On Sunday 31st March at 2pm we are screening God’s Own Country – Francis Lee’s first feature film as part of our Lazy Sunday Afternoon Film Club.

This is an important film for Settle Stories. Francis was brought up on his parents’ farm on the Pennine Hills in Yorkshire and the film was shot just down the road from our home here in Settle. This award winning debut film is a romantic story between Johnny Saxby (John O’Connor) who works long hours on his family’s remote farm and a handsome Romanian migrant worker (Alec Secareanu).

The film has been increadibly well recieved, ‘One of the most assured British debuts of recent years’ – Sight & Sound, * * * * * BBC Culture,* * * * * – HeyuGuys,* * * * * – Attitude, * * * * * – Scotsman,* * * * – Guardian

Ahead of the screening we caught up with Frances to find out a little more about him:

Q: What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?

Personally being the best son, friend and partner.

Professionally, making God’s Own Country, my first feature film.

Q: Is being a northern artist important to you?

Yes. I consider all my work comes from being brought up and living in West Yorkshire. It is the landscape that feels to have creatively, emotionally and physically formed me.

Q: How did God’s Own Country come about?

I made my first short film and my friend suggested I should write a feature film next. So I wrote God’s Own Country as a response to the landscape I grew up in.

Q: Give one piece of advice to your younger self.

Don’t start smoking.

Q: If you could be any literary character, who would you be and why?

Fiver from Watershed Down. I like his intuition, his bravery and his openness.

Q: What is your ambition/next move with your career?

I’m currently shooting my next feature film Ammonite.

Q: What do you want your tombstone to say?

An Imperfect Perfectionist, Francis Lee combined his grandmother’s courage and his grandfathers dreams…

Book now for Settle Stories screening on Sun 31st March click here.