A Dark Reflection (2014 film)
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''A Dark Reflection'' (aka ''Flight 313: The Conspiracy'') is a 2015 British independent investigative thriller film directed and produced by former British Airways airline captain Tristan Loraine."Toxic Flyer"
''60 Minutes Australia'', 17 October 2014.
Billed as '' Erin Brockovich'' meets '' All the President's Men'' and as a fact-based investigative thriller, the film is based on the director's own experience as a commercial pilot."Flying high in the movies to reveal a global scandal"
''West Sussex County Times''
"Why major airlines don’t want you to see this movie."
'Webwire Press Release'', 8 October 2014.
Kemp, Stuart
"Georgina Sutcliffe, Marina Sirtis to Star in Film Based on Toxic Airline Cabin Story."
' The Hollywood Reporter'', 9 ''A Dark Reflection'' was made largely by volunteers with funding from unions, passenger groups and concerned aviation figures.Scott-Delany, Finn
"Conspiracy thriller by Horsham director filmed to uncover air contamination scandal."
'The Argus'', 12 August 2013.
It is said to be based on actual events surrounding the issue of Aerotoxic Syndrome.A Dark Reflection Official Website
''Official Website'', 2019. Retrieved: 14 August 2019.

'Cision PR Newswire'', 22 September 2014.


Plot

Journalist Helen Eastman (Georgina Sutcliffe) returns home after a disastrous assignment in the Middle East and finds a new job at a local newspaper to be closer to her friend, Joe Forbes (T.J. Herbert), an air traffic controller. Following a near mid-air collision involving JASP Airlines Flight 313, Joe has been suspended. He contends that the pilot was slow to obey the orders of the tower. This incident does not appear in the press, which intrigues Helen. She convinces her new boss, Nick Robertson (
Paul Antony-Barber Paul Antony-Barber is an English actor. He is best known for his role as Principal Sweet, in the early 2010s mystery/drama/comedy show ''House of Anubis''. He worked alongside Francis Magee and Burkely Duffield in the show as well. Career Boyd v ...
), that a cover-up has taken place. Natasha Stevens ( Rita Ramnani) joins Helen in the investigation of the air safety issues involved. They soon learn the JASP Airlines company officer, David Morris ( Stephen Tompkinson), has died, but his wife, a flight attendant, discovers that he has been investigating the same concerns about air safety for years. The new director of JASP Air, Ben Tyrell (
Mark Dymond Mark Dymond (born 1974, Wimbledon, London) is an English actor of Irish descent. In addition to appearances in films, he is known as Dr. Lorcan O'Brien, a major character in the 2007–2009 seasons of the TV drama series '' The Clinic'', among o ...
), discovers that the incident of Flight 313 is not the first and begins to ask his own questions. The chief engineer of the company tells him that the pressurization of the aircraft has a design problem, letting vaporized oils pass into the cabin air. Ultimately, the dark side of the aviation industry is exposed with incidents of contaminated air as far back as the 1950s. The pervasive industry denial campaign is supported by the owners of the JASP airline company, Charles ( Nicholas Day) and Maggie Jasper ( Marina Sirtis). Ben has to deal with a moral issue: corporate profit or public safety? Meanwhile, Helen and Natasha understand that the flight crew, but also the passengers, are at risk. They would like to make a scoop, but their opponent, the aviation industry, is a major opponent, not hesitating to buy the silence of its detractors. At an aviation conference, however, the director of JASP Air indicates that the company's aircraft will begin to be modified so that the air in their cabin is of good quality.


Cast

*Georgina Sutcliffe as Helen Eastman *T.J. Herbert as Joe Forbes * Rita Ramnani as Natasha Stevens * Marina Sirtis as Maggie Jaspar *
Mark Dymond Mark Dymond (born 1974, Wimbledon, London) is an English actor of Irish descent. In addition to appearances in films, he is known as Dr. Lorcan O'Brien, a major character in the 2007–2009 seasons of the TV drama series '' The Clinic'', among o ...
as Ben Tyrell * Nicholas Day as Charles Jaspar * Stephen Tompkinson as David Morris * Claire Morfett as Woman with Filofax * Leah Bracknell as Isabelle Morris *
Paul Antony-Barber Paul Antony-Barber is an English actor. He is best known for his role as Principal Sweet, in the early 2010s mystery/drama/comedy show ''House of Anubis''. He worked alongside Francis Magee and Burkely Duffield in the show as well. Career Boyd v ...
as Nick Robertson * Rupert Holliday-Evans as Alan Morgan *Romina Hytten as Molly Adamson *Cengiz Dervis as Fireman Tony *Angela Dixon as Alison Radcliffe * Bill Ward as Terry *Natalia Ryumina as Katherine *Joelle Koissi as Office Worker


