Film / News
Video: Bristol croc resurfaces in Bedminster
The elusive Bristol crocodile is the star of a new three-minute short film by Bedminster-based director Matt Harris-Freeth.
Crocodile was filmed last year on Melville Road in Bedminster around the time sightings of a Bristol crocodile along the River Avon had the city in a frenzy, with the elusive croc gaining over 2,000 followers on Twitter.
The film, which was meant to be an interim project for Matt, ended up being a year-and-a-half in the making, and brought some of Bristol’s best creative talents together including Aardman lead model maker Jim Parkyn, who got involved after Bristol-based Puppet Place retweeted a call for help from Matt.
“Jim got in touch and said that making a hand puppet was something he’d always wanted to have a go at. So we met up and had a chat about it, he did some designs – which were amazing – and he went off and made the thing.”
The foam for the puppet was donated by South West Upholstery on North Street and a host of local companies helped out with kit and post-production.
Adam Fuller, who has worked for the BBC, also lent his skills puppeteer. Matt says: “As soon as he put his hand in the puppet, the crocodile came alive.”
The storyline sees Harry, played by local boy Callum John Geddes, meet a characterful, vagrant crocodile behind the bins at the end of the street, who has a thing or two to say about life on the road.
“I think it’s the sort of film you need to watch twice,” Matt adds.
He continues: “I’ve watched a lot of short films and they all seem to be joke films – the very short ones anyway. And I wondered whether you could do something that was a bit more poignant, that had a bit more of a lasting effect, in the same amount of time.
“At the time my wife was pregnant, so being a father was at the forefront of my mind. So thoughts around that are where the story came from.”
Crocodile was screened at Plymouth Film Festival last month and is in the process of being entered into more festivals throughout the year. His previous shorts have been selected at Encounters Film Festival and London Short Film Festival.
Watch Crocodile:
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