The flatlands of the Fens feature in an award-winning movie about a troubled teenager who struggles to cope with his stepfather, a womanising stock car racer.
The Goob, released last month, features the fields around Tony Martin’s home at Emneth Hungate along with field workers, cast from people living at Friday Bridge farm camp, near Wisbech.
The Guardian describes it as: “A really intelligent essay in classic Brit social realism, well-acted and beautifully photographed.”
Director Guy Myhill says the film, made on a shoe string budget of £450,000, features a rural under class set in real situations of Swaffham racetrack, Necton diner and what he calls “the bleak fields of the Fens.”
His lead role Goob is 21 year old Liam Walpole, who was picked randomly when he took a stroll to a chicken take away shop in Dereham after being up all night drinking with mates and was spotted by the director.
Liam, who since filming is back in Dereham looking for factory work while hoping to snap up another acting role, said: “There are a lot of scenes running through cornfields. That brings me back to when I’ve been in fields with friends and they are saying ‘you don’t want to be there because the farmer will come out with his shotgun’ I’ve been chased through a couple of fields.”
On set near Wisbech he ran for real one day when he received a threatening text message from a local gang who he owed money to after an ill-advised bet.
Myhill said: “Scared he legged it across a field and the crew had to be dispatched to chase after him.”
The director paid off his leading man’s debt saying it was the only trouble they had with him.
“In situations like that you’ve got to see the funny side.”
The film follows Goob as he leaves school, struggles to cope with his stepfather, finds work and falls in love.
The film can be seen at Cinema City Picturehouse, Norwich, Abbeygate Cinema, Bury St. Edmunds, Showcase, Peterborough. Arts Picturehouse, Cambridge, Hollywood, Dereham and Hollywood, Fakenham.
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