Independent war film shot in Lincolnshire to premiere this autumn

A film exploring modern-day war veteran struggles, shot in Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Hull, will premiere in September.

Hamster is a short independent film by Newark-based director Scott Driver and the inspiration for the story came after a discussion with veteran John Lee. The film looks at the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder, the trauma of war and the long road to recovery.

The film, from production company 4AM Pictures in partnership with charity PTSD Resolution, explores British Army soldier Lewis’ return from service in Afghanistan and his struggle to reintegrate into civilian society.

Filming took place in Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Hull.

The film follow the story of British Army solider Lewis, who struggles to reintegrate into civilian society after his return from service.

Lewis finds himself consumed by his PTSD and, just before he reaches the point of no return, he attends a therapy session where he opens up about his feelings for the first time.

The producers, cinematographer and directors are all local to the East Midlands and include students from the University of Lincoln. The film will also be entered into a number of awards in the coming months.

The team began filming Hamster in 2021.

Hamster features Luke Boydon Jones, Gráinne Kelly, Tinashe Darikwa, Becki Lloyd, Fredericka Charles, Richard Bobb-Semple and Steve Watson. An IndieGogo fundraising page helped to fund the project, with filming beginning in 2021.

Director and writer Scott Driver said: “We are honoured to have produced this film project that is dedicated to veterans and shines light on some of the issues they routinely face, including the not uncommon mental health struggles they have to overcome.

“The crew worked tirelessly to put the film together. In 2020, when Johno Lee expressed a desire to be involved in the project, we enjoyed receiving his guidance for the script and his help in producing the film.”

The film is directed by Newark-based Scott Driver, and the producers, cinematographers and directors are all local to the East Midlands, including students from the University of Lincoln.

Luke Boydon Jones, who plays lead character Lewis in the film, said: “We hope that Hamster portrays the very real challenges that soldiers face upon their returns home from war and hopefully this helps build awareness of how difficult realigning yourself back into society can be for those who have served.”