AREA BOY PRODUCTION
A surrealist take on a coming- of-age tale, Area Boy is writer- director Iggy London’s longest film to date. With a runtime of just under 20 minutes, the short follows Eli, a teenager searching for balance between family, friendship, romance and religion – themes derived from London’s own life. “As a young adult, I battled the same things – identity and everything being this anxiety-inducing existential crisis,” begins London. “That’s what I wanted for my first narrative short film: to use it as a portrait to represent that time in my life.” An ode to transcendental surrealism (London references Barry Jenkins and Alfonso Cuarón as inspirations), Area Boy uses religious imagery as a metaphor for Eli’s state of mind. London began writing Area Boy in 2022 in partnership with BBC Films, developing his ideas for about a year before attending the 2023 Berlinale Talents programme – an initiative welcoming rising stars in the production industries. “It felt like a melting pot of creatives,” he enthuses. “I got to meet many different producers, filmmakers and actors who have the same sort of experience as me.” Through workshops, seminars and social opportunities, London learned more about the industry while compiling a roster of new contacts. He drew from this list, and his existing network, when assembling Area Boy ’s cast and crew. “I met an amazing DOP called Christian Huck, who I shared the script with, and he absolutely loved it,” recalls London. When it came to shooting Area Boy , they only had four days to do so. “I thought I had all the time in the world,” he admits. Preparation was key: “I spent most of my time ensuring we had the right shots, the right camera and we understood what we were supposed to do in every single moment so we were confident in getting the takes.” He stresses: “You have to stick to your schedule to get the shots you need. You basically live and breathe that schedule.” With Area Boy being a narrative film, London faced new challenges – namely, managing inexperienced actors. “The
IN SHORT
AREA BOY Katie Kasperson speaks to writer-director Iggy London about his latest – and longest – project
biggest struggle was working with such young talent and working with talent that had to be directed in terms of performance, which I didn’t do as much on commercial projects,” he shares. “There was a deeper relationship between the director and the cast. I had to build that relationship, that level of trust, which was daunting – but it was also exciting.” Area Boy is, above all, centred on the human experience. “As filmmakers, we often work in silos,” states London. “ Area Boy was influenced by meeting different people. They always lived complex lives; I wanted to tell a story which felt honest and open and complex – one that didn’t have a clear ending.” After premiering at Venice Film Festival, Area Boy won best short at Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
TEAM PLAYER London emphasised creating a strong bond between director and cast on the four-day shoot for his narrative short
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