Amongst the nominations was a nod for David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived in the Single Documentary category – directed by Dan Hartley, who is both a PGGB Member in his own right, and a Platinum Partner as Strategic Director at CineArk.
The film tells a timely story. It is a moving portrait of Daniel Radcliffe’s stunt double - and the accident that left him paralysed, sustained whilst filming the penultimate film in the Harry Potter series. It’s a wonderful study of friendship, kindness and guilt; a coming-of-age story which refuses to be defined solely by its heartbreaking twist.
We caught up with Dan after the nomination to chat about the film, David, and his plans for the future.
Firstly, congratulations! How does it feel to have been nominated for a BAFTA?
I did a little piece for the BBC after the announcement in which I described it as ‘humbling, wonderous and fantastic’. That still seems like a pretty good fit.
How did this project come about? Have you known David for a while?
I met Dave back in 1999 when I joined Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as a trainee in the video department, and Dave was a 17-year-old stuntman doubling Daniel Radcliffe. I ended up being promoted to video assistant operator on the second unit, and for a lot of those films I did double duty as an on-set editor so got to know the stunt team really well.
After working on the original films at Leavesden, how did it feel to go back into the world of Harry Potter?
The slight irony of the story is that I was always trying to get off the Harry Potter films because I was really determined to become a director. So, after each Harry Potter film I would make a short, and then, after they all ended, I made my feature film, Lad: A Yorkshire Story.
But then, after a few years of struggling to get that distributed, I was on the set of the second Fantastic Beasts 2 movie, looking around and thinking “I’m the last one still here!”
Well, now it’s 2024 and here I am again working on a ‘Harry Potter’ film… Goes to show you never can predict how your life choices will pan out!
We’re prioritising health and safety on-set more than we used to, but what lessons can we as an industry learn from David’s story?
I’m very much in support of the endeavours taken in the past few years to huddle the crew at the start of the day and give them a briefing. I feel that should be mandatory. For the most part there have been big improvements but there’s still that moment of intense pressure in which the 1st AD is on their final countdown and it’s very hard to interject with an issue, and I think there’s also a big problem that’s rarely discussed in regard to working long days and travelling home whilst tired, and in production terms it’s a little too easy to work within the letter of the law in regards to distance etc. but ignore the real-world realities of travel time.
David seems like such an inspiring person. What are his ambitions for industry change, and do you think the recognition for this film will help him to achieve those?
David is back in the driving seat and never been busier which is fantastic. Since the film was released, his Instagram has gone through the roof, he’s been asked to write an editorial for the New York Times, appear in a Ted Talk, and will shortly give a speech in front of 3000 lawyers… and there’s some big news coming towards the end of the year. Not to mention the number of creative projects he’s pursuing, including a TV series about the Halifax explosion in 1917. Dave will continue to advocate for disability, but, more than anything, he advocates for living our best lives. It's awesome to see how people have been impacted by his story.
You’re an incredibly busy person – producing, writing and directing as well as your work at CineArk – is it time for some well-earned rest or are you already moving onto your next project?
No! Having waited this long for a break, I’m hell-bent on trying to get as many opportunities as possible going. I’ve got a development slate that spans documentary and scripted, and I’m pitching every day. If there are any PGGB producers out there that want to support my sub £10m UK feature thriller then I’d love to hear from them! Speaking of which – I’m immensely grateful to PGGB member Aneta Chalas who has done a brilliant job of breaking down the script for this project and budgeting it.
