Independent business community of Palmers Green showcased in new short film

Film directors Sara Chia-Jewell and Antonis Papamichael on how shooting in Palmers Green influenced their latest film, Loyal

A still from the film Loyal — A still from the film *Loyal*

A friend of ours told us about Talkies Community Cinema, a not-for-profit organisation that commissions short films on one basis – you have to pitch a script set in North London.

So, on a sunny spring day, we hopped on the tube to Bounds Green and wandered up to Palmers Green, around Green Lanes, Broomfield Park, even all the way to Southgate Station.

What immediately stood out to us was the amount of independent cafes we stumbled across, and they were all full! The first café we stepped into offered us a loyalty card, and thus our brainstorming began.

How far would you go to stay loyal to a café? Or your hairdressers? Are they loyal to us? What does ‘loyal’ even mean? (We looked it up, technically it means “showing devotion and faithfulness to someone or something”.)

With sore feet, and a caffeine high, we returned home eager to pen our ideas. When we eventually found out our script had been selected, we were overjoyed!

Our story follows Arlo, a local who gets coffee from the same café every morning. One day, when it’s unexpectedly busy, Arlo tries a new café – but her barista catches her betrayal.

Inspired by art house films, cheesy rom-coms and 90s action films, LOYAL is our comedic take on how local community will always be there for us.

Spoiler alert! We’re about to share the filming locations – so, if you’d like to watch the film first to see if you can guess them, please click on the link at the bottom of this article and come back to see if you’re right!

Supported by local businesses, our filming locations include Cibo Bar & Cafeteria on Cannon Hill, for all café scenes. The owner Bruno is the kindest man to live, and even features as an extra in our film! The Gentleman’s barber right next door were kind to support the film by providing a unit base for the crew. The set dressing for the café, meaning all Cypriot foods and pastries, were
provided kindly by Y&S Mini Mart, near Wood Green Station.

The dry cleaner’s was filmed at Turn’em Clean in Alderman’s Hill, prior to it closing down. And the back of the dry cleaners was filmed in Arbeit Studios in Green Lanes! Our production designer, Mona Camille, did a fantastic job of turning an empty studio space into what you see on screen. Catering was provided by The Olive Café & Bakery across the street.

All these businesses came together and supported the film in different ways, a testament to the community itself. The strength of North London’s local community thriving not just on screen, but behind the camera as well.

Coming together despite different cultures and languages is the heart of our film. A reflection of suburban city life, and the quiet but meaningful relationships we build in familiar places.

LOYAL is a love letter to local cafes, and the unspoken bonds we form over lattes and loyalty cards.

Watch LOYAL now via Omeleto, a YouTube channel which showcases award-winning short films:
Visit youtu.be/bT-1Fjbq0Ew

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