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Don't Look at the Finger
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Don't Look at the Finger Film

‘Don’t Look at the Finger’ is, at one level, an exploration of how the highly stylised genre conventions of Hong Kong martial arts movies have permeated the mainstream through the influence of directors like Quentin Tarantino and in blockbusters like The Matrix. It is also a reminder of how some of the highly specific signature symbols of historical cultural traditions and languages can become interestingly blurred and entangled in today’s hybrid and eclectic visual landscape. Shot in a church, Don’t Look At The Finger presents a wedding ceremony where bodies speak physically, where the protagonists seek human connection through ritual, combat and signed languages.

Encompassing the UK, North America, South and East Asia, and West Africa, the confluence of culturally specific reference points inform the fluid relationship between reality and fiction that we see in this film, featuring specially made costumes, choreography, language and music that each question their own origins.

Commissioned by Film and Video Umbrella with Manchester Art Gallery and QUAD. Supported by Arts Council England. Initial research supported by Jerwood Choreographic Research Project.

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Artwork Details

  • Medium

    HD Film with stereo sound

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  • Duration

    16 Minutes 8 Seconds

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  • Year

    2017

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Film Credits

  • Director

    Hetain Patel

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  • Executive Producer

    Steven Bode, FVU

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  • Produced by

    Sophie Neave

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  • Production Supervisor

    Susanna Chisholm, FVU

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  • Director of Photography

    Carlos Catalan

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  • Costume Designer

    Holly Waddington

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  • Fight Choreographer

    Chirag Lukha

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  • Sign Language Consultant

    Louise Stern

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  • Composer

    Amy May

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  • Editor

    Oliver Parker

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  • Cast (Bride and Groom)

    Victoria Shulungu and Freddie Opoku-Addaie

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  • Production Designer

    Beck Rainford

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  • Hair and Make-Up Designer

    Jessica Shulungu

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  • Costume Cutter and Maker

    Kate Whitehead

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  • Supporting Cast

    Zoe Charlery, Vilma Jackson, Carol Lake, Claudette Little-Herron, Kadeem Oak, Thomas Owoo, Alicia Smikle-Little, Jessica Shulungu

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  • 1st Assistant Director

    Chris Malin

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  • 2nd Assistant Director

    Sammy Wong

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  • 3rd Assistant Director

    Magda Kozak

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  • Production Assistant

    Polly Wright, FVU

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  • 1st Assistant Camera

    Sebastian Marczewski

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  • 2nd Assistant Camera

    Chai Rolfe

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  • Digital Image Technician

    Jordan Wallace

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  • Steadicam Operator

    Charlie Rizek

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  • Grips

    Brett Lamerton, Myles Soldenhoff

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  • Gaffer

    Antti Janhunen

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  • Spark

    Jack Knott

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  • Additional Spark

    Mike Johnson

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  • Props Dressing

    Tom Savery

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  • Standby

    Aimee Alicia Meek

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  • Costume Assistant

    Rosie Stoward

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  • Additional Costume Makers

    Elizabeth Brown, Florence Emiola

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  • American Sign Language Interpreter

    Helsa Borinstein

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  • Additional Sign Language Interpreters

    Sophie Allen, Brett Best, Anna Kitson, Karen Newby, Daniel Roberts

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  • Stills Photographer

    Nick Matthews

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Post Production

  • Digital Intermediate

    CHEAT

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  • Colourist

    Joseph Bicknell

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  • Post Producer

    Chloe Saunders

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  • Strings, Vocals & Composition

    Amy May

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  • Percussion

    Matthew Whittington

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  • Cello & Mixing

    Ben Trigg

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  • Flute

    Hannah Lawrence

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  • Tuvan Singing

    From Live Perfprmance by Kaigal-ool Kim-oolovich Khovalyg

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  • Sound by

    Soundnode

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  • Location Sound Recordist

    David Crane

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  • Supervising Sound Editor

    Martin Schulz

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  • Dubbing Mixers

    Daniel Jaramillo, Martin Schulz

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  • Foley by

    Clap Studios, Medellin

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  • Foley Artist

    Daniel Giraldo

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  • Foley Recordist

    Sebastian Alzate Lopez

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  • Foley Editor

    Alexander Aguilar

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  • Insurance supplied by

    Integro Entertainmant

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  • Camera Equipment supplied by

    Arri Rental

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  • Lighting Equipment supplied by

    Panalux

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  • Sound Equipment supplied by

    Soundnode

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  • Location Catering provided by

    CGI Catering

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  • Location provided by

    Stone Nest

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  • Rehearsal Studios provided by

    Sadler's Wells and RESCEN

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  • Special Thanks

    Billie Achilleos, Erik Eno Anderson, Chris Bannerman, Gemma Beasley, Anna Billington, Sophie Bugeaud, Rob Garvie, Mike Jones, Pei Ling, Eva Martinez, Hannah Myers, Kate Pryor-Williams, Coraly Salamanca Stern, Inna Schorr, Richard Williamson, Students of Middlesex University

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  • Filmed on location in

    London, UK

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A Film and Video Umbrella Production

  • Commissioned by

    Film and Video Umbrella With Manchester Art Gallery and QUAD, Derby

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