A microbrewery in Watford is “proud” to have been the filming location for a BAFTA-winning short film.
Pope’s Yard Brewery on the Paramount Industrial Estate hosted filmmaker Franz Böhm (pictured right) and his team from the National Film and Television School, during the filming of his movie Rock, Paper, Scissors back in 2023.
The short film tells the true story of a 17-year-old Ukrainian civilian named Ivan, who sadly passed away in combat in 2024, played by Ukrainian actor Oleksandr Rudynskyy (pictured second from right).
Speaking to Watford News, brewery co-founder Barbara said: “The first four days were spent dressing the space as a Ukrainian bunker, with many props like preserves with authentic Ukrainian labels and children’s toys. It’s a really interesting process to see work.
“It’s such an important story to tell authentically, and the students’ professionalism to get all the details right was amazing.”
Director Franz said: “I’m incredibly grateful to Ivan for providing so much inspiration for this film. I met him roughly two years ago during his military training in the UK. He was brave, smart, charismatic, and very determined.
“I think about him often and wish he could be here with us to celebrate this moment.”
The brewery has not only helped to share stories from Ukraine, but owners Barbara Leenen and Geoff Latham travelled through Ukraine themselves. They later brewed a Ukrainian recipe to raise money during the conflict.
On Sunday, February 16, it was revealed that Franz’s short movie had won the BAFTA for Best British Short Film.
Accepting the award from actors Joe Alwyn and Marisa Abela, Franz said: “Thank you BAFTA for this incredible honour and thank you to our incredible team, many of whom are here tonight.
“This is really the direct result of just fantastic teamwork… Oleksander, I want to thank you, and I want to thank the Ukrainian community, your bravery and spirits not only inspired this film but continues to inspire us all every day.”
Barbara said: “We are really proud to have been involved in the project. It’s such a heartbreaking story, and seeing how the country has been destroyed has made me so angry.
“These students are all from different countries, and they worked together to tell [Ivan’s] story. I hope it will continue to be told and people can learn more about it.”
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