First World War film uses Oldham beauty spot as location

Callum Atherton, from Chadderton, attended the University of Salford on a Film Production course.

Shot in Royton’s Tandle Hill, the 21-year-old's final year project ‘Ceaseless’ is now making appearances at film festivals – and even won an award at the university.

Set during World War One, the short film shows a dilemma when a group of British and German soldiers meet.

Now, Callum and his friends have set up a production company, called ‘Thiiird Studios’ – and their film is premiering today (Friday).

Callum’s love for film was sparked by his father – who took him to the cinema each week after attending The Radclyffe School.

The crew (Image: Jess Robinson)

Callum said: “He took me to cinemas every Wednesday when I finished school early to just watch a random film, no matter what it was.

“The love of film kind of grew from that.

“When I was 18, he gave me his idea for a film, which was a feature film he wrote when he was younger called ‘Rule Britannia’, and I decided in my head that no matter what I will make that film for my dad, and it took me into the film industry.

“And luckily I just enjoy what I do – it could have gone the wrong way.”

Callum studied photography and film studies at Oldham Sixth Form College – but decided he enjoyed making films more than studying them – leading to him applying for a film production course at the University of Salford.

As part of his third-year project, Callum was tasked with making a 15 to 20-minute short film – and got together with friends Charlie Stackhouse, who directed, Alice Crane, first assistant director, Jake Tripney, director of photography, Archie McWilliams, editor, and Emma Needham, production designer.

Filming (Image: Jess Robinson)

The group managed to raise £3,500 to fund the film, through crowdfunding and other sources.

Callum said: “Not a lot of students try and raise that much money – or that’s what I’ve heard.”

The film is based on the dilemma of British soldiers who meet Germans and are torn on what to do.

It also explores the stigma of being an LGBT+ soldier when it was heavily stigmatised.

Callum said: “At the time, if somebody found out about that in the trench or anything like that, you were shunned, nobody wanted to express their feelings.”

The film was produced in two locations – two days of filming at a dugout trench in Wales behind Bodelwyddan Castle, and five days at Tandle Hill in Royton.

Tandle Hill was used (Image: Jess Robinson)

Callum said: “After location scouting, we found a perfect spot there – a big tree which had fallen down, and the director loved it.

“It was nice for me to have an Oldham location in the film, and to have my hometown in a film.

“People are giving me positive feedback and asking ‘how did you set a World War One film in a forest I walk my dog in?’

“It’s kind of nice to realise people can see how much work we’ve put into that design, when it was just a random forest for them.”

Tickets to a free screening of Ceaseless in MediaCity can be booked on Eventbrite.