British Council Logo UK Films Database
Project Detail

I Was Here

Synopsis

On a journey throughout England locals from towns, villages and cities take part in a casting for a documentary character. As each individual pitches themselves recounting their story through interview and reenactments, the audience questions our perception of an interesting life, the role of the media and our basic, human instinct to leave a trace of ourselves for the sake of posterity.

Details

Year
2017
Type of project
Features
Running time
70 mins
Director
Nathalie Biancheri, Ola Jankowska 1st Feature
Producer
Colin Day, Coco Marie Schneider
Production Note
'I Was Here' was commissioned by CPH:LAB, an affiliate program of CPH:DOX, the third largest documentary film festival in the world. CPH:LAB is a prestigious invite only program which selects directors from different artistic and cultural backgrounds and gives them the means to embark on a creative collaboration and make a film together. Our concept was simple: we decided to launch a series of castings for a documentary character and make a film solely composed of those auditions. We set out on this journey with one main question: What makes you a good documentary character? We travelled across the country and advertised our casting via local radio, fliers and posters. We spent two hours with every person who turned up, listening to them pitching their lives, as well as sharing their deepest hopes, fears, and memories.

Categories

Documentary

Production Status

Post-production

Production Company

Rickshaw Entertainment

Colin Day

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.

Suggest amendments

See also

You may also be interested in other relevant projects in the database.

Marc Munden directs the cast of Lord of the Flies Making of Lord of the Flies

Director: Lisa Marie Russo

Year: 2026

A trippy tale capturing the creative vision of writer Jack Thorne and director Marc Munden, as a British crew and young cast film this timely adaptation on the remote islands and interior of Malaysia during monsoon season. The crew battle twisters, torrential rain and scary insects to create this hallucinatory fever dream, featuring behind the scenes interviews, observational footage and mesmerising performances by the newbie cast.

Woman Director
Dungeon Masterhood Dungeon Masterhood

Director: Carina Nichaouchine

Year: 2026

Brothers Thomas and Sam have nothing in common, except that they play Dungeons & Dragons with their friends. Each week they escape into a fantasy world. Over four years, the group grow up and move on but Thomas, the Dungeon Master, refuses to let go.

Children’s Disabilities
A woman reading through script 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.

Northern Irish Woman Director