Production

Pre-production of ''A Dark Reflection'' started in January 2013 with filming commencing in June 2013 in West Sussex, England."Film uncovers the dark heart of the aviation industry."
'The District Post'', 24 May 2013.
Principal photography for ''A Dark Reflection'' initially lasted 40 days. It was filmed in Techniscope format using Fuji 35mm film by Director of Photography Nicholas Eriksson.Eriksson, Nicholas
"Nicholas Eriksson and A Dark Reflection."
''Nicholas official website'', 2019. Retrieved: 14 August 2019.
All of the filming for ''A Dark Reflection'' was done on location in England apart from a week of filming in Jordan, Loraine deciding not to use a soundstage. Further filming was carried out in Spring 2014 in
Horsham Horsham is a market town on the upper reaches of the River Arun on the fringe of the Weald in West Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester. Nearby to ...
. Principal photography was carried out at a wide selection of locations in West Sussex and
East Sussex East Sussex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England on the English Channel coast. It is bordered by Kent to the north and east, West Sussex to the west, and Surrey to the north-west. The largest settlement in East Su ...
such as Shoreham Airport, Gatwick Airport, Bluebell Railway,
South Lodge Hotel The South Lodge Hotel is a 19th-century five star country house hotel set near Horsham, West Sussex in the south of England. The hotel has also been used in a number of feature films including the 2014 film '' A Dark Reflection''. History In 188 ...
,
Fontwell Park Racecourse Fontwell Park Racecourse is a horse racing course located in the village of Fontwell in West Sussex, England, owned by ARC Racing. It features an oval hurdles course. Fontwell Park was founded by Alfred Day who trained racehorses at The Herm ...
,
Holy Innocents Church, Southwater Holy Innocents Church is the Anglican parish church of Southwater, a village in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. Built in 1849, the church has a cruciform footprint. Inside there are many stained glass windows, donated to the chu ...
,
Horsham Horsham is a market town on the upper reaches of the River Arun on the fringe of the Weald in West Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester. Nearby to ...
, Sedgwick Park and at NATS Holdings in Whiteley. Southdown Gliding Club in
Storrington Storrington is a small town in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England, and one of two in the civil parish of Storrington and Sullington. Storrington lies at the foot of the north side of the South Downs. it has a population of around 4,60 ...
provided the venue for the complex glider scene in the film where the audience first meets JASP airline Captain Jeremy Adamson (Christopher Dickins) and his daughter Molly, played by 16-year-old Romina Hytten. Despite never having been in a glider before, Romina managed to smile her way through 22 consecutive loops and countless rolls with experienced pilot Guy Westgate."Southdown Gliding Club give a lift to company filming of thriller A Dark Reflection."
'The Argus'', 18 July 2013.


Co-operative

''A Dark Reflection'' embraced a cooperative model for film-making,. Instead of raising the capital funds to make the film, a variety of businesses and individuals supplied goods and services, in addition to financial investment. Over one hundred co-operative businesses and individuals partnered with the film, making it the largest co-operative film to date.


Reception


Cannes

In May 2014, producer Tristan Loraine and senior assistant producer Sarah Holloway took the film to Cannes, where ''A Dark Reflection'' was screened at the Marché du Film, the market section of Cannes on 15 and 19 May. The film received a positive response, and screened to a packed auditorium.


