My latest feature length documentary is entitled “Swings and Roundabouts” and tells the story of how the COVID pandemic affected the people and businesses of Brighton. It was screened in July 2022 as part of the Brighton Rocks Film Festivals and won runner up for Best Documentary presented by Ben Wheatley no less. A big thank you to all the people who took part including musical contributions from Isacc Waddington and Nicholas Griffin and of course big thanks to James Rowlins of Brighton Rocks.
The trailer can be seen below.
Background
During the initial COVID lockdown, the aeroplanes stopped flying, the cars stopped driving and all of sudden the world was quieter and you could hear the birds singing. I started discussing a film about COVID with friends and my thoughts were that all we had to do was allow the airline industry to go bust and continue working from home and we could convert offices to apartments for the homeless and solve the climate change crisis at the same time as giving everyone more time and a nicer environment. I envisaged interviewing people on Hove prom who would all be optimistic and cheerful. – Yeh! Right!
As discussions about the response to COVID turned toxic I shelved the project but later, walking around the streets, I noticed shops were closing down. I then envisaged a documentary telling the story of how business coped with COVID. I started contacting all sorts of companies including pubs, churches, burial grounds and psychotherapists. I was surprised at some of the responses I received. There was change but not of all of it for the worse.
Here’s the trailer:
Nigel Chaloner 