Bernard Hill

Exodus (2007)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
cast and crew talking in front of a graffiti wall

Penny Directing on the set of Exodus © Phil Fisk/Channel 4 Television

Writer/Director: Penny Woolcock

Starring:  Bernard Hill,  Ger Ryan, Daniel Percival, Clare-Hope Ashitey

Production Company: Artangel Media, Arts Council of England, Channel 4 Television Corporation

Kent Filming Locations: Margate and surrounding areas.

Produced and commissioned by Artangel in collaboration with Channel 4 and the Arts Council UK, EXODUS is a retelling of the Old Testament story of Moses’ search of the Promised Land in a contemporary setting. Filmed entirely in Thanet, the feature length drama is directed by Penny Woolcock, featuring artwork by Anthony Gormley (Angel of the North).

The film stars Bernard Hill (Lord of the Rings, Titanic) as the Pharaoh and Ger Ryan (Queer as Folk, Fat Friends) as his wife. Moses is played by Daniel Percival (Vital Signs) and Zipporah by Clare-Hope Ashitey (Children of Men). All other characters, as well as the supporting cast, were played by people from Margate and the Isle of  Thanet who also assisted behind the scenes.

Antony Gormley's Waste Man sculpture on Margate Beach

Antony Gormley Waste Man © ThierryBal (kingsgate)

A highlight of the film is ‘Exodus Day’ which culminated in the burning of ‘Waste Man’ a 25 metre structure made of unwanted rubbish by artist Anthony Gormley. It also featured a performance at Margate’s Winter Gardens by local musicians, performing songs written exclusively for Exodus by artists like Rufus Wainwright, Laurie Anderson, The Tiger Lillies and Imogen Heap. The theme for he music were the ten Biblical plagues: Blood, Frogs, Lice, Death of ivestock, Boils, Hailstones, Locusts, Darkness and death of the first born

The entire project revolved around the involvement of the local community including students and staff from Margate Adult Education Centre. The students took on speaking roles and helped to make the props and sets for the film in their classes. Programme manager, Viv Smith, even abseiled Anthony Gormley’s Waste Man to help in its creation.

The crew of Exodus were delighted at the help they received and gave their thanks in the credits of the film for KAES, the students in the film and the tutors who help build the sets and worked on textiles.

Margate is a delightful seaside town with a sandy beach, harbour, arcades, and period housing. The area has been used for filming by projects including True Love (2012).

Exodus premiered at the 64th Venice Film Festival and will be screened in Cinemas and on Channel 4  on Monday 19th November 2007 at 10pm. 

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

The Mill on the Floss (1997)

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The Mill on the Floss poster- montage of three different characters from the film, a man in a top hat, a women with her arm on her hip in front and then a man on a white horse in front. The Mill on the Floss is written in blue

The Mill on the Floss poster © BBC

Director: Graham Theakston

Writer: Hugh Stoddart (Screenplay) & George Eliot (Novel)

Starring: Emily Watson, Cheryl Campbell, James Frain, Bernard Hill, Joanna David, Ifan Meredith

Production Company: BBC, Canal+ Carnival Film & Television, UGC DA International

Kent Locations: The Historic Dockyard Chatham

The Mill on the Floss is a 1997 BBC adaptation of the George Eliot classic of the same name which is about a young woman’s struggle for freedom and love in conventional Victorian society.

The story follows intelligent, free spirited Maggie Tulliver (Emily Watson), whose father forbids her to see her childhood friend Philip Wakem (James Frain) after his family takes away their beloved mill on the river Floss. What will Maggie do when torn by devotion to her family and her true love?

The adaption is written by Hugh Stoddart (To the Lighthouse, Remembrance, We Think the World of You), directed by Graham Theakston (The Politician’s Wife, The Bill, Sherlock) and starring Emily Watson (War Horse, Red Dragon, Everest), Cheryl Campbell (Doctor Foster, Chariots of Fire, Casualty), James Frain (TRON: Legacy, The Lone Ranger, The Tunnel), Bernard Hill (Wolf Hall, Titanic, The Scorpion King), Joanna David (You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, The Soul Keeper, Cotton Mary) and Ifan Meredith (Warriors, Metroland, Titanic, The Grand).

The Mill on the Floss screenshot at The Historic Dockyard Chatham - a man on a horse and carriage with building behind him

The Mill on the Floss screenshot at The Historic Dockyard Chatham © BBC

The Mill on the Floss screenshot at The Historic Dockyard Chatham - a man walking along a street with a horse and carriage behind him

The Mill on the Floss screenshot at The Historic Dockyard Chatham © BBC

The row of period houses at The Historic Dockyard Chatham features in The Mill on the Floss as the exterior for Wakem Solicitor’s, with another area providing the exterior for Guest and Co.

The Historic Dockyard Chatham is a popular film location boasting over 100 buildings and 80 acres of filming space including Georgian and Victorian buildings, a submarine, dry dock, cobbled streets and industrial buildings. The Historic Dockyard Chatham has previously been used in productions such as Jekyll and Hyde (2015), Great Expectations (2012) and The World is Not Enough (1999).

The Mill on the Floss was shown on New Year’s Day 1997 and is now available on DVD.

