ENEMY OF THE HEART - SALFORD ACTRESS WRITES AWARD WINNING FILM

A FEATURE film created by a Salford-based actress is celebrating it's 40th award with a winners' showcase at the World-renowned Pinewood Studios.

Enemy of the Heart written and produced by Claryn Scott received the Jury Award for Best First Time Feature at the Lift Off Global Network festival last month.

During it's 85-year history, Pinewood has become synonymous with some of the world's most enduring productions hosting Hollywood's finest to shoot scenes for Star Wars, James Bond, The Hobbit and Killing Eve.

The film has won in Los Angeles, New York, London, Rome and Florence and is Claryn's first screenplay penned during the UK's initial lockdown in March 2020.

Speaking about the process, Claryn from Weaste, said:

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"It's been an incredible two years. I had the idea for the story for a few years but due to continuous work commitments, never fully had the opportunity to sit down and write. Lockdown provided that much needed time and focus. During production, the cast and crew instantly clicked and we knew we had a solid team of creatives who could bring this story to life. However, until the audiences watch the film, you can't fully envisage the response, so having such positive feedback means a great deal for everyone involved."

Inspired by true events, the war-time drama centres around an Anglo-Italian family living in Britain during the outbreak of the Second World War and the subsequent anti-Italian riots on June 10, 1940, when Italy declared war on Britain. Italian males aged 17 to 60 who had lived here for less than 20 years, were considered 'Enemy Aliens' and on the orders of Prime Minister Winston Churchill, were removed from their homes and sent to camps across the country.

Thousands were interned, including those from Ancoats Little Italy community, before being shipped to Australia and Canada. The nearest camp was Worth Mill in Bury.

Enemy of the Heart follows the events leading upto the departure of the S.S. Arandora Star which sailed from Liverpool in July 1940 with more than 1,600 Italian, German and Austrian internees onboard. Just two days following departure, the ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat resulting in the loss of 800 lives. Many of Manchester’s Italians perished whilst the survivors were reinterned and sent overseas. One of the memorials stands at Liverpool's Pier Head.

Claryn portrays the role of Elsie O'Connor, the niece of Italian businessman and single father of three, Giovanni Cipriani played by Manchester-based Mattia Paradiso. Giovanni is sent aboard the Arandora Star destined for Canada whilst his son Tomas (Michael Dolan) is serving in the British Expeditionary Force for the very country which has interned his father. His youngest child Luca portrayed by eight year-old Jack O'Connor is faced with prejudice from school friends for having an Italian father, whilst 16 year-old daughter Maria (Lucy Wareing) is left to run the family home and business. Neither the Italian or British governments provided support and businesses closed due to the internment and rationing. Many families never saw their fathers again having perished on the ship.

The film won Best Screenplay in Florence plus ten accolades in Rome, which was particularly poignant considering the sensitive content.

Claryn explained:

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"The internments and tragedy of the Arandora Star is still painful for the families so it was imperative this was approached respectfully. There were multiple complexities, particularly concerning the British-born children of the Italian men being interned. The sons serving in the British forces were considered the enemy by their Italian cousins, yet in Britain, these young men were considered the enemy due to their Italian heritage."

Claryn continued:

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"To have such positive feedback from the Italian audiences, meant a great deal to us. Then to be selected for Pinewood, that was incredible. We're so grateful to everyone who has supported us along way in bringing this important aspect of history to life which until recently, was relatively unknown."