NHS FRONT LINE WORKERS SPEAK OUT
A DOCUMENTARY FILM

Video Password: gw_cov_confid
Dear NHS staff,
I’m Grant Wakefield, a professional independent documentary film maker based in Somerset.
There are many things that have shocked and horrified me during this Covid crisis, but none more so than the conditions endured, and the price paid, by NHS frontline staff.
At the height of the crisis I began reading scattered reports that you were, under threat of retribution – including the loss of your jobs – ‘discouraged’ from speaking to the press or posting on social media any information that ran counter to the government’s narrative.
Not only did I find this despicable and utterly in opposition to the professed values of a democracy, but on a public health level I also considered it counter-productive and dangerous. Had you been able to speak freely, your early insights and concerns may have prevented many deaths, not only amongst the public but also amongst your own ranks.
I am making a documentary that will give you a chance to talk openly about your experiences, so that we as a nation may learn from them as we move into a very uncertain future.
I am self-financing the film. I am not an employee of any media or news company. I am not a member of any political party or campaign group. As such I am completely unconstrained and will be able to ask questions that the media often does not, and which the government actively avoids.
I am making the film to broadcast standards, in the unlikely event any major channel sees fit to air it. Additionally / otherwise I will be making it available free of charge by posting it to all social media platforms inc. Facebook, YouTube and Vimeo, as well as making it available for download and fully encouraging people to copy, share and post it themselves.
I seek to interview NHS staff of all kinds: porters, cleaners, nurses, GPs and ward + ICU specialists.
The absolute preservation of your anonymity, and your jobs, is paramount to me. Unless you specifically state otherwise, I will never reveal your real names nor the hospitals you work in, and your face and voice will be disguised unless you specifically request otherwise. (The disguise of your face can be done live, in camera….I will be able to show you the shot before we even begin an interview.)
I must state from the outset that my film will be very critical of the government’s handling of Covid, whilst simultaneously highly supportive of the NHS, whom in my opinion performed exceptionally well under very difficult conditions, and at great cost.
I will send you a copy of my full proposal at your request, and my contact details and links to examples of previous work are below.
Yours,
Grant Wakefield.
grant(at)grantwakefield.com
www.grantwakefield.com
https://vimeo.com/grantwakefield
(01373) 764 133
(07967) 101 757
HOW TO CONTACT ME / ARRANGE AN INTERVIEW

I stress again: the protection of your anonymity, and by extension potentially your job, is of paramount importance to me.
If you are willing to take part in the film without your face, voice and identity being disguised, that would be wonderful.
If you are willing to take part in the film, yet wish to remain anonymous and unidentifiable, please:
1) Do NOT use your own phone
2) Do NOT use your own computer
3) Do NOT use your own e-dress
4) Do NOT use your real first name and/or surname
5) Do NOT identify what hospital you work in
The less personal contact + specific hospital information I have, the better.
Please DO state, however, what your role / job is.
Please communicate with me in a way that we can only temporarily sustain until the interview is over, whilst completely and subsequently protecting your anonymity.
Send any emails to me:
grant(at)grantwakefield.com
Please include in subject line words such as : NHS Film / NHS documentary / Covid Film / Covid Documentary.
Please write a short paragraph about a particular experience you had and/or opinion you wish to share.
Please do not take it personally if I don’t respond immediately, or potentially not at all. There’s a chance I may be inundated. As stated above, I am also trying to trying to find and represent a selection of specific roles within the NHS so as to tell the story from the perspective of different disciplines: porters, cleaners, nurses, GPs, ward + ICU specialists.
I plan to shoot material during the period last week of August > first or second week of October.
I’m keen to shoot as much of the film in the south and south west as I can, but am willing to travel further afield. All interviews will be conducted with a Covid-safe protocol, shooting outdoors, at minimum of 2 metres, in a location of your choice. Parks are ideal, as they are neutral in appearance and near impossible to identify, as well as being relatively quiet so that I can capture good quality audio.
If you have talked about this project with any of your colleagues across these different disciplines, and a small group of you from the same hospital wish to contribute, that would be ideal. I can interview you one after the other at the same location, whilst varying the background sufficiently so as to appear to be photographed in different places.
Please do not wear NHS uniform or any easily identifiable clothes.
I envision an interview will likely take 30 > 45 mins. or so, but can be shorter at your request.
I will make available an advance copy of the finished film to all contributors prior to posting on-line.
However, please be aware that it’s far better and more efficient to NOT say something during the interview that you don’t want heard, rather than request to have it removed afterwards.
Editorial changes take longer and are more complex than you might think. I suspect that as we head towards winter, time will be of the essence.
I very much hope to hear from you.
Grant Wakefield.
A ‘short pitch’ version of the proposal is available to download here:
covid_confidential_short_pitch_21st_Aug_2020.pdf
PAST PROJECTS
ANCIENT SKIES

