Stars:
- Pei-Pei Cheng
- Ben Whishaw
- Andrew Leung
Genre: Drama, Romance
Box Office: £17,215 (worldwide gross)
Production Company: London Film Productions
Age Certificate: 15
Release Date: 8th August 2014
Plot
Directed by Hong Khaou, Lilting, takes place in contemporary London, when a Cambodian Chinese mother mourns the untimely death of her son. Her world is further disrupted by the presence of a stranger. We observe their difficulties in trying to connect with one another without a common language, as through a translator they begin to piece together memories of a man they both loved.
Direction and writing
Hong Khaou, is a fairly unknown director and writer, having previously only written and directed other independent films dealing with the controversial topic of homosexuality like, Summer and Boy Crush. These films not being so well known could contribute to the audience of this film as he didn't have a large audience prior to making the film.
Stars and production
Popular actor Ben Whishaw who has also been seen in blockbusters such as Skyfall and the highly anticipated upcoming Paddington stars in this film as the lead protagonist which could draw in the audience of his following, however, by looking at the box office, it's clear he didn't bring in a huge audience as in terms of the industry, the film failed completely, making little more money than its budget. Pei-Pei Cheng also stars, a popular actress from other independent films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The script won third spot in the 2011 Brit List of unproduced screenplays. It is the first bi-lingual film to be made under the Microwave scheme. It also won the 2014 Sundance best cinematography in world cinema award.
Critical Response
Lilting received a mostly positive response of 80% from critics and a 6.5/10 from over 20 critic reviews on the site Rotten Tomatoes, making this a mediocre film in critics' eyes. Maybe its lack of success could be down to what one critic describes as the filmmaker 'not knowing exactly where to go with it', but nonetheless 'there are moments before things get away from him that are captivating to watch and lovely to listen to, lilting'.
Audience Response
Audience response seems relatively mixed and while many enjoy the film for its depth and exploration into such emotional and controversial topics, other people say there simply 'isn't enough going on' to keep them entertained. This suggests the film is too deep for a conventional audience just looking for the next hollywood blockbuster composed of meaningless action and, while visually appealing cinematography, lack of message or moral in the films.
Do you think more multicultural stories are finding their way into the mainstream now?
I don’t know if I’ve seen that many. You get the occasional film, like Dirty Pretty Things, but I don’t know how prevalent it is. It should be because it’s what makes London so interesting and vibrant. I definitely would like to see more.
Where was Lilting filmed and why did you choose those locations?
There a lot of café scenes which we filmed in east and south east London. It was a practical thing mainly. We found a place in Dalston — Chase and Sorensen — that suited the way we wanted to film the different time-lines. Then there’s a café called Ombra near Regent’s Canal. And we filmed along the canal and by Broadway Market and found some amazing locations in New Cross.
Lilting is a micro-budget film. What was your experience with Microwave and Film London like?
It was good. They are very hands-on and involved every step of the way. They give you 50% of the budget then we had to find the rest — which my producer Dominic Buchanan managed. And that takes you up to about £120,000.
Could you have done with a bit more money?
God yeah — I kept wondering if only we had a bit more. It’s so expensive finding locations in London, I remember having to go to each place and explain the project myself over and over. But then, it’s all relative — because we had so little money, we also had a lot of people wanting to help us and the actors all worked for minimum wage.
Was the shoot easy to pull off?
Filming in East London was hard. We were under the flight path and we had sirens all the time. So we had to keep stopping and re-taking. So hard. And it rained a lot, which wasn’t a problem because we shot mostly interiors, but even on the days when we filmed outside, it rained.
How has London inspired you as a film maker? Are there any films or a particular director who has made a big impact on you?
I love London with a passion. I just spent seven weeks in the States and I remember how passionate I was talking about London. Clearly, where you live and the things you experience every day must subconsciously feed into the work. One film I love is Wonderland by Michael Winterbottom. I think that showed London in a really interesting way.
Microwave film productions
Lilting made its budget and handled production with the Microwave filmmaking scheme. It funds films, offers the next generation of filmmakers training-through-production as well as distribution and support. They pay for distribution funding and development based on applications they receive for independent films, choosing the ones they think will be successful and get help from successful workers from the film industry to help to make the film and train other filmmakers in the team project.
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