Directed by Flow West
Featuring John Holder, David Smith B.L.R, Neville Ellis, Michael Largent, Alan Hale, George Rose, Robert Spink, Stephen McNally, Brenda Hale, Audrey Smith, Susan J.L McNally
Featuring John Holder, David Smith B.L.R, Neville Ellis, Michael Largent, Alan Hale, George Rose, Robert Spink, Stephen McNally, Brenda Hale, Audrey Smith, Susan J.L McNally
SynopsisVeteran Illustrator and Bluegrass Musician John Holder returns to the village he grew up, Badwell Ash in Mid-Suffolk, England; reconnecting with family and friends from the past and encountering stories of growing up and growing old in Suffolk.
Having left the village to pursue a formal education at Cambridge School of Art at just 16, and begin a life and career that would see him travel all over the world, Old Suffolk Boys provides an insight into an area of Eastern England, as well as man who is returning to the area - entrenched with pickup trucks, a dash of far-right politics and a deep-rooted love of country music, that will surely resonate with audiences. Suffolk is often referred to as ‘the English Tennessee’ and one can draw numerous parallels between the former and the deep southern U.S state; even going as far as comparing the two distinctive dialects and ideologies being one and the same. |
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FilmmakerFlow West is a German-born filmmaker based in London. He is currently a final year student at Westminster Film School where he has specialised in Directing and Cinematography. Recent Screen Credits include Tonight with Roger Goodman and Our Beloved Tom in the camera department, and for commercial clients such as Porsche AG Germany [for Recom Film GmbH] and SWR on the TV Series ‘TATORT’. Prior to his studies at University of Westminster, West completed a BFA in Filmmaking at Woodbury University, Burbank (USA) where he worked on numerous fiction and documentary projects. He continues to work as a freelance self-shooting director and has looked forward to development and production of Old Suffolk Boys in close collaboration with Producer Louis Holder. OSB is Flow’s debut documentary feature as Director.
About The SubjectHailing from Milton, Cambridgeshire and, originally before that, Badwell Ash in Suffolk where Old Suffolk Boys is set - John Holder is one of the most significant cross-disciplinary artists of our times. His strikingly personal style incorporates many years of robust classical training, of which Cambridge School of Art played a crucial part - in John’s formative years as an Illustrator. There’s a healthy and sometimes overt dose of proverbial British humour and satire laden in his work.
John’s diverse interests come from his unwavering and almost boyish curiosity for life itself. Alongside a group of friends; he played a key part in importing Bluegrass music to the U.K and was at the very inception of the Cambridge Folk Festival over 50 years ago, and ever since has performed in numerous bands ranging from The Radio Cowboys and Holder’s Heroes to John Holder & The Dead Cowboys with which he has recently released a new album to a close group of friends and family. Entitled ‘Heroes’, the album is a series of performances of quintessential Bluegrass songs from the many ‘heroes’ of the genre which started in the late 1930s and still continues to this day. It features songs by Earl Scruggs, Townes Van Zandt, Emmylou Harris and Bill Monroe just to name a few. John even got to play on stage with ‘the father of Bluegrass music’ Bill Monroe. As John once put it; Bluegrass itself is a music for the people, ‘it’s not far from the grass to the stage’ compared to a Rock N Roll Festival. Bluegrass Music, a form of American roots music hailing from the great southern States of America, was influenced by the music of Appalachia and various other styles, including gospel and jazz. Appalachian music itself has mixed roots in Irish, Scottish and English traditional music, which is where one might see the musical parallels inherent in the music played by old Suffolk boys. |
Official Selection & AwardsCurrently being submitted to the International Film Festival Circuit.
Technical SpecificationsRunning Time: 95 minutes (Feature Film)
Coming Soon. Published Formats: DCP, ProRes, Blu-Ray, DVD. |
The TeamDirector: Flow West, Producer/Production Sound: Louis Holder, Cinematographer: Mario A. L., Editor: Kristof Szenasi, Researcher: Luan Leer, Dubbing Mixer: Aidan McCarthy, Special Thanks: Gaye Lockwood, Sophie Hadley, Peter Hort, Hasan Matar, Hannah Holder, Executive Producer: Rob Harper
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