Harriet Joyce attends a screening at the RAF Museum in Colindale

Poster for short film Lieutenant At Arms

Short film Lieutenant at Arms was screened last week at the RAF Museum in Colindale with an introduction and Q & A session with its director.

The screening was a unique experience, as being held at the museum meant the audience could look at and into the cockpits of aircrafts, similar to ones used during the Cold War period.

Director, Kerri Ann Foweraker, introduced the screening by explaining how showing the film at the museum felt like a “full circle” moment, after contacting the RAF to get permission to use their logo before the film was released in 2018.

The twelve minute film is the story of a young blind girl in Cold War England who becomes paranoid about the Communist threat. Kerri Ann’s use of visual storytelling creates an eerie and enigmatic feel in its setting and characterisation, replicating the Cold War’s fear of the unknown.

Following the screening, Kerri Ann held a Q&A explaining the intriguing filmmaking process.

Impressively, the film was shot within four days, with a budget of just £2,000. However she said the editing required far more time. It took two months of pedantic processes, such as editing out native Australian gum trees, to make sure the British-set film did not detach its originally Australian audience.

The film’s pre-production took four months which included finding locations, props and a cast to shoot with, such as Scouts and the children of those lending the aircrafts. It was a major achievement to create this film on a small budget and tight production schedule.

If Kerri Ann were to give any advice to young filmmakers wanting to make their first film, it would be to “follow your own creativity” by making the film you want instead of the film others say you should or can make.

Kerri Ann Foweraker is currently in the process of making a feature length film about the Cold War, which she hopes to release in 2026.

In the meantime, she is still successfully screening Lieutenant at Arms five years after its release.

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