Before the invention of the written word, for thousands of years the Neolithic civilisation of Europe constructed ever more complex stone monuments, many of which pre-date the Egyptian pyramids by several millennia.
Long dismissed as the work of “…illiterate barbarians…” by much of academia, it has been only recently that a radical reappraisal has taken place, giving birth to a new scientific discipline: Archaeo-Astronomy.
Far from being “…savages…” the Neolithic were highly intelligent, lived in complex societies, and integrated a spiritual world view with extraordinarily skilled feats of engineering and astronomy, which many now believe represent the first principles of modern science. Some of their monuments, aligned to key points in the celestial cycles with extremely high accuracy, are visited by nearly 2 million people annually.
ANCIENT SKIES is the first large format film to explore this fascinating subject and tap into the enduring popularity of the legacy of our ancestors.
It features motion controlled timelapse, CGI, never-before-seen alignment events, and interviews with the some of the most respected archaeologists and astronomers of our generation, including Prof. Clive Ruggles, Dr. Edwin Krupp and Prof. George Eogan.
Format: 4k FullDome – 4096 x 4096 @ 30fps – 5.1 audio.
Versions: 25 & 46 min.
Passwords to on-line consideration screeners are available on request.
Incidental music – STEVE ROACH
Original music – BANCO DE GAIA & ZHENIA MAHDI-NAU
The two original pieces by Banco De Gaia & Zhenia Mahdi-Nau that open and close the film were released on Banco’s 2013 album APOLLO
An excellent remix by TRIPSWITCH of one of the tracks – ACQUIESCENCE – can also be seen / heard here and was released on the album OLLOPA
“Ancient Skies is a beautiful film, combining stunning timelapse sequences and interviews with experts in the field. The world premiere sold out, with many request for additional tickets.
I would be very pleased to offer this film again at our venue.”
– Dr. Jenny Shipway – WINCHESTER SCIENCE CENTRE
REMNANTS

The ‘sister’ project of ANCIENT SKIES, this 36 min. film is set only to an original 5.1 score by Tangerine Dream member Thorsten Quaeschning.
Utilising highly stylised motion controlled timelapse, it explores the extraordinary achievements of the Neolithic peoples, captures the essense and austere beauty of their ‘Megalithic’ sites, suggest rationales for their being, and poses an important question for our times.
History has proven no civilisation can last indefinitely.
Is it not unlikely we shall share the same fate?
Formats:
2k Widescreen DCP (2048 x 858 – 24fps – 5.1 audio )
4k Fulldome (4096 x 4096 – 30fps – 5.1 audio)
Passwords to on-line consideration screeners are available on request.
www.ancientskies.info/remnants_about_history/
“….beautiful and hard-earned imagery….a moving inner journey that lets us feel our connection
to our ancient roots and the timeless turning of the earth….I loved it….”
– Mark Magidson – Producer BARAKA & SAMSARA“….a love letter to our ancient ancestors and these majestic icons….
a beautiful film that looks great on the large screen….”
– Dave Rogers – YORKSHIRE TIMES – Bradford Film Festival Widescreen Weekend 2013“…a wonderful short….stunning 2k resolution and extraordinary music….”
– Bruce Campbell – CINEMA RETRO – Bradford Film Festival Widescreen Weekend 2013“….mesmerising….a slow-building visual journey to a
stunningly effective, thought provoking climax ….watch it on the biggest screen possible….”
– Anthony Powell – Director ANTARCTICA – A YEAR ON ICE“…an incredible piece of work…the best movie screened at GSCA 2014….absolutely stunning, beautiful and brilliant…”
– Mike George, ARIZONA SCIENCE CENTRE – Giant Screen Cinema Association conference 2014
THE FIRE THIS TIME

