Meaningful Films

19/09/2025

A Seaside Town of Memories and Legacy 💜 🌊

Whitstable has become a favourite place for us to visit.

This seaside town on the north coast of Kent has always been a popular destination for tourists and celebrities alike and is known for its oysters as well as the famous actor Peter Cushing who lived there. 🎭

When Joanna discovered that her grandmother Janet Morrison spent the final years of her life in Whitstable (she went to look after her mother and aunt - actors Zoe and Dora Davis in their dotage) – it became a place that held poignant memories of the long lost relatives she never met.

We went to film 🎥 in Whitstable a few weeks ago and the sun was out and the town full of visitors which lent it a cheerful atmosphere. 🌅

But in truth, it seems that Janet wasn’t as happy to live here as some. She had gone through duty to look after her relatives at the family home of Pear Tree Cottage and by all accounts was planning to go on her travels again. Known as ‘Madame Pear Tree 🌳 – the Lady from the BBC' – she was found dead in her home, alone, at the age of 66.

The cottage which must have given her a measure of sanctuary and the garden, salt air and sea some peace, this was the place where Janet would have reflected on her life and losses. Waiting for things that never quite arrived. 💔

Joanna had the chance to stay at Pear Tree a few years ago when it was a holiday let and she went there with her three children, Skye, Merrick and Sedona and the family dog – a large and rather badly behaved 🐕 Bouvier des Flandres. It was so special for them to be in the former home of their ancestors.

On this occasion Luke captured some beautiful shots of the sea 🎥 and the evening light and we reflected on how Janet would have taken some solace and comfort from these elements when in so many ways her life hadn’t been full of the fun, laughter and opportunities that she must have once hoped for.

With just 19 days left, we are close to reaching £10,000 on our fundraising campaign. We are so grateful for all your support. Please continue to share our fundraiser and help us achieve our goal. ⬇️

https://igg.me/at/briefestencounters/x/38658911 #/

Thank you. 🙏

12/09/2025

We’ve been continuing our fundraising efforts this week to bring our story to the big screen and we’ve been setting up more interviews. 🎥

One of the most fascinating parts about making a documentary (particularly when it’s about your own family) is how many more stories and characters start to emerge. 💜

We realised that we needed to give a voice to Iris Hoey, Cyril Raymond's first wife. Not only was she a notable actor in her day 🎭 but Cyril had met her when they were in a play together and she ended up marrying him and having their son John Raymond.

I think we had assumed that Cyril’s marriage to Iris had been a mutual parting of the ways but we found some old newspaper cuttings that revealed a very different story. This leading lady of her time had been documented as saying she had never been happier than being at home with her son John and married to Cyril. We discovered that just two months after this article had been published, Cyril was having an affair with actress Janet Morrison when they were in New York in Jew Suss and so it turns out that Iris Hoey became another emotional casualty in this story. 💔

Joanna was also fascinated to discover that her uncle, John Raymond had been a well-known literary critic and journalist in his day and like his niece had worked in Fleet Street and frequented many of the same wine bars some decades before! It was interesting to see how another familial thread was running through the generations. Sedona the actor on stage; Joanna the journalist and broadcaster.

Joanna started ordering any books 📚 she could find written or edited by John and was beyond thrilled when one of the books turned up with his autograph in it. So it is really exciting that we are able to bring even more characters to life and tell their story through our documentary Briefest Encounters.

We are halfway through our funding campaign and are delighted to share that we have raised nearly £10,000. 🥳

Please continue to support us by donating and sharing our campaign ⬇️

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/briefest-encounters-an-untold-love-story #/

08/09/2025

This time last week 🎥🎭🥳

We're still reeling from our filming day last week at the Theatre Royal and Little Cinema in Bath and can't believe a week has already passed!

And we're so close to reaching £10,000 on our fundraising campaign!

Link to donate and share below! 🙏

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/briefest-encounters-an-untold-love-story #/

05/09/2025

If we could have picked two dream locations for filming our documentary Briefest Encounters it would have been at The Little Theatre Cinema and the Theatre Royal Bath.

Unbelievably, we got to film at both this week!

We took over Screen Two at the Little Cinema where Manager Mason put footage of Joanna’s father Nicholas up on the big screen and she and her actor daughter Sedona reflected on his life and adoption.

Ironically, Nicholas probably went to the cinema to see the film Brief Encounter back in 1945 never realising that he was watching his father on screen. Also, Nic adored drama, acting and films throughout his life.

In the afternoon we relocated to the Theatre Royal Bath. Luke set up his four cameras and monitors on the main stage with help from partner Dan and Henry at the TRB who sorted lighting and props.

It was an extraordinary moment to record how Sedona had literally been treading in the same theatrical footsteps as her great grandparents who had been on that same stage as her decades before.

Cyril Raymond and Janet Morrison had both performed on several occasions at the TRB during their lifetimes and Janet had made a notable performance in Pollyanna and had been celebrated as the ‘youngest leading lady’ of her time.

One hundred years later, almost to the day, Sedona Rose made her acting debut on that same stage when she was 11 years old in the Musical Annie and went on to perform there as a professional actor.

These moments were beautifully captured by award winning Bath artist Ben Hughes who did a series of pen and ink drawings as a memento of the occasion - www.benhughesart.co.uk

For Luke, the day carried its own full-circle significance. He met Sedona when they were both working at the Egg Theatre 14 years ago and she told him about the extraordinary story of her great-grandparents Janet and Cyril. He was later introduced to Joanna and they have been working together ever since but making this documentary is their most important and meaningful work to date.

