FLYING CAN MAKE YOU ILL, ACCORDING TO THE MAKERS OF A NEW FILM PROMOTED AT THE CANNES FILM FESTIVAL THIS MAY
After a Horsham-based pilot was invalided out of the cockpit, he decided to make a film about his experience – and the silence around it.
“A Dark Reflection”, produced and directed by former air pilot Tristan Loraine, looks at the damaging effects of toxic tricreslyl phosphate (TCP) gases used in jet engine oils which has been reported in the wider media.
Loraine suffered first-hand the effects TCP has on cockpit ventilation and was suspended following a failed health examination. He then retrained as a director so he could raise awareness of this dangerous issue.
Sarah Holloway, Senior Assistant Producer, said: “The aviation industry chose profit over public safety. People call this a conspiracy theory but it is fact.”
Fact Not Fiction Films, based in Horsham, produced the film in the summer of 2013 with churches in the area providing hospitality for cast members and other staff. Horsham Matters provided the team with furniture for their temporary set and The County Times, which features under its pseudonym “The Sussex Standard”, supported the project.
The film begins in the Middle East where the audience are introduced to the main character, played by Georgina Sutcliffe who was formerly married to Sean Bean. She plays a hardened journalist who finds herself back in the town of Horsham, working for the local paper, ‘The Sussex Standard’. She seeks to restore her marriage with her husband who works for Traffic Control but over time she uncovers information regarding TCP and the plot unfolds.
Sarah Holloway, who had just returned from Cannes when HEART caught up with her, was enthusiastic about the film’s future, claiming a lot of media interest: “Cannes was a fantastic opportunity to network and meet a lot of creative people. There was a great response and people were interested in buying the film.”
The film could premiere in UK cinemas as early as 2015. Sarah, who worked on the film while teaching film and media, described the production period as “pretty stressful” but with the help of local Sussex churches they managed to bring in hundreds of volunteers.
Despite the gruelling hours, Sarah and the team will not be paid salaries but will take a percentage of the profits if the film makes any money.