Park Life
Synopsis
'Life Finds A Way' Birthday girl Amy and her boyfriend, Olly, are in the midst of another argument. This is the last straw for Amy who is fed up with Olly’s lazy attempts at ‘romantic’ birthday gifts. But is it worth really falling out over? After all… life is too short, right? Because once you enter 'The Winter Gardens' there is no going back. Will Amy have time to make her peace before the party of a life time?
Film details
- Year
- 2018
- Runtime
- 00:06:33
- Genre
- Comedy, Drama
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Language
- English
- Subtitles
- English, Español, Português, Français, العربية, 中文（简体）
Filmmaker's Note
I was inspired to write this screenplay after coming to terms with the death of both my parents when I was thirty four. I was told my father had died while I was on holiday in Thailand. His death was unexpected. My mother had died a year before of cancer.
My flight home wasn’t for two days so I spent the time reflecting on his life and the loss of both my father and my best friend.
One can’t move in Thailand without falling into a Buddhist temple and so I did. I spent hours paying my respects to him, lighting incense and walking around vast golden shrines. Thinking, wondering if I would see him again. Glad that I hugged him the last time we said goodbye. During my life I can count the times I hugged him on both hands and that was one of them.
When I spoke of his passing to the Thai locals, I was surprised by how they responded; They smiled and said ‘He is in a better place.. he is with his family and friends now’. The Thai people had a genuine smile, a lightness attached to death. A skillful acceptance, crafted from buddhist teachings. Their eyes glinted with absolute faith that the next step was as transformative as birth.
They didn’t have the sombre, cliched riddled reaction that I experienced from my fellow Britons: ‘Oh, I’m so sorry for your loss... such a shame and so soon after your dear mother’.
It was the buddhist lightness, the belief in a better place that I wanted to create in Park Life. Death with laughs.
So this film is fun, funny and set in a beautiful british summer. Who knows what happens when we die but I hope it is a bit like this.
Credits
Director
- Anthony Thornton-Hopwood
Writers
- Anthony Thornton-Hopwood
Producers
- Alexandra Thornton Hopwood
About the filmmaker
I have always loved film, especially Sci-Fi and Comedy. I am an indie film-maker who graduated from The New York Film Academy with a diploma in Screenwriting and Filmmaking. I live in the scenic Malvern Hills, UK, and often set my films in this area of outstanding natural beauty. In 2017, I created my first microfilm called Charlotte. There were only 4 members of crew including myself and the 3 actors. It received a couple of awards of which I was extremely proud. I was the DOP, editor, writer/director on that film. We learnt a lot from making Charlotte and wanted to raise the budget for our next short. We crowdfunded just over £2k to make PARK LIFE and used it to hire crew. By using all local actors, crew and calling in favours from friends we achieved a much greater production value. Even the authentic Jurassic Park Jeep is from a local friend who built the vehicle himself. Our lead actress Molly Glover was fantastic and this was her first major role. She is just 19 years old and studying at a local Performing Arts college. We had a lot of fun making this film and I really think it shows. I am passionate about writing and have written over 5 Feature Film screenplays and 15 Short Screenplays.