Release

Following its success at Cannes, Los Angeles based sales agent Artist View Entertainment began selling ''A Dark Reflection''. In its first press release, Scott Jones, President of Artist View Entertainment stated, "We are very pleased to be working with Tristan Loraine and his powerful independent film. The production values and tightly crafted Direction are the key factors in pushing home a frightening message for those of us who travel by air on a daily basis." Other reviews were also positive about the film, highlighting the importance of the issues for public interest: Ted Jeory, Home Affairs Editor of the ''
Sunday Express The ''Daily Express'' is a national daily United Kingdom middle-market newspaper printed in tabloid format. Published in London, it is the flagship of Express Newspapers, owned by publisher Reach plc. It was first published as a broadsheet i ...
'', London, wrote, "It's got the lot. A film that has suspense, drama, action, intrepid journalism, and perhaps most importantly–a cause. ''A Dark Reflection'' shines a light on aviation's dirty secret: the quality of the air we breathe on board planes. It's an important step in the decades long challenge to Big Oil and Big Aviation." Ross Coulthart of ''Sunday Night'' on
Channel 7 Channel 7 or TV7 may refer to: Television networks, channels and stations ;Algeria *TV7 (Algerian TV channel) ; Argentina *Channel 7 (Argentina), a government-owned Argentine TV station * Channel 7 – Bahía Blanca, an Argentine TV station in Bue ...
,
Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
, wrote, "''A Dark Reflection'' is a gripping thriller based on the true-life scandal of a major toxic air health problem widespread on modern passenger jets. The most confronting thing about this extraordinary film is that it's all true." ''A Dark Reflection'' was screened by Artist View Entertainment at the
American Film Market The American Film Market (AFM) is a film industry event held each year in early November. Historically, more than 7,000 people attend the eight-day annual event to network and to sell, finance and acquire films. Participants come from more than ...
(AFM) 5 & 6 November 2014.


UK release

The film ''A Dark Reflection'' was released to the public in the United Kingdom on 27 February 2015 to a limited number of Cinemas. A private VIP screening of ''A Dark Reflection'' was shown in Horsham on 26 February. DVD sales are anticipated in the summer of 2015.


Reviews

In review, critics said the film has the right intention but fails because of vast deficiencies in the storyline, screenplay, acting and its directing. '' The Daily Telegraph'' wrote, "...well-intentioned and informed, this tinny and tensionless dispatch really doesn’t." In their review, '' The Guardian'' called it a "clunky drama". ''The Hollywood News'' wrote, "It’s a fascinating story and one that could easily be improved on by the right writer, director, and cast."


Public awareness

Following his own journey from British Airways, to film
producer Producer or producers may refer to: Occupations *Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *A stakeholder of economic production *Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...
and director, it has always been Tristan Loraine's ambition to raise awareness of the issues involving toxic air. After being forced to retire due to ill health, and losing friends, both pilots and crew who died from the poisonous fumes on board the aircraft they flew, Tristan has sought to bring aerotoxic syndrome to the attention of the public. The concept of toxic cabin air has been of interest to the media for some years,. In May 2014 The Daily Telegraph shared a video of a passenger who suffered health issues after taking an American flight. It is argued that the cause of the toxic air comes from the plane build, which brings bleed air into the aircraft cabin and
cockpit A cockpit or flight deck is the area, usually near the front of an aircraft or spacecraft, from which a Pilot in command, pilot controls the aircraft. The cockpit of an aircraft contains flight instruments on an instrument panel, and the ...
via the engines; this has the potential for a bleed air leak. ''A Dark Reflection'' follows several documentary films also produced by Fact Not Fiction Films seeking to bring this issue to the fore. The film's tagline, "What happened on Flight 313?" links to a real event.


Film-makers welcome new aircraft design

The producers of ''A Dark Reflection'' are keen to promote the bleed free aircraft, such as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which is the first of its kind. Yet despite it being released in 2007, with The Telegraph calling it, "A Breath of Fresh Air", in 2009, there have been no moves since by the airline industry to remodel any other aircraft.


Flight MH370

''A Dark Reflection'' has been likened to the events of the missing
Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH370/MAS370) was an international passenger flight operated by Malaysia Airlines that disappeared on 8 March 2014 while flying from Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia to its planned destination ...
. However, the airline flight MH370 disappeared on 8 March 2014, which was after the filming of ''A Dark Reflection'', which took place during the summer of 2013."Would you like to be a film extra?"
''WSCounty Times'', 23 July 2013.
Although there is no deliberate link to the film and disappearance of MH370, it has not been said that there couldn't be some significant similarity.


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dark Reflection, A 2015 films 2015 thriller films British thriller films British aviation films British independent films Environmental films Works about consumer protection 2010s feminist films Thriller films based on actual events Collaborative projects British feminist films 2015 independent films 2015 documentary films 2015 drama films 2010s English-language films 2010s British films