A Forgotten Casualty
A homeless veteran wonders the outskirts of Cambridge, far from the reaches of society, as he struggles to come to terms with this past.
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Alexander FryerDirector
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Alexander FryerWriter
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Jemma StriblingWriter
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Nanci Neff CruzProducer
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Alexander FryerProducer
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Dominic 'Attenborough' FryerKey Cast
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Philip PetkovaKey Cast
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Catarina RodriguesDirectors of Photography
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Alexander Fryer (2nd Unit)Directors of Photography
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Maya YordanovaEditor
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Alexandra PetkovaSound Recordists
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James MearnsSound Recordists
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Alexander FryerSound Recordists
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Andrea 'Lupo' BortalasoSound Editors/Mixers
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James MearnsSound Editors/Mixers
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Alexander FryerSound Editors/Mixers
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Project Type:Short, Student
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Runtime:18 minutes 14 seconds
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Completion Date:July 3, 2017
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Production Budget:772 GBP
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Country of Filming:United Kingdom
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:Yes
Ever since the age of 3 I was always fascinated with the visual moving image on a screen. I became interested in the film-making process when I was 12 years old, which would later lead to me pursuing a career in film-making.
I started film-making when I was 16 years old when my parents bought me a digital camera, which I used to make mediocre stop-motion animations and short films.
I would then continue to develop my skills in film-making through media studies in sixth form, media production in West Suffolk College (where I earned a certificate for Best student) and Film Studies at Anglia Ruskin University (where I graduated with a first class honors).
As of now I am continuing my aspirations in film-making through experiences in videography and future production runner placements.
The story of A Forgotten Casualty is a present day drama that revolves around a homeless veteran who is currently living a under a bridge in the middle of nowhere. As he is hiding from civilization, his past comes back to haunt him as he is slowly reminded of his days as a soldier.
The issues surrounding the homelessness of veterans is the main subject surrounding this film. There are very little publications from the mainstream media on the matter. The main character represents one of many ignored or forgotten casualties of war. The film's themes are sub-textual and moral as it raises issues regarding past, recent and present world conflicts and the pointlessness of war and their after effects.
In terms of vision for the film, I wanted to mix the grounded realism with elements of apocalyptic tones. The location and cinematography needed to give the film a very bleak look to bring a sense of decay and discomfort for the main character. That's why we used the bridge in Fen Ditton, Cambridge as the main setting since its graffiti, rusty bike and litter contribute to the bleakness.
The film features almost no dialogue for the conflict going on with main character are rather internal since he suffers of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The film makes the use of sounds to drive the story forward along with the visuals.
What I am hoping the achieve with this film, ultimately, is raise some forms of awareness on quite a less publicized subject matter. There is a saying that the greatest casualty in war "is being forgotten".