Project Detail

Pray

Synopsis

Traversing grief, hope, first love and home, PRAY is a portrait of brotherhood that looks at what we will do for the people we love, how we find joy in the midst of overwhelming despair, and how community can lift us up.
Official Selection Locarno Film Festival 2023

Details

Year
2023
Type of project
Shorts
Running time
19 min 34 sec
Format
16mm
Director
Caleb Azumah Nelson
Producer
Matimba Kabalika, Amy Wells
Co-Producer
Morgana Melvin
Executive Producer
Claudia Yusef, Ally Gipps, Nikki Sopp, Kate Shepherd
Editor
Marnie Hollande
Screenwriter
Caleb Azumah Nelson
Director of Photography
Korsshan Schlauer
Production Designer
Paix Robinson
Sound
Ines Adriana
Composer
MeloZed
Principal cast
David Jonsson, Lamar Waves, Tara Tijani

Genre

Categories

Production Status

Production Company

Supported by BBC Film

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.

Pheasant Pheasant

Director: Claire Molloy

Year: 2026

A drama set in rural England amidst the backdrop of World War II exploring themes of identity, belonging, and the impact of war on personal lives - highlighting the human capacity for both empathy and cruelty in times of crisis. Martha, an 11-year-old mixed-race girl, is evacuated from London to the northern English countryside. Martha finds herself in the care of a gruff gamekeeper and his family. Feeling isolated and rejected due to her racial background and the community’s war-induced tensions, she tries to adapt to her new life, becoming captivated by the natural beauty of the countryside. Martha forms a secret friendship with Enzo, an Italian POW, whose gentle demeanour and shared sense of displacement draw them together. Martha also navigates a complex relationship with George, the gamekeeper's son, who is torn between his familial prejudices and his growing fondness for Martha.

A wide shot image of a boy sitting in a field with his back to the camera, reading a magazine. In the distance behind him is a tangle of pylons and industrial buildings Gowk

Director: Ryan Pollock

Year: 2025

Set in the decaying housing estate of Gowkthrapple and based on a true story, Gowk follows a young boy as he begins to uncover a painful family secret. His mother’s sudden absence casts a shadow over the household, while his father, unable to express his own suppressed pain, keeps the truth of the incident buried. As the boy begins to realise the emotional weight of his family’s past and the fragility of its present, he navigates a world of unspoken truths and generational wounds. The film explores the cyclical nature of family bonds, the struggle to connect across generations, the impact of inherited trauma, and the beginnings of a premature loss of innocence.

A young boy stands in a domestic doorway Grandboy

Director: Eva Edo

Year: 2026

A poignant drama exploring young carers, dementia, and the power of intergenerational love. Set over one day, 13-year-old Ezra secretly cares for his grandmother Agnes after his mother disappears. As Agnes’s dementia worsens and their home slips into chaos, Ezra struggles to cope and keep the truth from everyone. When Agnes’s medication runs out, Ezra’s forced beyond the safety of the house, dodging a watchful neighbour, a concerned friend, and police conducting door-to-door enquiries. Pressure mounts when Agnes’s agitation spirals and the knock at the door becomes unavoidable. Under police questioning, Ezra’s secret unravels, prompting a fleeting moment of recognition from Agnes. To protect them both, Ezra must decide whether to accept help, even if it means losing the person he loves most.