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Hi and welcome! I’m Lawrence Richards, a filmmaker with a passion for capturing people, their story and documenting life’s precious moments. I’ve been working in the industry for over a decade. My job has taken me around the world where I got to shoot and meet incredible people. I believe in honest, personal films that are made with heart, for the sake of preserving people’s story.
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With all the films I shot, there was one project I never got to make: The feature-length documentary SON OF CORNWALL. My father is my hero, he has and still is leading a unique, exciting and successful life. I’ve been wanting to make a documentary about him for years but there was either never the money or the time for it. After much thought I gave myself a little push and decided to take a risk by crowdfunding the film. So here we are! I hope this campaign can help finally realize this documentary and tell my father’s story. I want to make the rounds at international festivals & theatres when the film is completed.
Here I am in 2003 filming in Cornwall, where my father grew up:
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My father grew up the son of a fisherman in England in the small village of Porthleven, Cornwall. Swimming and singing in the Atlantic sea, my father’s talent was discovered by extraordinary coincidence. A retired professional piano accompanist and piano teacher heard John’s voice and decided to support the young man with singing and music lessons. He received a scholarship and was later supported by Lord Harewood, cousin to the queen and studied music with renowned musicians such as William Lloyd Webber, father of Andrew Lloyd Weber. It was the beginning of an international career that started with classical opera training in London in the 70s.
His talent would take my father and us, his family, all around the world: from Scotland to the USA, Japan, South Africa and Germany and on and on. He worked with amazing people such as Leonard Bernstein, Placido Domingo and David Hockney. But working as an artist, always under scrutiny from critics and audiences, did not only become a successful and rewarding lifestyle but also one of very high pressure. My father began his lifelong fight with an alcohol addiction. He now has been sober for years, recently retired and can look back on a crazy adventure of a career filled with success and struggle.
Here he is as Tristan in Wagner´s "Tristan und Isolde" at Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam.
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Here he is as Tannhäuser in Wagner´s "Tannhäuser" at Greek National Opera in Athens.
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Here he is backstage at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, discussing his role as Siegfried with friend and colleague Placido Domingo as Siegmund, in Wagners "Götterdämmerung".
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Here he is as Siegfried in Barcelona in 2003.
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Now that John is retired and with the support of the crowdfunding campaign, we can finally make time in our hectic schedules to spend time together as father and son. In summer 2018, we’re going on a two-week road trip along the picturesque coast of Cornwall to dive deep into the past, present, us as a family and what it means to lead the life of an artist. Our final destination is a concert, sung by John in his hometown Porthleven.
The documentary will touch upon topics like success, pressure, life goals and how they play a part in a creative way of life. Away from everyday stress I will finally have the time to explore my father's past, regrets, great and dark times and I will also be able to ask him all the questions I never got to ask. What drove him to take on all the challenges of an opera career? How could he bear being away from his family for large periods of time? Was it for fame & glory and if it was, would he now say it has been worth it? How did he develop his alcohol addiction and how was he able to fight it? Those are just some of the questions which, as a kid, I never knew the answers to. But now, as an adult, I hope to gain some insights that also help to guide me as I'm sometimes facing similar struggles working in a creative field myself.
Over the years, driven to make this documentary, I've already filmed my father on stage, backstage and even shot some interviews. But the archive material never worked as a cohesive whole. That's why we are going on a road trip, to work as a guideline throughout the film and to paint a current portrait of my father. Along with archive material of John’s great opera performances, exclusive interviews of companions and an enthralling soundtrack, shooting this film is a tribute to & conversation with John Treleaven – Cornish boy, opera singer, father, star.
This is the harbour of Porthleven, where my father was discovered while singing in the sea.
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Here he is in the Wrestling Fields of Porthleven, his childhood home in the background.
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An entrusted film crew will accompany us, document the journey and work with us in postproduction.
- Lawrence Richards, Director & Production: Lawrence is producer and director. He is very happy and grateful to have an incredible team of people for this project:
- Rebecca Lapresa, Storytelling & Campaign: Rebecca is co-author for the film’s concept. She’s your go-to person for anything campaign-related.
- Justin Peach, Camera & Drone: Justin has worked on many documentaries over the years. We’re lucky to have him on our trip as DOP.
- Ronald Urbanczyk, 2nd Camera: Ronald has been shooting documentaries on people and their stories for years. He’ll accompany John and Lawrence on the roadtrip as 2nd camera.
- Nico Drago, Animation & Postproduction: Nico is an expert for animation and will help us turn ideas and timelines into stunning visuals.
- Moritz Gaudlitz, Music: With a passion for classical music, this project is right up Moritz’ alley. He works as a composer.
- Peer Hoffmann, Sound Design & Mastering: Peer is our expert for mastering and sound design which is a vital part of this film.
- Sara Rojo, Graphic Design: We have Sara to thank for our amazing graphic design. Isn’t the film poster great? She is designing our images and headers.
- ... and more to come!
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To make the film possible, we need your help! We use your contribution mostly to pay our amazing crew for the shoot and postproduction - and to create wonderful perks for you, our supporters. As you saw in the trailer, I shot most of the footage many years ago, way before HD video cameras came out. I want to revisit many of the locations and shoot high quality 4K footage with a professional team. Having a film team will allow me to interact with my father on screen rather than staying behind the camera, truly making it a father & son-story. I will also use a part of the budget to buy the rights to live TV broadcasts with my father performing on stage.
See the diagram below for a detailed budget:
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Our perks include a streaming link and DVDs for the film, amazing Meet & Greets and Skype conversations with cast and crew and even a private concert by John! For companies, we've created a perk to get your name and logo in the credits. That way, when we go to international festivals, screen the film in movie theaters and get the links/DVDs to our supporters, your company will gain visibility. Check out the perks in the info bar on the right!
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The team and I can’t put into words how much your support means to us! Not everyone can give a donation but there are other ways you can contribute to this project. Share the link to this website, tell your friends & family and help us spread the word. If you have any questions, contact us at sonofcornwall@indievisuals.de. We look forward to hearing from you!
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Here I am backstage with my father (left) and Grandfather on my mother's side (right). I always loved being close to the stage. Opera is a big thing in my family.
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