Urban Hymn

Urban Hymn
TIFF Official Selection Poster 2015
Directed by	Michael Caton-Jones
Produced by	John Sachs Andrew Berg Neil Chordia
Written by	Nick Moorcroft
Starring	Letitia Wright Shirley Henderson Isabella Laughland Ian Hart Steven Mackintosh
Music by	Tom Linden
Cinematography	Denis Crossan
Edited by	István Király
Production company	Dashisha Global Film Production and Eclipse Films in association with Powderkeg Pictures
Release dates	11 September 2015 (2015-09-11) (TIFF)
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	£2 million.

Urban Hymn is a 2016 British coming-of-age drama, written by Nick Moorcroft and Directed by Michael Caton-Jones. The film was selected for the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival in September, and received its world premiere in the 'City To City' section.^[1] Urban Hymn was also officially selected for the Busan International Film Festival, Asia's largest film festival held in South Korea in October 2015. It was announced in Screen International that the film has been selected for a gala screening at the Glasgow Film Festival to take place on 19th February, 2016.

Plot

Set against the backdrop of the 2011 England Riots, the film follows a neglected and volatile female offender, Jamie, who possesses an amazing singing voice and is torn between her loyalties toward her inspiring, unconventional care worker, Kate, and her possessive and volatile best friend, Leanne.^[2]

Principle Cast

• Letitia Wright as Jamie Harrison
• Shirley Henderson as Kate Linton
• Isabella Laughland as Leanne Dixon
• Steven Mackintosh as David Linton
• Ian Hart as Ian Wilson
• Billy Bragg as himself
• Shaun Parkes as Charlie
• Caroline O'Neill as Fiona
• Frankie Oatway as Bob
• Matthew Steer as Michael
• Jack McMullen as Dean
• David McKell as Ryan
• Victoria Alcock as Prison Chaplain

Production

On 7 July 2014 Dashishah Global Film Production and Eclipse Films in association with Powderkeg Pictures announced that Caton-Jones would direct the film with Shirley Henderson starring opposite 2012 Screen International Star of Tomorrow, Letitia Wright. Principal photography commenced on 22 September 2014 with filming taking place in Richmond, Twickenham, Morden and former HMP prison Latchmere House in South-East London. Dashishah fully financed the production through their film production company which is based in Geneva, Switzerland. The film wrapped shooting on 23 October 2014 after a rigorous 28-day schedule, filming upwards of 13 scenes a day. The semi-autobiographical film was based upon Nick Moorcroft's formative years growing up in Essex. Billy Bragg's initiative, Jail Guitar Doors, which donates guitars to prison inmates also features in the film ^[3]

Theatrical Release

The film is scheduled to be released in cinemas in the UK in July 2016. The film has currently sold to 8 territories across the world, including Canada, Spain, Italy, Japan, Scandinavia, Turkey and South-Korea.

Critical response

Toronto Film Festival Director, Piers handling, called Urban Hymn "a searing and moving portrait of a pair of disenfranchised teen girls, grounded by a sharp script and sensitive, naturalistic actors".^[4] The Evening Standard film critic David Sexton said “This film is a turning point for director Michael Caton-Jones” and “develops real power in the relationship between Jamie and Kate and it directly addresses the intractable problem of the dispossessed.”.^[5] The Guardian said Urban Hymn was “Heart-warming social realism, with a great couple of lead performances (from Isabella Laughland and Letitia Wright)”.^[6] Alan Hunter, film critic from Screen International, reviewed the film favorably saying “The appeal of Urban Hymn lies in a heartrending, human story that is told with care and concern".^[7] Stephen Dalton, from the The Hollywood Reporter said it was "hugely refreshing to see a rare British movie whose key cast is almost entirely female, with a rising young black talent as the main star.”.^[8] The head of the Glasgow Film Festival stated that "Shirley Henderson gives one of the finest performances of her career as Kate in Urban Hymn".

References

External links

• Urban Hymn at the Internet Movie Database