RIG Arts Film school movie with Northern Soul soundtrack

RIG Arts film school is running the project with local River City duo Jason Orr, directing and producing, and acclaimed Greenock writer Danny McCahon penning the script.

The movie, called Heartache Souvenirs, which is being shot over five days in locations around Inverclyde, is being made by students who are all under 25.

Jason Orr, of Rig Arts, said: "We have Scottish based actors and international actors alongside local actors.

"We have a group of actors from River City, Gerard Miller, who plays the main character Bingo, Jon Dan Duncan who plays Tiger, Claire Dargo and John Walker Grey."

It also features Sally Molloy, 27, who is the 2022 Northern Soul Dance World Champion.

Sally who lives in Dorset said: "I am really excited to be involved in this film, people are so committed and so passionate, it's a great representation of Northern Soul.

"I had been listening to the music, then caught the bug and started dancing five years ago. The music is real and raw and it's about people who have been left behind, being given the chance to be heard, Northern Soul is their outlet.

"Northern soul is a community, it's about pride, family. It's about fashion, music, movement, the people and history."

River City actor Gerard, 36, said: "It's brilliant. I've known Jason for a while and he has give me an insight into the northern soul scene within this area and because RIG Arts is a charity, it's good to give something back to the area."

It is also an ideal opportunity for local actors to get their big break.

Alex McFarlane from Gourock, plays Ruby the daughter of one of the main characters, Mags.

She said: "I do drama at the Junior Conservatoire in Glasgow, my mum spotted that RIG Arts were local for actors, so I auditioned and got the part.

"It's really good, it's all being filmed locally, it's a good chance to show off my home town.

"It's been a great opportunity to work on the film."

Alex has just left Clydeview Academy and has been accepted to study drama at the City of Glasgow College.

The film has been shot in the Loreto Club, with the upper floor representing the Broomhill Bar, in other locations in and around Greenock.

Members of the public and extras were invited to fill the dance floor during filming.

Jason is art director at River City and Danny writes the scripts for the Scottish soap.

Jason said: "We have 25 young people who have been engaged in six-week workshops, a lot of students haven't done any film work at all, so this gives them the next step into the industry."

Danny, who has also written for TV dramas Taggart, Casualty and Waterloo Road, among many others, said: "Jack Kerouac said there are only two stories, someone leaving and someone coming back, this is about someone coming back to Greenock after almost two decades.

"It's about a guy called Bingo who has been living the dream in Ibiza, or what he thought was living the dream, coming home to claim a rare northern soul record, after hearing one was sold by auction for thousands of pounds only to find his mother has given it away.

"I have helped Jason with film school before and I found a script I had already written and tweaked it.

"We are so lucky in Inverclyde to have RIG Arts."

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The film will be entered into the Glasgow and Edinburgh Film Festivals and International Film Festival.

Professional filmmaker Chris Fallen is co-director, co-producer and director of photography, while Iona Lee is the standby director for the film.

The Rig Arts Film School is supported by the National Lottery Young Start Second Chances Fund.

Jason and the team want to thank the Inverclyde Northern Soul scene, including Pineapple Soul Club at the Loreto Club, and Blow Up at the Broomhill Bar for their inspiration, Joe Nelis, the Scottish Lambretta Society and River Clyde Homes for providing a property to film in.