ill Manors

Plan B the maverick singer and songwriter is born and bred in East London.  He is a proud Londoner, loves his city and the people in it.  Yet Ben Drew (his real name) can be thought of now as a renaissance man; a man of many trades.  He sings, acts (is about to star opposite Ray Winstone in the forthcoming Sweeney remake), produces his own music and now is a writer and director also.

Drew has written and directed ill Manors, a film set in and around his East End neighbourhood with a whole host of shady characters.  The film is just over 90 minutes long, but it uses a convincing labyrinthe plot where all the characters intersect and collide together.  At times the film can be very funny with its off the cuff remarks about authority and politics, or from the sharp angle of character themselves.  But Drew is not afraid to paint his characters in dark tones, at times the film is quite horrific in what some characters do - the prime example being when our hero Aaron (Riz Ahmed - Four Lions) and Ed (Ed Skrein) use a prostitute who they believe to have nicked Ed's mobile and use her to pay off his debt by sleeping with kebab shop owners.

Throughout this scene when the grubbiness of these late night kebab shops seeps off the screen, Aaron refuses to want to be any part of it.  Yet he has to remain by Ed's side like some lackey.  Aaron is the moral core of the film, a man with ambition to be true and get a career away from drugs and gangs of his youth.  We first meet Aaron as he meets Ed getting out from a night in prison, Ed sits there listening to people arguing (Drew's first funny scene is showing a verbal argument between a white man and a black man without showing them - instead focusing on their footwear as representative of who they are.  White trainers for the caucasian, and huge colourful trainers for the black youth), and from the outset Drew is attempting to do something different with the story.

Often he will focus on a character who you think will be the main character, but suddenly they are dispatched with by means of narrative or intervention by the soon to be character.  Yet Aaron remains for us to be the moral authority, by constantly doing the right thing.  In contrast to the sheer lack of authority figures visible in the piece, you need one character (like Spike Lee's character Mook in his own Do The Right Thing) to stand up for what is right.

Drew also does the soundtrack for the film, giving himself the chance to narrate as his alter ego, Plan B, gives his political slant on the action happening.  Plan B is very critical of the government and blaming them for the children of the nation being lost.  The film was being made during last summer and then the riots of Tottenham burst into the national consciousness in August, Plan B released his protest song 'ill Manors' and this vein of anger and resentment has grown into this message film.

The idea of a singer doing a film can sometimes be awful, but Drew has been keen to use popular film influences as a signifier, and they are not bad ones - Taxi Driver, Pulp Fiction - are both films that showed you a harsher side of the perceived reality of city life. Whereas Scorsese used hyper-violence on occasion, and Tarantino had the benefit of plot devices.  Aaron flexes his muscles in front of a mirror with a gun a la De Niro.

The best thing to say about the film is that people will probably have low expectations going in to it, meaning that people will be pleasantly surprised by the funny, creative and refreshing film that is on the screen.  Helped by a fine performance by Riz Ahmed as Aaron, that should increase his profile definitely - hence why the poster has Aaron front and centre; the cinematography feels fresh, the music is good as expected.  Expectations may be low, but it is good to see Ben Drew/Plan B stick to his guns and come out with such a gratifying and pleasing film.

ill Manors is released by Revolver Entertainment and is out now.

Mem Ferda/Pusher Interview

Hello Mem, thank you for taking the time to talk to me again. We spoke previously about your role in The Devil's Double, and now we are talking about your prominent role in Pusher, the remake of Nicolas Winding Refn's 1996 Danish classic.

What can you tell us about it?

This is an English language remake, set in London instead of Copenhagen. It's about a mid level drug dealer, Frank, and his aspirations of making lots of money fast.  This slowly spirals out of control when he owes large amounts of money to Turkish drug dealers.  Frank's life soon descends into a living hell losing everything he has. The film is a no-holds barred, gritty and real look into the underworld of drug pushing.

Tell us about your character Hakan, who you play in the movie.

Hakan is a 'nice' tough guy of Turkish descent, who works for Milo a drug baron.  He is a victim of circumstance, trapped into doing a job he doesn't like. He is not your stereotypical villain he has complex layers and dimensions to his personality, which makes him a fascinating character to play.

