Director: James Wilsher
Writer: James Wilsher
Actors: Samantha Anderson, Elliot Bigden, Jonathan Buxton, Martin Carroll, Jake William Francis
Synopsis: A couple going through a breakup have to further contend with a world-ending event. The two deal with the double trauma of their broken relationship along with surviving the apocalypse as they traverse the desperate British landscape.
With The Southend-on-Sea Film Festival will be returning once again from 26th – 29th May, I got an opportunity to ask writer-director James Wilsher a few questions about the film ‘How to Survive the End of the World’ which has been selected to play at the festival on Saturday 28th May at 6:30 pm
What can we expect from How to Survive the End of the World?
I think it’s an ambitious project from me, certainly my biggest to date. It’s set during an apocalypse, but that’s just the backdrop to a story about the breakup of a relationship. But there’s some lighter moments too.
How did the idea for the film come about?
I remember looking out at some wastelands in Hadleigh whilst on the train and I imagined two people walking alone. Then I tried to think who would be the worst two people to survive an apocalypse, and a couple going through a break up fitted nicely, if you know what I mean.
What were some of your influences for the look of the film?
Well obviously, it had to be gritty, and with pretty much the whole film shot in the great outdoors I looked at films with a similar setting and theme. ‘The Road’ was a big influence, as was ‘Utoya’ and ‘The Girl With All The Gifts’.
Were there any elements of the original script that were adapted during the filming?
I allow a lot of freedom to the actors to explore their character, and I think that changed certain moments. Also, with the locations we were using, once you’re there you can alter things that were in your head if a certain shot or way of shooting comes to you. Plus, the weather changed some of the tones in some scenes, for the better I think. Rain can add another layer of sadness at the right moment.
What were your favourite moments whilst making the film?
It was tough, as we filmed it during the summer lockdown of 2020 (whilst following all the guidelines), so just seeing the cast and crew pulling together during the more stressful moments was amazing. There are a couple of scenes that I loved filming too, generally anything when Jake and Lily had long, emotionally charged dialogue scenes.
Did you experience any issues whilst filming?
Like I said, it was shot during the lockdown, which had its advantages, as there’s nothing that will ruin the illusion of an apocalypse like a random dog walker or a jogger, so that helped. As always with exterior or location shooting, you’re chasing ever changing light so that was an issue. With the Covid guidelines it made certain scenes a lot trickier with how close actors could be and for how long, but we managed creative ways to work round it.
What do you hope people will take away from this film?
I think it’s relatable to anyone who’s gone through a tough break up, and it’s got a positive message on dealing with trauma and pain. On another level I think that fellow creatives will see that anything’s possible if your team are pulling in the same direction, especially during very testing times.
Do you have any other projects you’re working on?
I’ve recently finished a couple of shorts I made last year, including one on mental health -a topic that became important for a lot of people I know during the pandemic. On top of that I’m writing my first play, which is fun. I hope to do some more filming before the end of the year too.
Lastly, do you have any advice for first time directors?
The most important thing is that you enjoy it. After that I’d say be prepared, listen to those around you, don’t be afraid to ask for help. And realise that you will make mistakes but learn from them. Get the right people around you and it’ll be a lot easier too.
The Southend-on-Sea Film Festival runs from 26th – 29th
You can find out more about the end and purchase tickets on the website here: https://www.southendfilmfestival.com/
Published in various websites, Philip is a reviewer who is best known for his interviews and media coverage of independent projects including; films, books, theatre and live events. Always on the lookout for something different to cover!
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