When Emma first came to me to share she’d written a script, and she wanted me to direct it, I was both flattered and terrified. She presented to me this really beautiful story about her experience, and when I read it I couldn’t help but feel like it was my experience too. Being a creative in London can be incredibly isolating, but it can also be incredibly supportive. I’ve been very fortunate in finding my community and my collaborators in Emma and Charly, but even with that it’s easy to feel lost in the sea of people. Therefore it felt fitting that this was the story we would tell together. It was a first in many ways; Emma’s first film script, my first time directing, Charly’s first time producing for a larger team. And as is the case with all firsts, we faced many hurdles, we overcame many challenges, and we learnt a lot. When we didn’t have a budget for a location, we simplified our story and called in favours from friends and colleagues (Thank you Harry and Pisti!): when family emergencies occurred we pushed filming forward because we knew this was something we had to do: when we coincidentally organised our outdoor night shoot at the same time as the biggest downpour of rain so far that year, we brought an emergency gazebo and wrapped our equipment in bin bags. The rain, brilliantly sound edited by Atom, added an atmosphere we couldn’t have designed better ourselves. Liam’s cinematography, pushed immensely by our running around London, beautifully captures the contrast between the busy streets and isolation of the dark car. And of course Emma and Charly’s performances are wonderfully natural, the real love between them beautifully evident. Since those crazy three days of filming I’ve had the privilege of directing three more short films, two of which have shown at the BFI and one at Cannes, but none of those would have been possible without Flying Duo. A story about following your dreams, learning to love a new place, and the loneliness that is unique to living in a busy city.

For our audience, we hope that Flying Duo can serve as a sort of love letter to London. But for myself, Charly and Emma, it is also a love letter to each other. Our first film, it’s a testament to our passion, creativity and the strength of our community. Proof that even when you don’t have a budget or a filmmaking degree you can still make something, all you need is a story to tell. - Robyn Faye