War in Congo comes to the county

War in Congo comes to the county

• By Rhianne Pope »

A Solider Wielding A Gun in Film Action

OXFORDSHIRE was invaded by an army of helicopters and gun-wielding soldiers this week, as one quiet village became the set for a new film.
Residents in Broadwell, west Oxfordshire, woke up on Tuesday to 50 cast and crew members making a charity film about the Congo.
For three days, they watched stuntmen and actors flying around their usually peaceful homes.
There were even helicopters landing in the garden of a nearby house.
Film producer George Parker said people in the village had been very welcoming.
She said: “We just want to say a big thank-you to the people of Broadwell for being so kind to us.
“I have to say the community here has been absolutely wonderful and so supportive, allowing us into their homes.”
Ms Parker said one lady had even offered the use of her car to house a dead body for one of the shots.
But she said other residents were a bit more shocked by the visitors.
She said: “One man got a bit of a surprise when he drove his car round a corner into the village and was confronted by a group of soldiers with guns pointed in his direction.
“It is not always apparent it’s a film, because the cameras are so far back.”
The film is being made by companies Darksibre and Bondage for Freedom, with charity Global Witness part-funding it.
It aims to increase awareness about the humanitarian situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by imagining a similar situation in Britain.
Ms Parker said: “This is going to be a call for action, to make consumers aware of what is going on over there.
“It is estimated that 5.4 million civilians have been killed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the last 10 years.
“And in just one region, North and South Kivu, it is thought around 80,000 women and children are raped every year.”
Residents may think the Cotswolds was an odd choice as a setting for the film, but Ms Parker said it was a natural fit.
She said: “We wanted to make the film in a place people could identify with, somewhere British.

Ms Parker

“Even internationally, because this film is going to be shown in countries across the world, people can see the Cotswolds and think ‘this is England’.”
Ms Parker then hinted that some big Hollywood names had jumped on board the project, but couldn’t say more.
She said: “We have a stellar cast and crew who have all given their time and expertise for free because they believe in the cause. I’m sorry I can’t say more, but let’s just say we have some well-known people on the team.”
The film will be released at a date yet to be announced in September.

A scene from the film

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