Fred
Synopsis
The former London gangster Freddie Foreman is the only one of his generation who survived the English underworld long enough to be able to tell the tale. And this is exactly what he does in 'Fred': Tells his story. Today, he is 85 years old and lives alone in a nursing home, allegedly with several murders to his name and with his memories intact. A long and critical interview with the East End boy who grew up in the turbulent era of the war and became one of London's most notorious gangsters in the 1960s and 1970s, when he hung out with pop stars and football players, is the thread running through Paul van Carter's self-reflective portrait of the criminal mastermind. A film that balances between true crime, deep journalism and colourful cock-and-bull tales from another era with Swinging London as its backdrop. The conversation with the charismatic Foreman unfolds against a richly detailed (pop-)cultural and historical background, where myth and truth meet – not least when he visits the set of the Tom Hardy film 'Legend'. Dark psychology and captivating storytelling in a masterful film. (CPH:DOX brochure)
Official Selection CPH:DOX 2018 - World premiere
Details
- Year
- 2018
- Type of project
- Features
- Running time
- 85 mins
- Director
-
Paul Van Carter
- Producer
- Nick Taussig, Paul Van Carter
- Executive Producer
- David Rogers, Marcus Searancke, Alena Walker
- Editor
- Tom Meadmore
- Screenwriter
- Paul Van Carter
- Director of Photography
- Gregory Taylor
- Composer
- Composer: Martin Dubka; Music Supervisor: Phillip Horatio Bush
Categories
Production Status
Production Company
A Salon Pictures production with support from Premiere Pictures
Salon Pictures
Unit 5B Rudolf PlaceMiles Street
London
SW8 1RP
Sales Company
Kew Media
19 Heddon StreetLondon
W1B 4BG
Page updates
This page was last updated on 12th May 2025. Please let us know if we need to make any amendments or request edit access by clicking below.
See also
You may also be interested in other relevant projects in the database.
I Didn't Want To Be Here
Director: Fionnuala McCormack
Year: 2026
An intimate portrait of a women's group in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The documentary follows the women as they collaboratively create a stage production. Through writing sessions, rehearsals, and candid conversations, the women craft a performance rooted in their lived experiences - stories shaped by addiction, family fracture, and encounters with the justice system. The documentary follows the evolving group dynamic, capturing moments of vulnerability, frustration, and unexpected humour as the women negotiate what it means to share such personal stories in a public space for the first time.
The Archivist
Director: Rob Curry, Tim Plester
Year: 2026
In a battle against time and technology, can Britain's greatest living folklorist find a home for his vast archive of irreplaceable audiovisual material?
Hematology
Director: Ben Young
Year: 2026
The alien cosmos of microscopy becomes the setting for a posthumous dialogue: an exploration of the unspoken fallout of the pandemic years.