Bet on Yourself
The story of John Reeve, an 80 year old entrepreneurial legend from war-torn England, who sailed to the Caribbean to become a cruise ship excursion mogul.
John owned an island-themed nightclub in the centre of Birmingham, hosting crooners like Dusty Springfield, Liberace and Tom Jones. He intrepidly sailed across the Atlantic with no experience and no motor, crashed at least three airplanes and two boats, lived with Pygmy Indians, had his skull caved in with a 4ft iron pipe, escaped from a Grenadian revolution, and entered the '88 Winter Olympics as the US Virgin Islands bobsled team (yes, the same year as the Jamaicans).
Nothing in life has ever stopped John and he is an inspiration for everyone to go out, make mistakes and make a mark on the world.
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Harvey EatonDirectorThe Prisoner
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Alex NewtonDirector of Photography
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Max WilsonTitle Design
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Megan O'HaganFoley Artist
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Sulaiman BhaimiaFoley Artist
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Project Type:Documentary
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Genres:Human Interest, Adventure
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Runtime:20 minutes 25 seconds
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Completion Date:February 27, 2019
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Production Budget:3,000 GBP
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Country of Origin:United Kingdom
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Country of Filming:Virgin Islands, U.S.
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:2.35:1
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
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Birmingham Film FestivalBirmingham
United Kingdom
November 2, 2019
UK Premiere
Winner - Best Documentary -
Oregon Documentary Film FestivalPortland, Oregon
United States
December 7, 2019
US Premiere
Nominated - Best Editing -
Georgia Documentary Film FestivalAtlanta, Georgia
United States
Nominated - Best International Documentary -
DTC Film FestivalCovington
United States
February 28, 2020
Winner - Best Foreign Film -
Cardiff Mini Film FestivalCardiff
Official Selection
Harvey Eaton is a director and editor from London, England.
Harvey loves to represent the human condition on film, whether it's documentary, or narrative fiction. He amplifies the characteristics of people naturally and always charges his work with a genuine energy. Heading towards the more emotional side of things, he brings out strong performances. Coming from an editing background, timing is everything to him; crafting the beat and rhythm is integral to every piece of his work. As well as cutting through the bullshit, keeping what’s essential.
Harvey principally works in the world of commercials and branded content, but also loves to explore the documentary world of people.
As soon as I had spent an hour with John Reeve, I was excited to hear more and more of his stories. He is a beacon of light for a generation that has too much choice and a lack of sense of purpose. He had nothing to start with in his youth. He made his own luck, through sheer hard work, determination and faith in himself.
I made this film for anyone who feels stuck in a rut, like the world owes them, like life is too tough. I want as many people as possible to be inspired by John's never ending resilience and view on life, as I have been.