What research did you do for Hakan?

I did a lot, as I view each role as a unique commitment and opportunity to research.  You have to research to understand the real motivations of a given character, the more intricate and involved you become the better the result.  For me, Hakan depicted an accurate reflection of how people find themselves entangled in crime when trying to better them-selves. The script had me engrossed when I read it, so thanks to Matthew Read for doing such a good job.

How did the opportunity fall into your lap?

The conventional way via my agent setting up a meeting. The audition process was tough, as they always are. I was prepared and confident I'd do a good job.  I liked the original Pusher trilogy, I felt it translated internationally, appealing to all cultures. There isn't a city not affected by an underground drug trade, so the message is universal in the film.

The cast includes, Richard Coyle, Agyness Deyn, Zlatko Buric and director Luis Prieto doing his first English language film. What was it like working with them all?

I've worked with Richard before so it was brilliant to work with him again, he is hugely talented and a hard worker, which helped a lot. Agyness is lovely, down to earth with a warm, vibrant personality. Zlatko was fun, I had to teach him some Turkish dialogue for the Milo role, he nailed the pronunciation in no time. I had seen Luis' previous work 'Ho Voglia di te' and was excited to work with him.  He is a fine director.

Remakes can endorse a lack of orginality, where do you stand on them?

Personally, I feel one should have an open mind regarding remakes, and judge them on their own merits, I can guarantee you this remake is on par, if not better, than the 1996 original.

You have hit a nice run with The Devil's Double, Pusher and the forthcoming Ill Manors, what was Plan B like to work with?

I like Ben Drew, aka Plan B's music. His lyrics have a rebellious spirit which appeals to me personally and when I learnt he was doing a soundtrack for the film also, I was eager to get onboard.  I was intrigued to see how he would work as a director.. he was unconventional and stayed true to his convictions, having a strong idea of what he wanted.  Ill Manors is very dark, gritty and harsh, it is a hip hop musical that follows six characters on East London streets.

You’ve garnered a lot of credits to your name, how do you stay ambitious?

It's my job, which I enjoy doing and hope to keep on doing. After I achieved my BSc in Psychology and Master’s in Business Administration, I went on to do a Postgraduate in classical acting at LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art), I was snapped up by a mainstream agent and many doors opened for me.

You have a strong presence which helps you play many villains, do you worry about being typecast?

No, I feel a lot of actors get stereotyped, which is actually a good thing for it helps establish an identity.  It is competitive in acting and the chance to give yourself that identity is vital.  Now my preoccupation is to expand my range and versatility even more, so I’m being very cautious in the roles that are kindly offered to me.

How do you deal with all the media attention?

It can be awkward, the press can badger your nearest and dearest for a story which is annoying. But on the whole the appreciation from genuine fans makes up for this intrusion.  I'm quite grounded as an individual, and on the odd occasion when I do drift with my ego, I have a great partner that brings me back down to earth.

What is in the pipeline?

I have four feature films, three of which I am the leading man, which is exciting.  Two are horror films, which is a new genre for me and a thriller and a comedy.  I don't want to tempt fate by talking about them until I have to, but please go to my website www.memferda.com or follow me on twitter @memferda1 for details.

Thank you very much for your time, I wish you every success with the films.

 My pleasure, anytime.

Mem Ferda: Larger Than Life

You may have seen pictures of him, you may have heard of him, you will certainly being seeing more of him in the next 12 months. Mem Ferda, a classically trained actor with a diploma from LAMDA and a degree in Business Administration, does not strike you as a cultural icon. But at 6' 2" and 240lbs, there is nothing average about this London born actor of Turkish descent.

Ferda has three films of varying budget and genre specificity coming out in the next year, that will bring him a new level of attention. A veteran of primetime television in this country (Heartbeat, Eastenders, Whistleblowers); his intimidating frame has gained him a part in the upcoming The Devil's Double, directed by Lee Tamahori (We Were Warriors, Die Another Day) and tells the story of Latif, employed as the body double to Uday, the son of Saddam Hussein, played with relish by Domonic Cooper (The History Boys). Ferda plays a stooge of Hussein's regime, who is made an example of at a garden party - the scene in question that features a lot of Ferda has garnered a lot of speak on internet message boards and got people whispering when the film has been shown at Berlin and Los Angeles film festivals earlier this year.

