Making Noise Quietly (2019)

Two young men walking through a field talking to each other. Both wearing period clothing and the one on the left is walking with his bike.

Making Noise Quietly ©Open Palm Films

Director: Dominic Dromgoole
Writers: Nick Drake, Mark Rosenblatt and based on the play by Robert Holman
Starring: Luke Thompson, Matthew Tennyson, Trystan Gravelle, Barbra Martin, Deborah Findlay
Production Company: Open Palm Films
Kent Locations Used: Hadlow College Farm Shop in Tonbridge & Malling and Ightham Mote, Sevenoaks

Making Noise Quietly (2019) is a trilogy showing the effects of war on the lives of ordinary people. The drama follows three main stories with the themes of friendship, grief and peace amid the ravages of war.

The first story is that of conscientious objector Oliver and painter Eric, meeting for a picnic in Kent in the summer of 1945. Over the course of the segment, the two begin to understand each other’s very different perspectives regarding the war.

Part two jumps forward in time to the Falklands war in 1982, when a naval officer visits a mother to tell her that her son has died in the conflict.

The third segment is centred on former soldier, Alan and his young son, Sam, as they meet concentration camp survivor Helene in the Black Forest of Germany in 1986.

This first-time feature film directed by Dominic Dromgoole (Shakespeare’s Globe: A Midsummer Night’s Dream). The Objector, Oliver, is played by Luke Thompson (Dunkirk, Kiss Me First (2018)) and his fried Eric is played by Matthew Tennyson (Pride, Shakespeare’s Globe: A Midsummer Night’s Dream). The naval officer played by Greggory Streatfield, (The Other Boleyn Girl, Kinky Boots) and the grieving mother May is played by Barbra Martin (Causality, Between Two Women). Helene, the concentration camp survivor is played by Deborah Findlay (Vanity Fair, Jane Eyre). The father is played by Trystan Gravelle (AnonymousMr Selfridge) and the film also introduces Orton O’Brien (Christopher Robin, MotherFatherSon) as his young son.

The production filmed in Kent for the first segment of the film and transformed Hadlow College Farm Shop into a 1940’s shop, where Oliver and Eric visit in the film. It is situated in the district of Tonbridge & Malling and was home to the UK’s leading land-based agricultural college. Past productions which filmed here include Horizon: My Amazing Brain – Richard’s War (2018) and Harry Potter: A History of Magic (2017).

Production also filmed at Ightham Mote which is a 14th century moated manor house located in Sevenoaks and was owned by medieval knights, courtiers to Henry VIII as well as high-society Victorians. Sevenoaks with its many stately homes is a popular filming location and hosted productions like Mary Queen of Scots (2019) and Vanity Fair (2018).

Making Noise Quietly first screened at the Lake’s Main House theatre on Sunday 1st July 2018 to raise money for the theatre’s work with young people. It was released in UK cinemas on Friday 19th July 2019.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.