Private Project

Wedlock

A reluctant bride is driven to her wedding by her estranged deadbeat father.

  • Jonathan Buck
    Director
    Loveshack, Subscribe Like Follow, Come Up For Air, Parallella, Adolescence
  • Jonathan Buck
    Writer
    Loveshack, Subscribe Like Follow, Come up For Air, Parallella, Adolesence
  • Emma Fraser
    Additional Material by
  • David Riffkin
    Executive Producer
  • Jonathan Buck
    Producer
    Loveshack, Subscribe Like Follow, Come up For Air, Parallella, Adolesence
  • Tanya O'Sullivan
    Key Cast
    "Rebecca"
  • Basil Massy
    Key Cast
    "Derek"
    Loveshack
  • Eire O'Halloran
    Key Cast
    "Felicity"
    Adolescence, Parallella
  • Ryan Byrne
    Key Cast
    "Police Officer"
    Coraya - 'Dying When You Wanna Be Saved'
  • Alexandra Turchyn
    Key Cast
    "Ingrid"
  • Peter Picton
    Key Cast
    "Robert"
  • Blake Aiden
    Key Cast
    "Chris"
    Subscribe Like Follow, Loveshack
  • Jonathan Buck
    Director of Photography
    Loveshack, Come Up For Air, Parallella, Adolescence, Subscribe Like Follow
  • Josh Harris
    First Assistant Director
    Loveshack, Subscribe Like Follow
  • Nikoline Gjørtz
    First Assistant Camera
    Come up For Air, Parallella, No Ordinary Sundae
  • Lily Beresford
    Sound Recordist
    Come Up For Air, Parallella, No Ordinary Sundae
  • Wei Hsuan Chen
    SFX Supervisor
    Come Up For Air, Parallella, No Ordinary Sundae
  • Precious Rebecca Richards
    Make-Up Artist
    Loveshack
  • David Andrews
    Foley Artist
    Subscribe Like Follow
  • Jonathan Buck
    Editor
    Loveshack, Come Up For Air, Parallella, Adolescence, Subscribe Like Follow
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    comedy, road trip, social-realism
  • Runtime:
    17 minutes 1 second
  • Completion Date:
    March 1, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    2,626 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes
Director Biography - Jonathan Buck

Jonathan is a filmmaker based in Newcastle upon Tyne with over 10 years of experience in videography, editing and directing. After graduating from the University of Glasgow in 2010 with a Bachelors degree in Film Studies Jonathan turned to freelance video work, producing music videos and promotional material as a director and cinematographer. In 2017 he continued his studies at Masters level at the University of Sussex where he received a distinction in Filmmaking. As part of his MA he worked on five short fiction films acting in various capacities including editor, camera assistant, director of photography and producer. 'Wedlock' is his final thesis film which he wrote, produced, and directed. Jonathan's work centers around the exploration of class, identity, time, and memory.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Wedlock began when my then fiancée (now wife) and I were having drinks with one of her co-workers. She brought up a story about her wedding day. She had a difficult relationship with her father but for her wedding day her Dad insisted on driving her to the ceremony. On the way she started to get cold feet. To alleviate the tension her Dad got out some cans of beer and they had a heart-to-heart about her impending marriage. Seeing how distressed his daughter was he stopped the car and told her in no uncertain terms that if she didn’t want to go through with the wedding she didn’t have to; he could simply turn the car around. Finally, she decided to go through with it. They later divorced. But this wasn’t the way I wanted the story to turn out.

The script developed with the conviction that in high stress life-event situations, people can make a dramatic change of mind. The details of the film though based on a true story have been highly expanded upon, yet the real life conflict and the real life humour give the film an authenticity that I think will be relatable to all kinds of audiences. Although the film is largely a chamber piece centred mostly around two characters, a larger sense of their shared history and past come into play that we always share with our family members.

The situation of the film is a two-way street. Derek is learning to admit and own up to his failures as a father while Rebecca is learning how to let him back into her life and to let him help her from making a terrible mistake. Despite their generational gap, the obstacles in the way of their slow drive to the aisle are similar. Both of their obstacles are really internal. They are haunted by obligation, compromises, hidden sorrow, Derek’s ex-wife and Rebecca’s mother. For Derek, leaving his traditional marriage was necessary to avoid a loveless marriage. For Rebecca, the negatives of this agreement – its toll on her, and the abandoning of their family – are intolerable. Ultimately, Derek is able to reconnect with Rebecca and redeem himself by getting her out the trap being set for her.

The experience I want most to get across with Wedlock is one of potentiality. The feeling of breaking free. While this film is about the immutability of the past, it’s also about dawns, transformations and how profoundly funny life can be in its most demanding moments. While this story is distinct, I didn’t approach it as a ‘light-hearted’ film. I wanted to make an open-hearted film that seeks what is perhaps most difficult in these cynical times; to connect with others.

- Jonathan Buck, 2019