The scene can be described as gruesome and gory in detail, and for Ferda it was a lot to take on. He had to add weight to his already huge frame, and the whole scene took 3 days to shoot. Working with Tamahori, was like a dream 'He directed one of my favourite films [We Were Warriors] and he did push me, which i felt he needed to and I am grateful he did do. Off set he is a great guy, but as a director he was very hands on.'

The film is scheduled for release in the UK in mid August, and with a heralded action helmer behind the camera, with a solid lead holding the fort - the omens are good for a film that does not intend to make any political statement about Iraq or the Saddam regime. It is an action film with a good alternative storyline as its basis.

Recently wrapped, is Pusher an English translation of Nicholas Winding Refn's Danish cult classic about a Danish drug dealer, this time transported to the streets of London directed by Luis Prieto. Ferda is joined in the cast by Richard Coyle (Coupling) and Agyness Denn and Bronson Webb. Speaking to Ferda, you could tell how proud he was of this performance. 'I play Hakan (a Turk), who is united with Richard's character, the Pusher of the title, and so we create a partnership. Now playing another Eastern European I was wary of playing a villain or hoodlum again. Luckily, me and the director [Prieto] worked on the character, and made him a bit more humane and humanistic. And make him less of a bad guy, but a good guy in a bad situation.'

Whilst he has a film about to be released, and a film just wrapped, a busy man cannot be kept down - and he is currently filming Ill Manors, the directorial debut by Ben Drew, more widely known as musician Plan B; who also wrote the screenplay and is taking the leading role in what is being called a hip-hop musical - gritty and urban featuring also Natalie Press in the cast.

Whilst filming Ferda had his eyes opened to the darker side of London, 'We filmed on Carpenters Estate in East London, and that was rough. We were filming a scene were I am thrown in the back of a van, and the residents were throwing stuff at us from the floors above, which was a bit scary'. Ferda plays Vladimir, 'Yes, another Eastern European, but I play a nasty people trafficker who brings over Cassia (Press' character) who gets pregnant and I am not happy about it, so a lot of the film I am chasing her.'

What drew him to Ben Drew's debut feature? 'Well I am a fan of his work and he has the midas touch at the moment, and he is a good director and actor, so I am expecting good things with the end result'.

Freda speaks eloquently and passionately about all three projects, but I then ask about what is beyone this current purple patch. He mentions how he would like to spread his wings, 'I am really trying to get into the production side, I am involved with this little film Emulsion, which was filmed in Bournemouth and is just about finished. And then there is GridironUK, which I am associate producer on, and it is about American football but with a comedy genre in it, it is an original idea and we start shooting in Crewe (near Manchester) in August.'

I sense talking to him, that there is another underlying reason for this need to produce, 'I want to be a role model, but with the negative representations of Turkish people on film and television, there are not any writers creating these characters. So with my script work with White Lantern films (who produced Emulsion) hopefully we can find the scripts out there to portray a more positive viewpoint.

Is there anything in particular you would like to do? 'I'd love to do a comedy', leaving me surprised but not shocked by such a statement from a confident man who has made the best of what he has got, and run with it.

Lastly I ask Ferda about a recurrent quote that came up in my research; 'Cultivate your inner life through perserverance and sacrifice' my question was, is this was a personal philosophy? 'It has two meanings - on an acting level, it acts as a constant reminder to analyse deeply, introspectively, your emotions and senses - what makes you who you are and to persevere in understanding yourself always, then when playing a role sacrificing all this to the character you are about to play. As an ethos, it helps me and hopefully others to remember who you are, where you are from, how you battled to be where you are. The spirits that motivated your behaviour and guided your beliefs and the sacrifices made. So not to squander your opportunites'.

Sterling words of many depths from a man of many layers, Mem Ferda fits all the descriptions of being larger than life and never judge a book by its cover. Over the next few months he is giving you the opportunity to catch him in action, do not miss out.

The Devil's Double is released on 12th August. Pusher is scheduled for release later in the year and Ill Manors is scheduled for release in 2012.