Interview with Midlands filmmaker Jonathan Hawes
With a number of acclaimed films under his belt including Cosmo, Gone Fishing and The Morgue Party, Jonathan Hawes now launches his latest short film, Sorry We're Closed, a quirky comedy-drama centred around fish and chips. Midlands Movies Mike Sales speaks to the writer/director about his latest project, his influences and his next plans for the film.
Midlands Movies Mike: Hi Jonathan, Can you please tell us a bit about yourself?
Jonathan Hawes: Yeah of course. I’m from Beeston in Nottingham in the Midlands. I’ve been writing/directing short films for over ten years now. My comedy short film Cosmo about a neighbourly dispute over a cat won Best Short Film, Best Comedy and Best Cinematography on the festival circuit. The film was also screened at numerous festivals internationally, including a BIFA-qualifying film festival. I am drawn to stories which explore absurd or heavy subject matter through a lens of dark comedy.
MMM: And can you tell us a bit about your new short Sorry We’re Closed?
JH: The film is about a young couple called Jacob and Olivia who have an argument about the closing time of their local chippy, which leads to them spontaneously breaking in to get some fish and chips. Both characters have forgotten how to seize the day and this is the root cause of their dissatisfaction with each other. Jacob works a dead-end job, while Olivia has abandoned a dancing career after an injury. But there is an indisputable connection between them, and I hope the audience is rooting for them to rekindle their relationship. It’s probably the first time I’ve ever tackled anything approaching a romance in one of my films, so it was nice to tread some new ground.
And I just want to say that I couldn’t have made this film without such an amazing team. Michael Muyunda, Jemma Bentley and Mark Aldrich give such wonderfully nuanced performances. The film’s cinematographer Laurence Mason-Guetta was also fantastic and definitely took the film to another level visually. I also have to shout out the rest of the crew - every single person gave 110% during some long night shoots. It really felt like a family, and I’m so grateful to have worked alongside such talented, passionate people.
MMM: You mention it’s a dark comedy. What inspired you to write this film?
JH: I overheard this argument in a Wetherspoons between a drunk middle-aged couple. They were rowing about the closing time of their local chippy. It was kinda like watching the Fairytale of New York music video in real life or something! I immediately thought about a short film exploring a story around an argument like this, and a comedy seemed like the best approach to tackling a story like this. I was fascinated by how a serious argument could stem from something so simple!
MMM: Thank you. Are there any specific films that influenced Sorry We’re Closed?
JH: I’ve always admired the naturalistic monologues between Jesse and Celine in Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy, which definitely informed the dialogue in our film. I was also inspired by Midlands-shot films like This is England and the kitchen-sink realism of Saturday Night and Sunday Morning. The tonal shifts in Sorry We’re Closed also owe a debt to Martin McDonagh’s work, particularly Six Shooter, In Bruges and Banshees of Inisherin. My friend lent me this short story collection by Raymond Carver called What We Talk About When We Talk About Love a while ago back. It includes a lot of quirky suburban stories about relationships, and that style of writing must have found its way into the film too.
MMM: And the film is set around a local chippy - which seems a unique location to use. How did that come about?
JH: I messaged pretty much every chip shop in Nottingham! I had a pretty surreal phone call with a chip shop owner who thought I was prank calling him when I requested if we could film in his shop. Finally, I got a message from Gill’s Fish & Chips in Beeston, Nottingham (my hometown), who granted us permission to film there. I met with the owners who were lovely, and they were very supportive in getting the film made.
MMM: Aside from that hurdle, what was the most difficult thing you had to overcome whilst shooting?
JH: Definitely the pressure of filming in the chip shop with limited time. We had from 5pm – midnight to shoot everything we needed inside the chippy, but our wonderful 1st AD Charlie Sharp kept the production running on schedule.
MMM: How can our readers find out more about your project?
JH: If they can spare a minute, I’d invite your readers to follow me on Instagram and subscribe to my YouTube channel to keep updated on this project. Thank you.
MMM: So what’s next on the horizon for you? Any new projects in development?
JH: I plan to write a feature script over the summer, but I think I’ve got another short film in me before I make my first feature. It’d also be great to work with the BFI and get experience of working with a bigger budget on my next project.
MMM: And finally, any advice for anyone local looking to start their own project?
JH: Network as much as possible. Review the credits for films you admire locally and maybe reach out to some of them. There’ll always be someone to offer advice on getting your project off the ground, or maybe even work with you. Midlands is full of incredible creatives who can help get your vision on the screen.
'Sorry We're Closed' is coming soon. You can connect with Jonathan on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
