South London Film Festival: Ashleigh Ashley on her debut 'An Ode to Joy' starring Sir Rudolph Walker

As far as short film programming goes South London Film Festival has curated a stellar and meaningful line up including Ashleigh Ashley’s proof of concept film An Ode To Joy. 

Starring Sir Rudolph Walker (Love Thy Neighbour, EastEnders), Ashley’s heartfelt story grapples with love, grief and how family can be a support network during difficult times. 

“The TV show is like Desmond's meets Shameless, if you can imagine that. So it's really keeping that sort of diaspora, grounded family dynamic, but in a British setting where there's lots of things that are chaotic and out of control, and you know the Black British reflection of that, and it's a multi-generational story,” Ashley tells us. 

We share a lot of similarities in-terms of our familial heritage journeys, both of us have had grandparents who have chosen to remain in the homes that they raised their children in. Ashley calls it “a hub that raises a family, and despite the fact that the world outside changes, you have this museum of memory and nostalgia that spits out different generations.” 

That’s true of my Grandma’s home in East London. The carpets haven’t changed and the dining table reminds me of being young, legs swigging and drinking too sweet Ribena squash. 

Ashley has created a film that seeks to hold onto a lost loved one. Early on in the film we understand that the matriarch, Joy (Annette Hinds) has passed away, leaving a void in her family. There is also a spiritual element to this film as the youngest within the household can still see his grandmother. 

“I think this idea of reconnecting with our older generations and this kind of circle of life, you know, honouring some of the routines and rituals that you know our grandparents had and have, and learning from that, learning the strength from it, learning the magic of it all.”

There’s a beauty to Ashley’s words, her explanation about a film which has so much depth and personal meaning to it. Walker’s character, Hezekiah is based on her own grandfather and Ashley explains that coming from a “big crazy family” has meant that she’s been an observationalist for most of her young life. In all her observations she’s noticed patterns and rituals over and over again, both from her youth and then as an adult taking up space in the world.

“I've observed the rituals of several diaspora families, and I feel like there's definitely some of that that's come in. But I think you know from my day to day, my husband brings me tea most mornings and that's I think something that comes from his ritual from his grandparents and from his background. I think Caribbean people and people from the diaspora in general, are very much ritualistic and routine based.” 

Ritual and routine play an important role in An Ode To Joy, especially given the fact that the titular character, Joy and her husband Hezekiah have been married for decades. Ashley felt like there were certain “tracks” her characters wouldn’t have been able to shake. Things like, making tea whilst listening to the radio or sitting in the garden together or the fact that at one point in the film Hezekiah and Joy’s daughter drinks from the mug that belonged to her mother, having been made by her father as a gesture of love in action. 

“I think there's a simplicity in it, but there's also a heavy weight, when you lose one half of that ritual, it almost gains more meaning, you know? It's almost more important,” Ashley explains about why it was so important to include a scene which holds space for a lost family member who is still a part of everyone’s ritual. 

The film is so deeply a part of Ashley’s rituals and family. Many of the props used were taken from her maternal grandmother’s home who now sadly has dementia, “She's lost so much of her identity, but she's living in the home that we grew up in, and that crystallised her identity in objects like the Jamaica flag, that was on her wall.” Ashley brings forth the memento in question, a wooden mirror ornament shaped like the country of Jamaica. 

“I remember this when I was five, being on my grandma's wall, and you know, it's a little bit cheeky. I gave everything else back, but…” she trails off as I fill in the acknowledgement that she wanted something to hold onto when everything falls away. 

The shoot itself was tight, three days in total, “two with the cast and half a day with the fox and half a day shooting all the cutaways we needed of the grandmother's changing face expressions.” 

Ashley explains how she had a “bit of a fight” with the BBC for Sir Walker’s time, he works as main cast in the long-running soap EastEnders. There was a sense of victory and pride in getting to argue for the case for releasing Sir Walker so he could be present on the set shoot days for An Ode to Joy, and Sir Walker was really open to coming back on alternative dates to make sure all his scenes were filmed, if they couldn’t get what they needed. But the fight was hard won and the two days were honoured. 

“I'm not going to let you down, and if I have to leave and we don't get to finish, I will come back and I will support you,” Ashley recalls Sir Walker telling her. 

“One of the reasons why he said yes is because it's really important to him that we maintain this intergenerational connection, and that those who have established themselves in the industry are not just putting down a ladder for the next person. But putting down something by any means necessary so you can help someone.” 

Sir Walker was a natural on set and brought a great sense of “calm” to Ashley’s first directorial narrative review. 

“It was such a lovely learning moment for me as a director to trust my cast and to allow the character to manifest within the role, as opposed to trying to nail it to the page. He [Sir Walker]  worked really well with Rachel and Jeremiah, who played his daughter and grandson.” 

And on having the world premiere at South London Film Festival?

“I don't think there's a better festival for this film to premiere at. I think it's grounded from start to finish, we've tried to keep it that way so we shot at our house. Our company is called Our House Pictures. We're in South London. It just feels like a really beautiful opportunity to share it.”

South London Film Festival is held from 12-27 September at Ritzy Brixton. You can purchase tickets here.