Messenger is an experimental comedy-drama that switches up a ticking-clock narrative, developing into a surprising and surreal twist on the 'panic years'. We see how kind-natured and credulous courier Bobbie reaches boiling point against the backdrop of a modern London that’s equal parts beautiful and harsh.
With Messenger, the filmmakers wanted to speak to everyday rage and look at how it can be expressed and released. Fed up with film depictions of rage so often via violence, this is an exploration of rage through a different type of physicality - body movement. Bobbie begins with a clear mission, but then priorities shift and a metamorphosis begins amid bouts of joy, nature and surrealism.
Metamorphosis is a theme director Alix Eve has been probing into in recent years. ‘As a trans person for years I worked to ‘fit in’, a people pleaser scared to step on toes, but more recently I’ve begun a journey into a new frame of mind, an altogether more freeing one. In our story Bobbie embarks on a similar journey informed by mine and Olivia’s real experiences - Olivia was a bike courier on-and-off for 3 years. Messenger also sees a big step up in the scale of the stories we are telling’ says Alix, ‘with 10 locations shot over 4 days, including lengthy bike sequences around the city. It was an ambitious project that would not have been possible without the extraordinary support of producer Kamila Serkebaeva and all the fabulous cast and crew. Oh, and this might not be the last we see of Bobbie - something hinted at in Messenger’s mid-credit sting.’
Staring OLIVIA DOWD @dobbyd
AMELIA KENWORTHY @ameliakenworthy_
CHRIS WILLIAMS @chriswilli1
AIDAN CHENG @aidan.cheng
& LEROY JOHNSON
Also featuring GAUKHAR ZAITBEKOVA @goha88 AMY DOWD @amy.dowd
RAFFERTY DOWD CHIVALL HAL HIGGS SAM NEWTON
Directed by ALIX EVE @alixeve
Written by OLIVIA DOWD @dobbyd & ALIX EVE @alixeve
Producer KAMILA SERKEBAEVA @kamila_serkebay
Prod Company BALA PROJECTS @bala_projects
In association with STORYHOUSE @storyhouseuk HOUSE ON FIRE PRODUCTIONS @houseonfireproductions
Co-Producers GAUKHAR ZAITBEKOVA @goha88
KATE SHELLEY @kate.shelley
Executive Producers KAMILA SERKEBAEVA @kamila_serkebay JAMES APPLETON @james_appleton_
DOP LAURA SEWARD @laura.seward.dop
Editor LORNA SEARL @lornasearl
Music FRAN AMEWUDAH RIVERS @franarivers
Sound Design RYAN GREEN @ryangreencreative ALEX SYMEONIDES
Movement Direction WET MESS @wet_mess
Production Designer MELIS OYZOYN @melzoyn
Costume FLORENT VENET
HMU STACEY FITZGERALD @staceyfitzgerald1
Sound Recordist JOSEPH CAMPBELL @jfcampbell__
Sound FX Editor & Foley: ISA YOUSUFZAI
1st Assistant Dir JACQUELINE CRAIN @jacqueline.e.Crain
2nd Assistant Dir KELLY DRAPER @kellydraper_
Script Supervisor DHURGA MENON @dhurgadoesfilm
Grade KAROL CYBULSKI @imkarol.colour
1st AC LAURA FLACK @lauraflackk
2nd AC TOM ROWE @tomirons
Trainee TEDDY CLAYTON @udsholtproductions
Gaffer PIERO CIOFFI @pcioffi_
Spark MARKELA KONTARATOU@witch_king__
Prod Assistants JAMES MATHHEWSON @jamesmathewson11 LISA LEACH @mslisaleach
Van Driver BRENNA HORROX @brennahorrox
Graphic designer ELLEN JONSSON @elllenjonsson
Film Processing KODAK @kodak_shootfilm
Film Scanning DIGITAL ORCHARD @digital_orchard
Camera & lighting CAMERAWORKS @cameraworks_uk
Big thx AMY DOWD @amy.dowd WDW ENTERTAINMENT @wdment
CHLOE CHRISTIAN & FAMILY @chlo_christian