‘We Are Lady Parts’ Rocks the Borough Once Again

Here at the Tower Hamlets Film Office, managed by The Film Office, we’re taking a look at some recent releases that were filmed across the borough. From Tom Hardy to Kate Winslet the stars have been out in Tower Hamlets this year for all kinds of fantastic projects. Check them out below!

Tom Hardy for Jo Malone

Noir Productions on behalf of Jo Malone shot in the borough earlier this year for an online commercial that featured none other than star actor, Tom Hardy. With scenes taking place on Quaker Street, Braithwaite St and the picturesque, Elder Street, the production had a road closure in place across one evening to get the perfect shot. Closing down a heavily residential street such as Elder Street presents several challenges to ensuring minimal impact on the lives of the residents, but with careful planning and liaison with local authorities and the residents themselves, shoots like this can take place with great results.

Such projects can also bring economic benefits to the area, including temporary employment opportunities and increased business for local shops and services. We employed a local resident for paid work experience on this shoot as a location marshall to work alongside the locations team helping with the day-to-day running of the shoot. The production also used a local business for crowd holding which is a fantastic way that a productions presence in an area can contribute to local spend. As a gesture of thanks to the area, the production gave a donation to the local resident’s association which helps to give back to the community and provide opportunities for local people.

Take a look at the ad below!

We Are Lady Parts Season 2

Channel 4’s ‘We Are Lady Parts’ is back for a second instalment, seeing Amina and the other members of the coolest band in town facing new challenges. The production visited Tower Hamlets again, following on from some filming for their 1st season in 2018. They filmed scenes on the streets of the borough including Pennington Street for a small car stunt, and Vyner Street for a fun scene on the Wellington Estate. This scene involved the punk band performing a song, drums and all, in the middle of the road. To execute this the production closed down a section of Lark Row for a day with comings and goings across the estate which created quite the buzz amongst residents.

Beth Elliott, the Film Officer on the job said “It’s always great to see productions returning for subsequent seasons, it really showcases Tower Hamlets as a filming friendly borough that productions choose to come back to. The shoot on Lark Row didn’t come without it’s challenges but all the planning that went into this shoot meant it passed without a hitch. Residents of the estate showed interest and excitement on the day of filming with many coming to ask what was happening and taking photos.”

We Are Lady Parts, seasons 1 & 2 are available to stream on Channel 4 Player now and you can watch the trailer below!

Lee

An exciting new feature film is coming to our screens in September of this year, ‘Lee’ starring Hollywood icon Kate Winslet, follows the story of Elizabeth `Lee’ Miller, a fashion model who became an acclaimed war correspondent for Vogue magazine during World War II.  The film follows her endeavours as she she teamed up with Life photojournalist David E. Scherman, played by Andy Sandberg. Together they followed the 83rd Infantry Division of the U.S. Army as it advanced on the front lines, Miller became the first female photojournalist to do so. She photographed the Liberation of Paris, the battle of Saint-Malo, field hospitals in Normandy, and the liberation of both the Dachau and Buchenwald concentration camps.

We were delighted to welcome this production to the borough to film scenes on Ezra Street in Shoreditch. This quiet, idyllic street off Columbia Road was transformed with rubble and debris to create the scene of a bomb blast. This required a road closure for the productions art department to dress the scene with all its bells and whistles. The production worked closely with the local area during the preparation for this shoot making sure impact was as minimal as possible and involving them where they could, basing at the Royal Oak Pub and donating props to the local primary school as well as a generous donation to the Tenants & Residents Association.

We can’t wait to see the outcome of this hard-work when the film hits cinemas on September 13th 2024. For now though, you can enjoy the trailer below!

And Mrs 

Yet another upcoming feature film visited the borough recently, this time in the form of a comedy drama called ‘And Mrs’ about Gemma (Aisling Bea), a woman living in London whose American fiancé, Nathan, dies shortly before their wedding day. Vowing to overcome public opinion, the law, and her loved one’s objections, she decides to marry him anyway.

This production visited 4 of our locations throughout their filming period, with large scenes taking place at Approach Road in Bethnal Green for a funeral procession after filming inside of Bethnal Green Methodist Church and on Wapping Wall outside The Prospect of Whitby Pub, where a procession of people protest and show their support for Gemma. Both of these scenes can be spotted in the trailer below if you keep your eyes peeled!

And Mrs also shot inside two of the borough most loved parks, Victoria Park and Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park both feature with scene involving flashbacks, and modern day scenes with the ghost of the fiancé Nathan consoling Gemma. The shoot in the cemetery park involved dressing in shrubbery and flowers for the couple to lay amongst and was shot on a drone which we’re sure will look fabulous on the big screen!

Check it out in cinemas on August 18th and on digital release on September 2nd 2024.

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