It was also Luke’s birthday AND our campaign reached £8,000!

Thank you for all your support and please keep sharing our fundraiser.

29/08/2025

This week we’ve been planning our filming for September, which includes heading up to Carnforth to film in the Heritage Centre and the famous Brief Encounter Tea Room. 🎬✨

It’s been a truly exciting time as we also plan our filming at the The Little Theatre Cinema in Bath next week, followed by an afternoon at the City’s Theatre Royal Bath. Joanna will be joined by her daughter, actor Sedona Rose, as together they reflect on their family’s theatrical history and their deep ties to Bath and the South West.

It feels especially meaningful to share this part of the story in Bath, where Joanna raised her three children and where Luke was born and grew up. Discovering Joanna’s familial connection to the city and its theatre has been a remarkable revelation - uncovering a history she never knew existed, in the very place she calls home.

Today, we’ve been diving into boxes of archives, piecing together more of the story for the documentary. Amongst the treasures are rare photographs of Joanna’s father Nicholas and his parents, Janet and Cyril. Joanna’s sister has also shared some remarkable albums and scrapbooks filled with clippings, articles and memories from across Nicholas’s life.

We’re especially looking forward to filming on Monday 1st September - which happens to be Luke’s birthday too! 🎉

We’re delighted to share that we’ve now raised over £7,500 towards production costs. A huge thank you to everyone who has donated so far - your support means the world and is helping us bring this very special story to life. Please continue to share and donate if you can, to keep supporting the Arts.

Donate today: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/briefest-encounters-an-untold-love-story/x/38658911 #/

26/08/2025

We’re delighted to share that fundraising for Briefest Encounters is off to a flying start! 🚀✨

We’ve been overwhelmed by the generosity of the donations received so far and it has given us a huge confidence boost for this deeply meaningful project. 💜

A special thank you to our major backers, Penn and Richard Wall, who join us as Executive Producers and members of 'Cyril's Circle.' 🙌🎬

In just the past week, we’ve raised an incredible £7,675! 💷👏 This not only makes a vital contribution toward our production costs but also stands as a powerful reminder of the ongoing support for the arts. 🎭❤️

Thank you to those who have donated to our project. You'll find all our supporters on our website - https://www.meaningfulfilms.co.uk/briefestencounters

🌟 We’d love for you to continue sharing our campaign and donating if you can - it truly makes all the difference. 🙏💫

Thank you for standing with us on our most meaningful film project to date. 💜

David Lean’s iconic Brief Encounter marks its 80th anniversary this year. Our documentary reveals a hidden love story behind the film. This is the real life Brief Encounter inextricably linked with the film of the same name.

21/08/2025

🎥 Filming with Anthony Pratt for Briefest Encounters 🎬

Filming is well underway for Briefest Encounters and we began with a very special interview. 💜

We met with Anthony Pratt - who is Brief Encounter actor Cyril Raymond’s nephew.

Anthony was close to Cyril, whose second marriage was to his aunt, actor Gillian Lind. As well as his moving recollections, he also shared an incredible collection of photos and archives - including Cyril’s original Brief Encounter shooting script. 📽️

“He was a lovely man - very calm, very quiet, very composed. A gentleman. Very funny too.”

Anthony’s moving memories capture the essence of Cyril’s character in a way no archive ever could - revealing the man behind the actor and the quiet dignity that defined both his life and his performances.

✨ We’re so grateful to Anthony for sharing his stories and memories.

Take a look at some behind-the-scenes footage below, with a snippet of Anthony’s reflections that will feature in our documentary. 🎬

Please keep sharing our campaign and help us to make this film a reality.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/briefest-encounters-an-untold-love-story/x/38658911 #/

Thank you for your support.

Joanna and Luke x

18/08/2025

We’ve been keeping this close to our hearts for a long time… and now we can finally share it with you. 🎞💜

Our new documentary, Briefest Encounters, has been decades in the making. It’s a personal family story that’s also tied to the iconic film Brief Encounter which celebrates its 80th anniversary this November. This is when we will premiere our film at The Little Theatre Cinema in Bath. 🎬

But to get there, we need your help. 🙏

We’ve launched a Crowdfunding Campaign to make it possible.

Please watch our video below to learn more about this story. 📽

Every share, every donation, big or small, takes us a step closer. 🎥

We’d love you to join us on this journey. 💜

Thank you for believing in us.

Follow the link to donate: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/briefest-encounters-an-untold-love-story #/

06/06/2025

🌞 A beautiful filming day 😎

We couldn’t have asked for better weather to shoot at The Blue House – one of Frome’s two Grade I listed buildings and a place with an incredibly rich history 🏠

We filmed interviews with residents and staff, capturing what makes this almshouse such a special place. Their stories really brought home just how important The Blue House is – not just architecturally, but as a living, breathing part of the community ❤️

The aim? To create a short film that will launch a £500,000 appeal for vital repairs to secure the building’s future. It’ll be shown at a fundraising event and shared online, helping people connect with The Blue House’s legacy and the urgent need to preserve it.

It was a real privilege to spend time in the gardens and halls of such a treasured building, hearing the voices of those who call it home.

The film can be watched on here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8DI8_t60Gg 🎥