From Caribbean Shores to UK Screens: The Extraordinary Film Journey of Lesley-Anne McFarlane

Lesley-Anne Macfarlane’s journey to becoming a producer has taken her across the globe, working on multiple large scale projects in the Carribbean and UK, aswell as co-founding her own production company, Far Lane Media. Forever driven by stories that focus on identity, the search for it, and the experience of multiheritage families or space, LA talks to us about the multilayered role of producing. As well as working with Reform The Funk to bring their latest short film, Kojja, to life.

Having come from a background of visual arts and cultural policy, Lesley-Anne’s entrance into the production world came when studying in London and helping her partner, a filmmaker, on set. This role came naturally to Lesley-Anne, explaining how “I’m quite systematic and organized; I think that way instinctively”. This experience paved the way for a whole new career.

““I started off producing on my own but when you partner with someone who has other skills that complement yours, it makes the project stronger”. ”

Upon moving back to the Caribbean, LA co-founded the Filmmakers Collaborative of Trinidad and Tobago (a social enterprise dedicated to creating a sustainable ecosystem for film and television producers and directors in Trinidad & Tobago and the wider Caribbean). This was a huge venture that secured regular airtime for filmmakers creating work in the area on local television networks. It was upon returning to the UK from Trinidad that Farlane Media was born. LA tells us how “We wanted to tell stories that we were excited about and realised we needed a vehicle to tell those stories”.

Working from this place of self agency and personal resonance, Lesley Anne points out the level of commitment and creativity that a producer takes on; “I didn’t used to see the role of producer as creative. People tend to see it as system orientated. But you're still helping shape the project from the very beginning and having an input on all decisions made along the way - scripting, where it’s shot, the financial aspect - which all impact how the film will look.” In this way LA sees each project as a very collaborative effort. However, in her experience, she’s noticed how some directors don’t involve the producer in the creative process or think that their opinion is needed or valuable. She explains how “That’s going to put you at a disadvantage. So I’d say include your producer in the development process. And also see if you vibe with them because it’s an on-going relationship and if you’re butting heads it’s not going to work very well.”

““ Part of producing is enabling the director to achieve their vision, but you also need to get people to work together… and when you have a strong team around you and you build that trust, it permeates throughout” ”

Discussing additional challenges that LA has faced, she tells us how “getting in” has been one of the hardest things since relocating to London. Despite her portfolio being filled with fantastic credits that are lesser known in the UK, “The film industry is still quite insular and nepatistic. I don’t have those connections so it was quite difficult to get into the industry. Sometimes it feels like you’re starting over because you’re with a new network and nobody knows you”. By overrunning the feeling of depletion, persevering and putting herself out there, LA was able to start building relationships. These personal experiences have fed into her involvement working with a CIC (community interest company) to “give opportunities to people who have access barriers in some kind of fashion” be it financial, creative, or systemic

““As a producer, you have to be open to whatever might happen…you don’t know what might materialise on the day so staying solution orientated.””

Talking about Lesley-Anne involvement with Kojja, she tells us how she was instantly interested in the short film. “There were two key themes that resonated with me as a producer around identity; of transitioning into adulthood and of mixed heritage - living in a British society but you’re coming from a Ugandan background”. Lesley Anne explains how she’s able to personally connect with this story of “leaving home where you have one tradition and you’re out in the world that offers something else. You become like a chameleon, learning to transition between the two different worlds.” LA shares her appreciation for Kakembo's approach to telling this story sharing how “it’s rare that you get to work with someone on their debut film so it was nice looking at Kakembo’s process and what worked for him.” One major factor was working with people who identified with the story in their own way, which for LA meant “it was really lovely because of the sensitivity around the project and the representation of who is on set - the cast and crew.” A highlight for Lesley Anne was seeing how Kakembo worked with his actors one afternoon during the script rehearsal. She tells us how he managed to foster a genuine relationship between the characters; “it was amazing to see that transformational process over such a short amount of time”.

A key feature of Kojja is the use of Luganda and English in the script which leads us to discuss a new level of acceptance for people creating films in multiple languages. LA suggests this is due to further open mindedness and the reality of multilingual households wanting to see their own lived experiences reflected on screen. “That is the way of the world now, it’s so many different cultures living together and you have to adapt. It can be such a beautiful thing and so many stories can come out of that which is exciting”. Reflecting on how it resonates with her own lived experiences, she continues that “I’m not Ugandan but I can relate to the story because I’m not from the UK and I'm living in this space.” When looking at her back catalogue of work as a producer, she confides that “it’s often that I’m telling my own story in other ways”.

““The best thing about being a producer is that you get to be a part of so many people’s journey; seeing them grow in their careers is really inspiring. And then seeing your work on the big screen after you’ve gotten over the nerves and feeing really proud that you were a part of that journey””

We end our discussion by asking LA what she’s motivated to achieve, to which she responds with eloquent, grounded honesty “I know this is what I’m really attracted to because of my own experiences. I don’t know where it’s going to land me and that’s really weird for me to say because I’m the kind of person who is goal driven but I think I'd be doing myself a disservice if I knew what that thing at the end was because I’d forget about enjoying the journey”. Pairing this with a strong sense of intuition, tenacity and perseverance, LA shares this piece of advice: “For producing, it can take a while for something to materialise, for your career to get off the ground, and sometimes it can be disheartening, especially when you’re by yourself. So it’s about finding your tribe, surrounding yourself with people you trust, who motivate you and sticking at it!” We look forward to seeing the fruits of Lesley Anne’s labour, certain that whichever stories she tells, they will forever place identity and multicultural experiences at the heart.

Follow Lesley-Anne Macfarlane’s production company Far Lane Media here.

Interview & Words: Bethany Burgoyne / Photographed by Chelsea Nawanga