Film: The Arbiter
Director: Marc Price
Writer: Marc Price
Starring: Craig Russell, Ekow Quartey, Georgina Leonidas, Jon Xue Zhang, Alastair Kirton
Synopsis – Gangs rule the night, and when one crew make a murderous push to erase the rest, the remaining leaders gather for an unprecedented summit- their only hope, The Arbiter, a negotiator with a reputation for delivering order in chaos.
The Arbiter will be playing at Dead and Sudburied on Saturday, 18th October at 4:20 PM.
Q. Your film The Arbiter has been selected for Dead and Sudburied, can you tell us a bit about what we can expect from the film?
A. The Arbiter is a violent little action film about gang leaders attempting to join forces to take down the biggest, most violent gang. But one of them is a rat who gave their location away. I was hoping it could be a good fit for Dead and Sudburied, and Andy was very enthusiastic about screening it. I’m excited to see it play. I want the film to be a good time. A ride for the audience.
Q. How did the idea for the film come about and what were your inspirations when writing the script?
A. I was cat sitting for one of the actors we ended up casting in the film. I locked myself out and had to make this odyssey across London and was catching all of these funny looks.
In the stress of being locked out, I’d forgotten that I’d been helping a friend with a film earlier that evening. So I was in Zombie makeup. As I caught all these funny looks I thought “I know people don’t think I’m a real zombie. But I look like I’m in a The-Warriors-style gang”.
And the idea of a war-torn city with wacky gangs sounded like a fun film idea and it developed from there.
Q. What were some of your influences for the look and style of the film?
A. Weirdly, we take our colour inspiration from The Wizard of Oz (1939). So lots of yellows for the start of the journey for these characters. Then reds, greens and blue for meanings that parallel Wizard of Oz, but also have their own meaning for the characters and our little movie world.
I also watched a bunch of movies with conflicted characters in a confined space. 12 Angry Men (1957), Reservoir Dogs (1992), The Thing (1982). It was a fun time absorbing all these techniques directors like (Sidney) Lumet and (Quentin) Tarantino and (John) Carpenter employed to shoot characters with aggressive, paranoid fluctuations of emotion.
Q. Did you make any changes from the original script during filming?
A. Not in terms of story. The structure and purpose for each scene was always very clear. But I love to play when we are in the space and shooting. That’s where some of the greatest ideas emerge. Not just from the actors, who always have specific ideas based on how they’re tackling the story from their character’s perspective. But ideas that come from anyone.
Our grip Harry couldn’t get a piece of kit we needed to shoot the majority of the yellow room scene. So he built this little device that was far more versatile and was able to manoeuvre with so much more freedom. That scene wouldn’t have been as dynamic without that single contribution.
And there are so many more examples of people sharing amazing ideas to help elevate the story further than what I could do alone.
Q. What were some of your favourite memories of making the Film?
A. I had such a great time working with the cast and crew. But one of the best times was after a day shooting. It was a Friday and most of the core cast were in that day. And one of our camera team was into larping. So he brought a bow and arrow. Just a rubber end on the arrow. So we got some beers in to thank everyone for a great week. Drank at the location and learned our range of skill levels with a bow and arrow shooting beer cans.
I am easily the anti-Legolas. If you want someone to kiss a target: I’m your guy!
Q. Did you experience any issues during filming?
A. There’s always something. But we have an incredible production team who provided everything needed to turn pages into scenes. We are very focused on safety, so even the stunts and burn gags were safely executed. I’m relieved to not have anything exciting to tell you in that respect.
Q. What makes The Arbiter stand out as something different in the horror genre?
A. It’s not a horror film. Haha! So I guess that’s possibly the most unique way of making it stand out. Though I don’t think it’s fully ostracised from the genre. The way we revel in the violence shares a kinship with some horror films I love. We even took a few special effects techniques directly from horror to get the best impact.
My first film was a horror so returning to that same tension and violence in a slightly different costume was fun. I guess it’s those aspects that made it attractive to Frightfest and Dead and SudBuried.
Q. What do you hope people take away after watching the film?
A. I hope they have a great time. The plan was for this film to feel like a ride. There’s a deeper meaning for an audience to read into if that’s something they choose to do. The beating heart of the story is present through the whole film. I hope the audience come away feeling like they’ve had a great time.
Q. Do you have any other projects which you are currently working on?
A. There’s always something bubbling away. It’s like working freelance. One project finishes and then it’s a frantic scramble to start the next one before the bills start piling up.
If all goes well the next film dances a little more clearly in the horror genre. So hopefully we will have something to offer next year.
Q. If someone was looking to get into filmmaking film what advice would you give them?
A. I always suggest people look at what they have available to add production value and find a way to tell their story. It’s such an exciting time. Looking at social media I see so much creativity and originality and skill at short form storytelling. I come from a generation who had to search relentlessly for a camera. A camcorder. Now we all have phones capable of shooting such remarkable quality. And streaming platforms that can showcase the work.
It’s an exciting time to be a film maker and for me to be an audience.
The Arbiter will be playing at Dead and Sudburied on Saturday 18th October at 4:20PM.
Find out more about the festival and purchase tickets for The Arbiter here
Published in various websites, Philip is a reviewer who is best known for his interviews and media coverage of independent projects including; films, books, theatre and live events. Always on the lookout for something different to cover!
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