Rainbow Factory, a cross-community
drama troop for Catholic and Protestant children in Northern Ireland.
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Child Welfare Officer - HAYDN GWYNNE
Haydn is best known for her lead roles in Peak Practice, Mersey Beat and Drop The Dead Donkey, winning three Royal
Television Society Awards for Best Actress, and nominations for a British Comedy Award and a BAFTA. Haydn also
played Calpurnia in HBO’s ROME and was most recently seen in the final film of the BBC’s new hit series Sherlock.
Haydn has made numerous appearances with the Royal Shakespeare Company, including Helena in A Midsummer
Night’s Dream, Olivia in Twelfth Night and Mistress Page in The Merry Wives of Windsor, alongside Judi Dench &
Simon Callow.
Haydn recently returned from Broadway, where she recreated her role as the dance teacher, from the original London
production of Billy Elliot The Musical. In that role, she won Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Theatre World Awards
for Best Actress in a musical, as well as nominations for an Olivier and a Tony Award.
She is currently shooting alongside Minnie Driver, in Hunky Dory, a film set in a Swansea High School in the long, hot
summer of 1976.
Angelo - NONSO ANOZIE
Since graduating from Central School of Speech and Drama, London in 2002, Nonso has had a successful and varied
acting career. He was the winner of the 2004 Magnolia Stage Performance Award in China and was the first non-
Chinese to be honoured with the prize of best actor. In the summer of 2002 he became the youngest person in history
to play William Shakespeare’s King Lear professionally. He was also awarded the Ian Charleson Award in 2005 for his
performance as William Shakespeare’s Othello in a production by Cheek by Jowl Theatre Company.
He played a small role as Think Tank in Guy Ritchie’s film Rock n Rolla. In 2009, Anozie appeared in the supporting
cast of the BBC TV three-part 2003 Iraq War drama, Occupation, where he played a US Marine turned private
military contractor. He also played Sergeant Jeffreys in the 2010 film Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang, Dallow in the
2010 remake of Graham Greene’s Brighton Rock and Artus in Conan, directed by Marcus Nispel, which is currently in
Post Production.
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ABOUT THE PRODUCTION COMPANY
Future Time Pictures is a London-based production company specialising
in behind-the-scene featurettes for major motion pictures. Our films
include Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, Pride & Prejudice, United 93,
Bourne Ultimatum, Atonement, Rock N Roller and most recently
Green Zone.
We also produce on line video content and EPK’s for hit West End
shows including Billy Elliot the musical, Hairspray the musical and Sister
Act the musical.
Our most recent behind-the-scenes work was for the critically acclaimed
BBC2 sitcom REV, and the forthcoming sitcom Him & Her on BBC3;
both for Big Talk Productions.
Being a small company we pride ourselves on our personal and flexible
approach to projects with an emphasis on creativity and quality.
Our clients include Universal Pictures, Working Title Films, Big Talk
Productions and Stage Entertainment.
Future Time’s next goal...
Due to the success of our multi-award winning short film Wednesday,
Future Time is now developing a raft of feature films. We aim to bring
our scripts to screen in the near future.
Website: www.futuretimepictures.com
Email: [email protected]
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Running Time 20:00
Format High Definition
Aspect Ratio 1.85:1
Sound Stereo
CREW
Director. Writer. Producer Rob Sorrenti
Writer Lee Thomas
Producer Roopesh Parekh
Director of Photography David Raedeker
Editor Leo King
Composer Christopher Slaski
Casting Director Dan Hubbard
CAST
Alice Morven Christie
Marcus Martin McCann
Child Welfare Officer Haydn Gwynne
Angelo Nonso Anozie
Producer of Marketing and Distribution Deb Walsh
Production Stills © Jonathan Olley
www.jonathanolley.com
“Hollow starkly illustrates the dispiriting nature of addiction
with all its false promises and its power to waste and destroy
more than one life at a time. Yet it offers the ever bright
hope of recovery, the potential for which is always there.”
Nick Barton, Chief Executive, Action on Addiction
“Director Rob Sorrenti vividly observes how ugly and dangerous the addicted life can
be, the struggle of falling apart, and the wonder of pulling oneself together again.”
Michael Stein, author of THE ADDICT: One Patient, One Doctor, One Year
“Hollow will help audiences not only understand
the problems addiction bring, but also the
routes to recovery for the person involved.”
AdFam, UK
“Hollow, from British director Rob Sorrenti, is an
unflinching portrait of addiction, withdrawal and
temptation, even in the face of every reason to quit.”
Cinequest International Film Festival
@robsorrentiwww.facebook.com/HOLLOW.aRobSorrentiFilm
Praise for Hollow