We all wonder about the spectacle of film and fame. Could you have been standing where famous filmmakers and actors once stood? Amazingly, the answer is potentially ‘yes’ as there are several examples of feature length films that have used a Portsmouth (or close by Hampshire area) as a key part of their blockbuster movie.
In this second instalment of Making Waves’ Famous Portsmouth, I dive into two more household names.
Les Miserables, Tom Hooper (2012)
Tom Hooper’s Les Miserables is one of many adaptations of the drama that follows the life of convict Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) who fights to build a new life in the midst of revolution beginning to brew.
Portsmouth’s own Historic Dockyard is used in the gritty opening of the film where Jean Valjean is among the convicts pulling a ship into the dockyard. This behind the scenes video goes into more detail on The Dockyard’s famous moment.
Cast and crew at the historic dockyard for filming of Les Miserables
Transformers: The Last Knight, Michael Bay (2017)
Humans are at war with the Transformers, and Optimus Prime is gone. Transformers: The Last Knight brings together inventor Cade Yeager, Bumblebee, an English lord and an Oxford professor to save the world.
Going slightly further afield, The Royal Navy Submarine Museum in Gosport was used as a location for the film, welcoming A-Listers Sir Anthony Hopkins and Mark Wahlberg. HMS Alliance was also used as a location for the film with scenes filmed on board the boat over three days. Again, this behind the scenes video goes into more detail.
Crew with HMS Alliance for Transformers: The Last Knight
You can find more in this series by clicking here. Thanks for stopping by!
We all wonder about the spectacle of film and fame. Could you have been standing where famous filmmakers and actors once stood? Amazingly, the answer is potentially ‘yes’ as there are several examples of feature length films that have used a Portsmouth (or close by Hampshire area) as a key part of their blockbuster movie. Today I’m going to break down two of them.
No Time To Die, Cary Joji Fukunaga (2021)
The final instalment of Daniel Craig’s Bond journey, No Time To Die, finds him after leaving active service, searching for a tranquil life. However, after an old friend shows up, he ends up on the trail of a mysterious villain who’s armed with a dangerous new technology.
Despite the unimaginable scale of a Bond film, Portsmouth still found a place in it. Film crews were spotted in the waters between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight in 2019 filming boats and helicopters. HMS Dragon, a Type 45 warship based in Portsmouth, was also used in scenes filmed in secret pre-pandemic. HMS Dragon can be seen in the final trailer at around 1m50s.
Portsmouth’s HMS Dragon in No Time To Die, (2021)
Tommy, Ken Russell (1975)
One of the most famous examples is Ken Russell’s Tommy filmed all over 70s Portsmouth. The film follows deaf, mute and blind Tommy. As a teenager, he stumbles upon a pinball machine and as he becomes a pinball champion and later the messiah of a religious cult.
Apart from Tommy’s birth, the rest of the movie was shot around Portsmouth and nearby Hayling Island. Fort Purbrook and the King’s Theatre also feature but the film’s most famous location is South Parade Pier. During filming it burned for the third time since its construction and the film included the event in the movie’s climax (which can be seen at the top of this post!).
Elton John at the King’s Theatre, Tommy, (1975)
You can find more in this series by clicking here. Thanks for stopping by!
Say hello to the five talented directors from the Solent region nominated for Best Local Film. Here at Making Waves Film Festival we’re all about recognising and celebrating the very best of local filmmaking talent. Read all about our official selection below and join us on April 20th at Portsmouth Guildhall to see these bold and innovative short films.
Joe Burbidge, dir. DISEMBODIED
Disembodied, dir. Joe Burbidge
After Todd accidentally decapitates his lifelong friend Marcus, he tries to preserve their friendship the only way he can think how: in the fridge.
Joe Burbidge is a director based in the Solent area. He is a self confessed “lover of the abnormal” and it’s no surprise his creative process involves indulging his weird and wacky side through the medium of film.
Benjamin Cook, dir. THE BEAST
The Beast, dir. Benjamin Cook
Trapped in a cabin nestled deep within the woods, a man struggles to cope with the demands of a creature that feeds at nightfall.
In 2015 Benjamin Cook graduated from the University of Portsmouth with a First Class Honours degree in Film Production. His graduate film went onto travel film festivals across the world. Since leaving university Benjamin has started a production house and is on the lookout for interesting and exciting creative projects.
Tim Faraday, dir. COME THE DAWN
Burdened by loss, Isaac’s journey to the evergreen takes an eerie turn to the bitter truth.
Tim Faraday is a successful actor and director with a track record of festival-selected films. He is co-founder of Square Peg Films, an independent film company who embrace their eponymous philosophy.
Nicole Barbosa Filipe and Tomás Romão Arreigota, dir. MOÇA
SAUDADE – the feeling of hurt, nostalgia and rawness caused by absence or disappearance from something or someone.
Co-directors Nicole Barbosa Filipe and Tomás Romão Arreigota are film students at the University of Portsmouth. Sharing a passion for cinema since childhood, Nicole and Tomás are determined to forge successful careers in visual arts. Nicole is currently working as an assistant editor at Bro Cinema in Portugal for her year abroad.
Jack Lucas Smith, dir. THE JAMES MODEL
James is an AI software engineer working for ARCA. Virtual assistant malfunctioning and a conversation with his boss begin to confuse James. He feels more tired than normal. Why?
Jack Lucas Smith is a film student at Portsmouth University. An aspiring director, photography and graphic art are among his many creative skills. The James Project was produced in association with Oxford University and the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence Institute.
MWFF Local Films Screening & Get Networked Event
Join us on from 5pm on April 20th at Portsmouth Guildhall for our Get Networked event.
In addition to screening our Local Film Shortlist, we’ll be hosting BFI NETWORK Talent Executive Alix Taylor-Searle. Alix will talk through the upcoming call out for BFI NETWORK Short Film Production Funding and Early Development Feature Funding, which both close for applications in May. There will also be a Q&A with a filmmaker about their experiences working on a BFI NETWORK short film project.
So, if you want to know more about how your short film could make our official selection next year, come along!
I spoke with University lecturer and active practitioner, Riyadh Haque, about his take on the role of a film festival among county-wide communities as well as his personal career before, and during, his residency in Portsmouth.
(‘White Coffee’ – A short film directed by Riyadh Haque)
Riyadh, What filmmaking or media projects have you worked on locally, in the Hampshire area?
“Unfortunately, I can’t expose the details of many projects I have been involved with publicly. I can, however, briefly mention a comission project I worked on that was shot on 35mm film. The film was funded externally. We did, though, made a conscious decision to source as much of our talent and crew from the local area. This enabled us to support local, up and coming, keen filmmakers and get them involved in larger scale productions.”
Why do you think a film festival in Portsmouth is necessary?
“The film festival is always at the centre of the community in that area. Whilst I believe film festivals are great, they’re not usually enough on their own. The festivals host events once or twice a year and they’re great, but it can’t be left to this. Continuing to hone and support the local community is the real role of a film festival. It should be the buzzing hub at the core of a group of like-minded people.”
What project are you most excited about being involved in, either locally or otherwise, in the coming months?
“Ultimately, there are constantly projects and work that I am involved in, both locally and otherwise. The thing I’m really excited about being involved in is right here at Portsmouth University. Encouraging students to become the filmmakers they want to be. I have the opportunity to grow a community of young filmmakers that will surround things like Making Waves. I’d like to nurture the talent I can see here as much as possible going forward. Building upon the community we have in Portsmouth, thus growing the tomorrow’s community is what I am most excited about.”
