Dubbed as the British answer to Taken, Freight is a gritty action/thriller highlighting the grim realities of human trafficking in the UK; which stars Billy Murray (Eastenders) as a former gangster who gets drawn into a brutal turf war when his soon-to-be married daughter (played by Laura Aikman) is kidnapped by a gang of sex-trafficking Eastern European criminals.
After earning a limited theatrical run in the UK, and gong on to win numerous awards at several American film festivals, Freight was released on DVD on April 18th, and provided us with the perfect opportunity to catch up with director Stuart St. Paul to discuss his motivations for making the film, his work as a stunt choreographer, and working on everything from Emmerdale to Sherlock Holmes 2.
Good Film Guide: Being not only the director, but the producer, stunt co-ordinator, and writer for Freight, it must have been a project you felt very strongly about. Why did this film mean so much to you, and what gave you the inspiration to write it?
Stuart: The inspiration was from the BBC show of Michael Palin traveling Eastern Europe; he was with a UNISEF attaché in Maldavia, and they were trying to stop locals volunteering to go to the UK and Europe as the promise of wealth was an invitation to trafficking into sex and drugs. Having made 6 movies in Romania and seeing a different side of life, and the crime waves in the UK, it just all added up to a movie built on stories.
I never meant to do all the jobs, we just got short handed, and I knew what I wanted and had to drive the bus. All my films have been people stories; Devil’s Gate is being released in July; I guess I love to tell stories that matter, but first and foremost you have to entertain… it is a movie.
“I specialise in the violent side of life.”
Good Film Guide: How did you try to keep it so gritty and real? Are there certain situations where you can say people expect to see ‘X’ here, or was it all down to research?
Stuart: I did not go for titillation or what I thought was excess violence; I just told the story. As I wrote people I knew had another story, more research; there was no shortage of material. But, I didn’t go for the ‘X’; we don’t use the ‘C’ word, I never wrote the ‘F’ word in the script but the actors used it (60 times) it is just the story, the situation, and the tone; it is as hard as nails. But knowing that, I was determined to make sure the story was told in a way that interested the female audience.
Good Film Guide: And how exactly do you tackle research for a film such as this? because we can’t imagine the traffickers themselves would be too forthcoming about their operations.
Stuart: Being a stunt coordinator for over 30 years you specialize in the violent side of life. I was born in the east End of London, knew Charlie Kray well and did the film The Krays… I guess it has always been a source of information. My trips to Romania were very revealing, and as street wise as I am I, the only time I have ever been mugged is there; in Romania; twice. I guess like a crime author, it is what you do. I always watch security, and have point out obvious floors in places that think they are solid, like airports.
Good Film Guide: Freight obviously has a great British cast, and we know you’ve worked with several members of the cast before, but did you write the film with specific actors in mind, or actively pursue them afterwards? Was it difficult to get anyone involved?
Stuart: No, I don’t normally write with an actor in mind when I do the story, I do write to film music and then in the car while driving I work out the next stages. It is the rewriting stages I start to visualize actors. There are people you know can just do the job, so they fall into place. The bigger the film the more it is cast by the money and distributors. I get the feeling this is the last film where I will ever have that much creative control, which is good, It means I have moved up.
Good Film Guide: Did the serious nature of the film affect the mood on set at all?
Stuart: Never, what it did do was make everyone seriously deal with the work and be totally creative. I will explain how much so, at the end of all the filming we search for any funny out takes, and there was just one; when a donkey crossed the road in front of a car in Leeds centre. Everyone was solid, that is how much it affected them.
Good Film Guide: How was it working with British legends like Craig Fairbrass and Billy Murray?
Stuart: You can’t see me but I am smiling … I have known them for so many years; I remember walking round the streets of Cannes with Craig just after he did Cliff Hanger with Stallone; they are people I have grown up with, we trust each other and can laugh together. I hope me directing was what encouraged them to do the film, but at the end of the day, the script drew people in.
“If you use the sex industry, Freight will embarrass and offend you.”
Good Film Guide: How well did the actors cope with the film’s stunts?
Stuart: Billy laughed that at his age, he was still diving from explosions. I think for both of them, it was the most action they had ever done in a film and they all coped well (where we could we used the real actors).
Good Film Guide: Were you ever worried Murray might suffer an injury on set and then put in a claim?
Stuart: Ha Ha … no. I have just used his lawyers as my mother-in-law was in a horrific car accident and lost her eye. They were great, and no, we never allow accidents like that to happen.
Good Film Guide: Did you ever expect Freight to do as well as it did at the international film festivals where it was presented?
Stuart: Never, never, never… action films Never win festivals, and ‘commercial’ films like this, never win anything; they are not considered art. We only put it in three festivals (all in the USA; and that was because we had no US stars and needed an opening), we never expected to win best director and best actor at Breckenridge, and a Silver Palm in Mexico International. We then had two nominations in LA… very surprised, very honoured.
Good Film Guide: Your probably best known for your stunt work on some major blockbusters; such as Batman and Aliens; but keep coming back to shows like Emmerdale, or The Bill. Is that something you’ll continue to do, or do you plan on moving into feature films exclusively?
Stuart: I have just finished working with Guy Ritchie on Sherlock Holmes 2, and flew to the states to meet over me directing a film with three major stars, I flew back from there a day early to do a day on Emmerdale; no one can work me out and that is how I like it; to be honest I like Emmerdale; which is why I have stayed attached; they have all the toys, and film outside like dramas do. They don’t need me every day so I have time to write and develop projects; when you’re on a big movie you don’t have time to develop things you want to do.
Good Film Guide: Seen as how you worked as the stunt coordinator for reshoots of the upcoming Sherlock Holmes sequel, is there anything you can tell us about that? A little plot hint, an explanation of a big stunt, or if the stunts in the new movie will best that of the first one?
Stuart: I loved the first film, and did very little on that. I have done a lot more on this one. I can tell you I did a week in front of nothing but a green screen, and green sets, and green boxes with people miming to match shots and ideas. As I said, film making and acting is nothing like many people think. SH2 is going to be better, no doubt.
Good Film Guide: And what can you tell us about your next film; Red Snow (brief plot, cast list, etc.)?
Stuart: As I said, the bigger the film the less control you have over the casting. I know that it will shoot in Utah, I have now done all the location scouting and rewritten the script to fit the actual place. I can tell you it is about a nasty serial killer. The rest is speculation and until there is ink on more contacts that can fill a small van, it is a dream A dream that is now 6 years old.
Good Film Guide: Finally, can you just sum up for us why you think people should watch Freight?
Stuart: Because it’s an entertaining film with a driving story line that never slows down. It is a British gritty Taken. They should watch as a movie, and just note that the stories are real and this really happens. They should enjoy new stars like Laura Aikman and Sam Matt Kennard. They should note that the police deal with about 1% of our countries drug problem, and maybe less in the area of trafficking and prostitution. I guess if you use the sex industry you might be embarrassed or offended, I guess if you are a politician who voted that the UK should not join the EU directive on child trafficking you might be embarrassed, I guess if you are a policeman who joined to stand on corners and nick motorists for speeding, you should be embarrassed…. But most people will enjoy it… and I think the story forgives the hard side.
Freight is out now to own on DVD, and can be ordered directly from the link below.
