Director Beth Moran has tapped into the very real challenges facing those who are caught up in the sad condition of Dementia. With the presence of British songstress legend Elaine Paige as part of the cast, Moran’s sensitively handled short MISSING A NOTE shows one such story arc.
Film and TV Now spoke with the director, as she shared some of her experiences making the film.
FILM AND TV NOW: Dementia is a big news story presently, thanks in part to the ongoing challenges that are facing Dame Barbara Windsor which her husband has highlighted. Tell us a bit more about your own reflections on the condition and how you see it in today’s society.
BETH MORAN: I think there’s so much positive work being done to increase public understanding of dementia and improve the lives of those living with it. The only experience of dementia I’d had was through my Grandpa who is now 87. To see the deterioration of his memory was very sad, so I was determined to create a film that would honour him and his career.
ABOVE: Director Beth Moran
FTVN: Elaine Paige is another British icon who features in MISSING A NOTE in a pivotal role as the wife of the music teacher suffering from it. Tell us how you got her on board in the cast.
BM: For years I’d listened to Elaine’s radio show and obviously knew of her great career in musical theatre, so given the musical element in the film, I thought she would be perfect for the role of Angie O’Connell. Luckily, Elaine was keen to support the message and when she agreed to do the film everyone was very excited.
FTVN: Tell us about your lead young actress, Darcy Jacobs who plays the music student Molly.
BM: Darcy is a very talented young actress who I first came across on YouTube where she had posted videos of herself singing. Her voice was so incredible; I knew I had to meet her as the role of Molly had a large singing part to it. Primarily a stage actress, she had just finished playing Mercy Carney in ‘The Ferryman’ and had previously played Young Cosette in ‘Les Misérables’ in the West End. Darcy was an absolute delight to work with; she delivered more in her performance than I could have asked and I would work with her again in a heartbeat.
FTVN: Tell us about the house you shot in where the music scene takes place.
BM: The house we used is called Sedgwick Park House, which is a privately owned manor house in Horsham, West Sussex. Set in a stunning location we were very lucky to be able to film there and the owner, Clare, couldn’t have been more accommodating. The house in its grandeur represented the fact that the character of John O’Connell had been a successful opera singer, and was now retired but continued to help those with a love of singing.
FTVN: Tell us about your working relationship with Fact Not Fiction, the company behind MISSING A NOTE.
BM: I’ve been working for Fact Not Fiction Films since 2015, first as a trainee production manager and then as a fully trained production manager! My colleague and boss, Tristan Loraine, had noticed that I was more artistic so encouraged me to also try my hand at directing bits and bobs. I just loved the creativity! I wrote my first short film ‘MISSING A NOTE’ in January of 2018 and we were shooting by the September. To see it released at various festivals and with Everyman Cinemas and for it to be getting a good public response is overwhelming to say the least.
FTVN: You dedicate the film to Kieran Moran. Please reflect on some of the memories.
BM: The dedication is for my wonderful dad, Kieran Moran. He was fighting cancer at the time we were preparing to shoot ‘Missing a Note’ and would always ask how I was getting on with casting or locations etc. He had read the script and was really excited by it all. Sadly he never got to see the film before he died, but I wanted to dedicate it to him as I know he would have loved it.
FTVN: One of your other cast members is Angela Dixon, who we remember from the recent children’s adventure film ADVENTURE BOYZ. Tell us how you got her on board.
BM: Angela has featured in quite a few Fact Not Fiction Films productions over the years and is a long-standing friend of the company, not to mention a very gifted actor. I knew she would be perfect for the role of the teacher as she has such a calm, kind-hearted way about her. She also had a personal connection to the subject matter, as did many others on the cast/crew.
FTVN: Has the film been screened for charities heavily involved with the families and friends of dementia and mental illness sufferers?
BM: We worked with a fantastic UK charity called ‘Dementia Matters’ who were a great source of knowledge and help in making the film. We screened the film to them and their supporters in Newcastle last month and held a Q&A afterwards. The response was very positive and many said they especially liked the subtlety of the film and its message.
FTVN: The film is in contention for awards. What do you hope the after-effects of these will be for the film in the future?
BM: I still can’t believe the film is a contender for the 2020 Academy Awards; it doesn’t feel real. I just want people to enjoy the film; regardless of whether they have a connection to the subject matter or not and hopefully come away reflecting on how precious time is with loved ones. I deliberately refrained from painting a sinister picture of dementia, although I know how awful it can be, but instead I chose to touch on the inner emotions of someone living with the condition and how it might affect others around them, in particular young people.
FTVN: Finally, would you be keen to expand this short into a feature length version?
BM: I’m certainly interested in creating a feature length film but there are so many fascinating and vital stories out there to be told! I feel like ‘MISSING A NOTE’ delivers a very important message in a modest, succinct way and with the response we’ve had from people, I think I would be very happy to leave the story there.