This 78 min. audio documentary, released by HIDDEN ART RECORDS in 2002, arose as a result of my efforts with pioneering activist Miriam Ryle to publicise the devastating effect that the bombing of the 1991 Gulf War and subsequent sanctions were having on the civilian population of Iraq.
Faced with intransigence, ignorance and outright hostility from mainstream media, a planned visual documentary was abandoned in favour of an audio odyssey that took us from the heartbreaking hospitals of Baghdad to the depths of US foreign policy archives, from the stunning kindness of a UN official to some of the best musical talents of the UK electronica scene, all of whom contributed to the project for nothing, and donated their royalties to MEDICAL AID TO IRAQI CHILDREN.
The album took over 3 years to make, half of which was spent fighting legal battles with music companies over rights, whilst 3000-5000 children died every month from malnutrition, dehydration and easily preventable disease in a political climate that was, in our opinion, cruel beyond measure, totally pointless and ultimately counter-productive.
Original music by MICHAEL STEARNS, HIGHER INTELLIGENCE AGENCY, BASS COMMUNION with NASEER SHAMMA, SOMA, BARBED, KAIT GRAY, TOM MIDDLETON and BOLA, with exclusive re-mixes of ORBITAL and APHEX TWIN.
Released as a double CD edition, with instrumentals on Disc 2. Available to purchase here:
AMAZON UK / AMAZON US / FORCED EXPOSURE
“….unbeatable for its sheer devotion to truth….”
– NEW INTERNATIONALIST MAGAZINE – Best Album of the Year 2002“…terrifying and timely….assembled with such originality that
it creates its own new genre of protest record….”
– THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY – 5/5“….a landmark CD….extraordinary….”
– THE BIG ISSUE“….if such voices of dissent were allowed to be heard, the world might not be in such a state….”
– THE WIRE MAGAZINE – Best 50 albums of the Year 2002“….amazing….should be issued to every citizen of voting age….”
– MINISTRY OF SOUND MAGAZINE – 10/10“….immaculately produced….needs to be heard….”
– MUZIK MAGAZINE – 5/5“….extraordinary….compelling….overwhelming….”
– RED PEPPER MAGAZINE“….a shattering protest record….”
– UNCUT MAGAZINE – 4/5“….more relevant, more essential now than ever….a masterpiece….”
– BIG ISSUE NORTH 10/10“….as brave as it is powerful….”
– PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY“….extraordinary….nothing short of staggering….”
– THE BIG CHILL“….presenting people with awful facts they’d like to ignore….uniquely effective….”
– TIME OUT NEW YORK“….stunningly coherent and compelling…..should be owned by anyone who even remotely doubts the motives behind the war against Iraq….”
– VUE MAGAZINE“….astonishing…..a brilliant intervention in the propaganda war….”
– THE SCOTSMAN“….unusual and disturbing….sound in every sense….”
– THE OBSERVER“….emotional, shocking and eye opening….”
– Q MAGAZINE – 4/5“….takes your breath away….one of the strongest and most consistent statements
yet to come out of the current anti-war movement….”
– CANADIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION
CROPPIES

CROPPIES was my first long-form documentary, and gave voice to both sides of the debate about the true nature of that most quintessential of English summer memes: Crop Circles.
Were they the random expressions of bored farmers, the temporary art forms of paranormal afficianados, or messages from extra-terrestrial beings? Or some bizarre combination of all three…?
Featuring the first ever in-depth interviews with human circle makers, CROPPIES is an affectionate, balanced and revealing sociological portrait of a time and a story that captured the imagination of millions.
Original music by NEGATIVLAND, GLOBAL GOON, HEAD AND LEG and SEMINALE.
Broadcast in 1999 by Channel 4 UK, Carlton UK, and WGBH US.
Running 53 mins, shot on DV in 4:3 aspect, and lacking in technical prowess by today’s standards (to put it mildly!) it’s still a lot of fun, an accurate record of those heady times, and snappily edited by Emmy award winner Jason Porthouse.
You can see it below….
“Consisting primarily of craftily edited interviews with the movers and rakers on all sides of the circle equation, CROPPIES is a sympathetic, engaging and often hilarious portrait of their insular world. As a visual document of the crop circle circus, CROPPIES is unbeatable.”
– FORTEAN TIMES MAGAZINE“A well crafted and entertaining documentary, and an essential piece of crop circle history.
This film charts territory that other films haven’t even got near; highly recommended.”
– THE CEREOLOGIST MAGAZINE“A fair reflection of the many characters who inhabit the cereological world,
nattily and amusingly edited.”
– SUSSEX CIRCULAR MAGAZINE“CROPPIES is a humourously revealing look at the foibles and delights of the crop circle research community, both believers and sceptics. It provides an entertaining insight into their lives and will appeal to anyone regardless of their belief orientation.”
– BRIGHTON FRINGE FESTIVAL PROMOTION“It does have a quasi-mystical and religious undertone that makes it
unsuitable for peak-time viewing.”
– CHANNEL 5 UK – REJECTION LETTER