As the year draws to a close we are looking back at the highlights reel of the Tower Hamlets Film Office, managed by the Film Office. We’re exploring some fab upcoming productions – some yet to be released, so you’ll have to wait a little longer for those! We’re also taking a look at some of the benefits filming has brought to the local communities within borough throughout the year, including paid work placements on film sets and the outcome of film donations to local TRA’s. Check it all out below!
‘Get Millie Black’: Tower Hamlets Transformed into a Thrilling Crime Scene for New TV Drama
Another exciting HBO release this year… During production we worked alongside Channel 4 and HBO on their upcoming miniseries Get Millie Black – now available to stream on NOWTV. The miniseries marks an onscreen debut for acclaimed writer Marlon James and stars Tamara Lawrence and Joe Dempsie. It follows Jamaican-born detective Millie-Jean Black who is forced out of?Scotland Yard and returns home to join the Jamaican Police Force to investigate a missing persons case.
The production spent 3 weeks across August and September filming in the borough across various locations in Bethnal Green, Poplar, East India Dock and Isle of Dogs. Whether it was filming energetic depictions of a police raid against the backdrop of the Cranbrook Estate, capturing suspenseful hostage scenes from a moving vehicle on Birchfield Street, or recording understated investigative dialogue performances on Dolphin Lane and Penny Fields, the familiar locations were transformed into a nail-biting vibrant crime drama, sure to entertain.
Watch the trailer below!
Netflix’s ‘Black Doves’: Dark Drama Brought to Life in Iconic Tower Hamlets Locations
The latest thrilling TV Drama from Netflix were huge fans of Tower Hamlets …Black Doves is a spy-thriller set in London and Christmas time – what’s not to love?! Available for streaming now, Black Doves boasts a star-studded cast featuring Keira Knightly, Ben Whishaw & Sarah Lancashire. The series follows Helen (Knightley), a spy posing as a politician’s wife who embarks on a passionate affair, only to discover her lover has been murdered. Teaming up with an old assassin friend, she sets off on a quest for both truth and vengeance.
Filming took place across various locations within Tower Hamlets, including Calvert Avenue, Arnold Circus, Boundary Gardens Park, and the Boundary Estate. Key scenes were shot on the street, in the park and in the vicinity of Marlow House, with a pivotal moment featuring a character standing on the street, contemplating visiting his ex-partner’s flat, before engaging in a conversation when the ex-partner arrives.
Interior shots were filmed inside Marlow House at the Boundary Estate, in the stairwells and inside a private flat which was later recreated in a studio as the “hero” flat for one of the characters, decorated with Christmas lights and festive touches. Additional shoots in the borough included a tense dialogue scene at Victoria Park’s Pines & Needles Christmas Tree Market, the Ecology Pavilion in Mile End Park as a base for cast, crew, catering and makeup to facilitate filming at the Palm TreePub as well as multiple unit base bookings across the borough to host the usual large fleet of vehicles that follow a production of this size!
Check out the trailer below!
A Love Story Unfolds on Roman Road
The BBC drama series Mr Loverman based on the book of the same name by Bernardine Evaristo, looks at the life of Britain’s older Caribbean community from the perspective of a 74-year-old Antiguan-Londoner and closeted homosexual, Barrington “Barry” Walker.
The production visited the borough for several shoots, showcasing the area’s vibrant community and distinct character. A notable location was the east side of Victoria Park, particularly around the bandstand, where a pivotal scene featured Barry sitting on a bench contemplating – of which he does a lot throughout the series.? Mr Loverman set up their unit base at Victoria Park too for multiple weeks to facilitate their filming across East London. Nearby streets, including Roman Road, Chisenhale Road, and Vivian Road, saw traffic management in place for scenes involving the lead character walking across the road and into a vacant shop on Roman Road which had been transformed into a Caribbean Cafe for the purposes of filming. Inside the cafe, tense dialogue scenes unfolded between the characters Barry and Morris – star-crossed lovers and best friends from childhood who have been having an affair for almost 60 years!
Additionally, the production gave back to the local community by obtaining a donation for the area. They also provided paid work experience opportunities for a local resident from the Four Corners Community Group, who worked as a Location Marshal. Four Corners, a charitable organisation based in the borough, has long been dedicated to offering training, paid work placements, and industry support to underrepresented individuals. As London’s oldest independent film production and training centre, Four Corners plays a crucial role in empowering local people with the skills needed to succeed in the creative media industry.
Bridget Jones…Again!
Our beloved Bridget is back with another (undoubtedly) comical and heartwarming adventure. We had the pleasure in helping to facilitate filming for the fourth instalment of the renowned rom-com series on the iconic red footbridge connecting Hackney Wick and Fish Island. Working alongside our partners at the Canals and River Trust, the production transformed the footbridge and canal tow path with extras and props as they filmed scenes capturing Bridget on a romantic canal-side date.
The production also filmed in various private locations around Tower Hamlets. We always like to support productions coming to the borough as much as we can. Sometimes a great way to do this is to offer large communal spaces such as parks or leisure centres as a unit bases or holding areas. This can be helpful to larger productions who need additional space for tech vehicles, costume trailers, or prop vehicles. On this occasion, Bridget Jones Mad About The Boy whose 2 of our most popular unit bases – Victoria Park and Wapping Lane Car Park. ?Not only was this convenient for filming, but unit-basing also is also beneficial for the Council and residents, as it is financially effective and allows less disruption to on-street parking and activity.
We’ll be able to watch Bridget on the big screen again on Valentines Day 2025. For now, enjoy the trailer below!
Spotlight on Talent: Local Work Placements Offer Film Set Experience
We successfully arranged paid work experience for 9 local residents over the course of 41 days on set, providing invaluable industry exposure. These individuals were selected from our On Location Course Alumni, as well as local partners such as The London Screen Academy and Queen Mary University. They had the opportunity to work on high-profile productions, including the aforementioned Black Doves, Steve McQueen’s latest feature film Blitz, TV Dramas such as Gangs of London and Slow Horses, and several other exciting projects we can’t reveal just yet – but keep an eye out in 2025!
Placing locals on film sets not only supports the local community, giving back after the impact of filming in the area, but also helps individuals break into the competitive Film and TV industry, offering them a crucial stepping stone to their careers. Beth Elliott, the Film Officer on a few of these productions says, “It’s incredibly rewarding when we can create opportunities on major productions for local people in the borough. Not only does it offer them valuable paid experience, but it also helps the production by addressing the growing demand for additional crew members.”
One of our On Location Alumni, Syed Emran Ali, who has been placed on few different shoots said, “The Tower Hamlets Film Office has provided me 6 opportunities to work in industry so far. This has allowed me to network and make relationships with other people with greater aspirations in industry. This is a good foundation and stepping stone for me.”
Lights, Camera, Community: How Filming Benefits Local Residents’ Associations
The shoots we help facilitate are more than just entertainment for you at home. They also allow us to support local Tenants, Traders and Residents Associations by obtaining monetary donations towards these groups from the productions themselves.
Our close relationship with various TRAs within the borough has enabled us to raise funds through filming that goes towards local events and cherished spaces within the borough. Whether it be contributing to Columbia Road’s Christmas Wednesdays and The Boundary Estate’s Circus on the Circus, supporting the maintenance and growth of the quaint gardens of Arnold Circus, or donating towards the installation of a defibrillator at Norton Folgate. We are always happy to support our local communities, and we look forward to seeing how we can further show our appreciation for the local community in 2025!
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We can’t wait to welcome yet more exciting productions into the borough in 2025 – watch this space! And from all of us at the Tower Hamlets Film Office – we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
