Year: 2008
Length: 10 mins
Format: HD digital video
Country: United Kingdom

Writer/director: Mike Hallett
Producers: Mike Hallett, Helen Flanagan
DoP: Chris Pratt
Main cast: Taya James, Elizabeth Crawford

© 2008 Mica Films trailer play film

Conflicting ideals of beauty lead to a tragic friendship – with echoes of the 1950s noir classic Sunset Boulevard – between two teenage girls on the banks of the Grand Union Canal.

The script for Grand Union Canal was inspired by a lyric Mike Hallett wrote in 2006 after driving past the canal and being struck by the tragedy that might lurk behind its still façade. The music was composed by Adrian Lang and the song became the foundation of the finished film's soundtrack. The film was shot in October and November 2007. Despite the risks of filming in Britain in mid-autumn, Grand Union Canal's exterior shooting was blessed with constant light conditions and not overly cold temperatures. The result was a rich autumn look filled with decaying leaves that perfectly complemented the film's dark theme.

Click on the slide shows below for stills and making-of images for Grand Union Canal.

	An experimental blend of the short film and music video formats, Grand Union Canal can also be viewed as a music video on YouTube.
	The film's title song played on BBC Radio Northamptonshire on Christmas Day 2008 in a collection of songs about that county. Other artists included Fairport Convention, Roy Harper, Alexei Sayle and Big Country. Click here to listen to the programme's interview with filmmaker Mike Hallett.

Grand Union Canal was co-produced by Mica Films and Helen Flanagan of Squelen Productions.