Man of the Hour is the consequence of a fateful meeting between the exceptionally talented writer Tom Palmer and ourselves (Linda Ludwig & James Curle). He showed us an early draft and explained how this idea was inspired by true events. We were immediately fascinated by the central character – What could drive anyone to such great lengths in creating a living fantasy?

From this moment, a strong and unique storytelling unit of three had been formed.

A note from Tom:

“I hadn’t for a moment considered producing Man of the Hour for screen. For a start, the story is set at a millionaire’s party; it required a truckload of extras, some opulent sets, and two very demanding central performances. I had made these challenges very clear to Linda and James, but it did nothing to temper the audacity of their ambition.”

We knew that in order to do Tom’s brilliant story justice, we would have to aim high. As a three, we embarked on a project that would see us filming all over the country in sensational locations, bringing together a stellar cast and a passionate crew whilst persuading troops of devoted friends to take on the coveted roles of ‘Background Partygoers’.

The breakthrough came in the casting of Charlotte Ritchie and Ed White in our leading roles. Their chemistry drove the narrative and gave depth to two complex characters. We were blessed with the comic flare of Oliver Chris, Tom Stourton and Natasia Demetriou, whilst Richard Durden provided the gravitas for the role of the father. All of the cast came onboard because of the high quality of the script.

Ultimately, what seemed to draw everyone to the film, was the deep loneliness of our central character Jeremy. His angst and alienation was apt for today’s impersonal culture. We decided to create a timeless feel to the film, as his problem seemed old as well as new.

The biggest challenge for us in directing this film, however, came from the budget restraints and therefore tight scheduling. In a schedule of six days, we had a mere two days to film all of the party sequences, and our leading lady was only going to be available for fifty percent of that time.

Being two directors, we were able to give direction to both leads and different departments simultaneously between takes; a huge advantage. On this relatively small budget we think we pulled off a film of serious quality, thanks to our magnificent crew, who all made the impossible happen.

We hope the final film inspires everyone who watches to review their friendships and acquaintances, to watch out for wonderful moments of chance and connection in their lives, and to consider help from unlikely places.