Scotland’s ‘Chernobyl’ housing scheme takes starring role in new horror film
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A short film has captured some of the last images of a derelict housing estate nicknamed “Scotland’s Chernobyl” before demolition crews moved in.
The tenements at Clune Park in Port Glasgow were built a century ago as housing for shipyard workers but most of the buildings lay empty for years.
Glasgow-based filmmaker Alessio Avezzano shot scenes for his post-apocalyptic sci-fi horror comedy, Behind, on the estate before bulldozers moved in last May.
“It’s the last film to be made there. It was announced it would be demolished the day we were filming – we managed to get in there not a moment too soon,” said the Scottish-Italian writer and director.
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Redevelopment of Clune Park had been delayed for years due to a stand-off between private landlords and the local council, leaving the site frozen in time with just a handful of tenants remaining.
Large parts of the site became run-down and comparisons were made with the Ukrainian city of Pripyat, abandoned after the 1986 explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear plant led to a huge radiation leak.
The plot for Behind was inspired by “butt dialling”, accidentally calling someone from a phone placed in a back pocket.
In the film, it has devastating consequences.
Avezzano said he come up with the idea while trying to write a script.
“That week my cousin, who hadn’t done this before or since, just started to butt dial me every day and by the fifth day the light bulb moment came,” he said.
“It is basically taking the idea of butt dials and what if they were a symptom of something more deadly.”
Avezzano added: “It’s got elements of how we responded to the pandemic and it’s got elements of phone addiction and social media addiction.”
“It’s post-apocalyptic satire.”
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Avezzano said Clune Park gave him the ideal backdrop for the short, and scenes were shot in areas accessible to the public.
Scenes for 2013’s sci-fi horror Under the Skin, starring Scarlett Johansson, were also filmed at the estate.
“The idea it was described as Scotland’s Chernobyl has always been fascinating.” said Avezzano, who is working on his first feature – Midgies – a horror film set in Scotland and due to be released next year.
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The film was entirely self-funded.
The lead character is played by Jade McDonald who was in the female run of Singin’ I’m No a Billy He’s a Tim, a play about a Celtic fan and a Rangers fan locked in a prison cell together on the day of an Old Firm match.
Behind has been taken on a tour of international film festivals, including in Italy and Argentina, following its premiere at Glasgow Film Festival’s Frightfest.
It was nominated for the best editing prize at Basingstoke’s Exit 6 Film Festival and won best international short at Roswell Shorts Festival in New Mexico.
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