 

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

The Wind in the Willows – Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride (1996)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
The Wind in the Willows movie poster- Cartoon image of a toad with glasses on jumping over a black car, a man is holding on to his shoulders behind. Mr Toad's Wild Ride is written in white

The Wind in the Willows © Walt Disney

Director: Terry Jones

Writer: Terry Jones (Screenplay), Kenneth Grahame (Novel)

Starring: Steve Coogan, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Antony Sher, Nicol Williamson, John Cleese, Stephen Fry, Bernard Hill, Michael Palin, Nigel Planer, Julia Sawalha, Robert Bathurst, Richard James

Production Company: Allied Filmmakers

Kent locations: Dover Castle, Chiddingstone

The Wind in The Willows – Mr Toad’s Wild Ride is a feature film loosely based on the classic novel by Kenneth Grahame, sometimes referred to as ‘the Monty Python version’.

The story follows Mole whose home is bought up and marked for development by the evil Weasels. Working with his friends, Mole attempts to win back his home.

Directed by Terry Jones (Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Life of Brian), the film has an ensemble cast including Steve Coogan (I’m Alan Partridge, Philomena), Eric Idle (Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Nuns on the Run), John Cleese (Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Fawlty Towers), Stephen Fry (Gosford Park, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows) Bernard Hill (Titanic, The Lord of the Rings) Michael Palin (Monty Python and the Holy Grail, A Fish Called Wanda) and Robert Bathurst (Cold Feet, Emma).

The production filmed at Dover Castle, which doubled as the Gaol as well as The Old School in Chiddingstone (now the post office) which features as the Welcome Inn where Toad dines before stealing and crashing a motorcar.

Dover Castle is a stunning medieval castle situated on the White Cliffs of Dover, overlooking the English Channel. Dover Castle is a popular film location having featured in Into the Woods (2015), Poirot “The Clocks” (2009) and Hamlet (1990).

Chiddingstone is a beautiful one-street Tudor village with over 70% of the buildings in more than 200 years old. In 1939, the National Trust bought the village in order to preserve it. The village has previously been used as a film location by productions such as Terry and Mason’s Great Food Trip (2015), A Room With A View (1986) and Elizabeth R (1971).

The Wind in the Willows – Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride is available to purchase on DVD.

 

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

Fox (1980)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Fox DVD cover. Backdrop of a London skyline during sunset. In the foreground is a close-up of Peter Vaughan as Billy Fox, wearing a grey suit and looking stern. Behind him are close-up images of two men who have been badly beaten up.

Fox (1980) DVD Cover © Thames Television

Director: Jim Goddard
Writer: Trevor Preston
Starring: Peter Vaughan, Bernard Hill, Derrick O’Connor, Larry Lamb, Ray Winstone
Production Company: Euston Films, Thames Television
Kent Locations Used: Margate, Herne Bay, Kingsgate Bay, Botany Bay

Fox (1980) was an ITV crime-drama series following the titular Fox family and their gangland feuds. In episodes 5 and 6, Kenny Fox (Ray Winstone) finds himself in Kent and becomes the victim of a slapdash kidnapping plot.

The series was directed by Jim Goddard (Shanghai Surprise, Kennedy) and written by Trevor Preston (Night Hair Child, I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead). It stars Peter Vaughan (Straw Dogs, Brazil) as old Billy Fox, Bernard Hill (Exodus (2007), The Mill on the Floss (1997)) as Vin Fox, Derrick O’Connor (Daredevil, Lethal Weapon 2) as Ray Fox, Larry Lamb (Essex Boys (2000), Eastenders (2007-2023)) as Joey Fox and Ray Winstone (The Sweeney (2012), Great Expectations (2011)) as Kenny Fox.

Margate, Herne Bay, Kingsgate Bay and Botany Bay in Broadstairs feature in Episodes 5 and 6 of the series, as the seaside location where Kenny Fox finds himself victim of a kidnapping. Locations featured include Margate Main Sands, Margate Harbour Arm, The Parade  and Marine Drive in Margate. A private house on East Cliff Parade, which doubles for the squat where Kenny is held captive as well as Central Parade feature in Herne Bay.

Margate is a seaside town complete with sandy beach, harbour, Dreamland amusement park, period housing and ultra-modern art gallery Turner Contemporary. It is one of Kent’s most popular filming locations, having played host to Only Fools and Horses: The Jolly Boys’ Outing (1989), Last Resort (2000) and Last Orders (2002).

Herne Bay is a coastal resort which is home to the world’s first free-standing purpose built clock tower. Other productions to have filmed here include Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em (1973), Blue Jeans (1977) and Cockles! (1984).

Botany Bay is a sandy bay against a white cliff backdrop with steep, sandy track for vehicle access and small portable café. It is one of Kent’s most popular beaches for photoshoots but has also featured in many TV programmes and films, including Á nous les petites Anglaises (1976), The Fixer (2008) and True Love (2012). It connects to a similar cove, Kingsgate Bay at low tide.

Fox (1980) aired on ITV between Monday 10th March 1980 and Monday 2nd June 1980 and is currently available to purchase on DVD.

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