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Darshan Gajjar

Filmmaker / Director & DOP

  • Home
  • Film
    • Ravi
    • Gurkha Documentary
    • Who We Are, Who We Were - Windrush Documentary
    • Peaks of Colour
    • India on Super 8mm
    • Dubai
    • Saudade
    • 120
    • Footsteps in India
    • Beauty in Breaking
    • Kilig
    • Teenage Musings
    • Exit
    • Steel City
  • Music Videos
    • ATO - Black James Bond
    • ATO - No Caroline Remix
    • Colouring - Love To You, Mate
    • Alfie Sharp - Grounded / EP TRAILER
    • August Charles - In My Head
    • Wolfman and the Laterals - Flying Inside
  • Commercial
    • Children's Capital of Culture 2025 Launch Film
    • Our Habitats Our Home - Children's Capital of Culture
    • Sheffield Music Trails - The Leadmill
    • Light Organ - Leeds Light Night 2022
    • ScaleUp360 - Case Studies
    • Sheffield Hallam University - Placement Video Bank
    • Sheffield Hallam - University Wellbeing
    • Common People - Theatre Promotional Video
    • Clock Off - Rental Campervans
    • Better You - Queens Award
    • King Charity Boxing - Event Highlight Video
    • GORAL - The Blake Stitch
    • GORAL - Handcrafted in the UK
    • GORAL - Made in England
    • GORAL - Summer Collection
    • Grimm & Co - Promotional Videos
    • UniHomes - Freshers Stall
    • University of Sheffield / Sheffield Council - Reels
    • University of Sheffield / School of Law
    • Sheffield Hallam University Animations
  • KIT RENTAL
  • Blog
  • Journal
  • Contact

Unveiling the Depths: "Who we were, who we became" - A Celebration of the Windrush Generation

Hey! I'm beyond excited to share with you my latest cinematic adventure, a project that's been six months in the making—a poetic film in collaboration with the incredible Danae Wellington. Together, we're taking a deep dive into the stories of the Windrush generation, shedding light on the individuals behind the headlines and hardships. Here is a journey of our film, Who We Were, Who We Became.

Before I get into it all, I just want to thank the crew for being such a huge part of this production. I could have not done it without you all!

Brewing Ideas Over Coffee: The Birth of the Project

Picture this: endless meetings at cozy cafes, cups of coffee in hand, as Danae and I hashed out ideas. From the very beginning, we wanted to go beyond the expected narratives. We craved a film that not only acknowledged the struggles but also celebrated the people—their dreams, their farewells, their journeys, and their triumphs.

Four Stanzas, One Journey

Join me as we journey through four stanzas, each unraveling a different chapter of the Windrush story:

The Night Before: It's a mixed bag of emotions—anticipation, celebration, and tearful goodbyes—all on the eve of departure.

The Journey: Let's navigate the challenges and hopes of the journey itself, feeling the heartbeat of those crossing oceans for a new beginning.

The Arrival: We won't shy away from the harsh realities of racism upon arrival, but we'll also capture the resilience and strength that defined their response.

Who we became: This final stanza is a celebration, an uplifting crescendo honoring the indomitable spirit of the Windrush generation. Who they became, the hurdles they overcame, and the richness of their cultures take center stage.

WhatsApp Image 2023-09-26 at 23.01.04.jpeg WhatsApp Image 2023-09-26 at 23.01.05 (1).jpeg

From Sadacca to Sheffield Town Hall: A Personal Invite

I'm thrilled to extend a personal invitation to each and every one of you. Join us at Sadacca on the 15th of October in Sheffield. But that's not all! On the 28th of October, we're taking this celebration to new heights—literally. Our film will be projected on the side of Sheffield Town Hall, turning it into a cinematic canvas.

Thank You

Thank you for taking the time to dive into the backstory of "Who we were, who we became." Your support means the world to us, and we can't wait to share this cinematic journey with you. Mark your calendars, bring your friends, and let's make these screenings unforgettable.

See you there!

Darshan.






tags: sheffield cinematographer, videographer, videography, film, film-making, filmmaker, filmmaking, cinematographer, cinematography, dop, Director of Photography, south yorkshire, windrush
Wednesday 10.04.23
Posted by Darshan Gajjar
 

A short about Islamophobia and how media has pushed a perspective.

I recently got the chance to work on the BFI young filmmakers thriller competition for filmmakers aged 16-25. I was approached by a team of young filmmakers with an idea already in their heads. Zane (writer, director and actor) wanted to create this film that challenged the views that western media has put on society about Muslims. We created this powerful short that I will not spoil but really makes you feel guilty as a viewer if it makes you ‘think’ a certain way.

tags: sheffield, filmmaker, video, BFI, production, video production, film production, set, behind the scenes, cinematographer, director, Director of Photography, sheffield director of photography, sheffield dop, sheffield cinematographer, camera operator, camera, colour grading, colourist, sheffield colourist
Monday 08.22.22
Posted by Darshan Gajjar
Comments: 1
 

DOP of Remnants, My Next Short Film Project!

BTS Photography by Ai Narapol

BTS Photography by Ai Narapol

During the end of my university degree, while I was shooting Kilig, I had been contacted by two very lovely people. Jakob Barnes from Jumpcut Studios and Chris Boyd an up and coming writer and director with a keen interest in horror films. They both had seen my style of filmmaking and wanted to get in touch to have me on board Chris’s latest story, remnants. I thought it was crazy at first, I’ve never been in a position where I would DOP a short that wasn’t a student project. There would be a lot of responsibility on my shoulders, but I felt like after shooting Kilig, I have what it takes.

BTS Photography by Ai Narapol

BTS Photography by Ai Narapol

Remnants is a horror film set in the modern era. We follow Adrian, a teacher at a reservoir. He then finds a walker, one with a strange act to them and pursues them. Over the course of the film, we find to realise that the walker is the ghostly figure of someone Adrian knows very well…

After many discussions with Chris, I got a great idea of what the films visual style was. Chris and I both went to the location to scout and find places where we could shoot, I then boarded the film on CineTracer.

One of the main challenges we had was the time constraints. We were shooting a 10 page script in two days. This involved multiple scene changes, actors, possible weather disruptions, etc. I ended up boarding 43 shots on the first day and 47 shots on the second day. I know this sounds crazy, but both the director and I knew going into this project, we had to take on a guerilla-style approach to shooting. This meant a simple rig, easy to execute shots and shooting what we need as I could come back at anytime without the actors and shoot pick ups of landscapes, etc.

A new thing that I’ve never done is shoot in water. Like, actually put my camera underwater. This was scary considering the price point of my S1H and it being all that I’ve ever worked for but I decided, hey let’s trust this £80 glorified-sandwich bag from Dicapac and see what happens. It worked surprisingly well! One thing to note, the UV filter of the Dicapac seems to clash with any filters used on the lens, creating a weird rainbow effect on reflective surfaces, such as the water we were shooting in.

BTS Photography by Ai Narapol

BTS Photography by Ai Narapol

To summarize, this was a freaking epic shoot. Everyone on set were so on ball with the project, the actors were fantastic, all the crew nailed their roles and I am so grateful for this opportunity. I really look forward to seeing how Katie pieces this together in the edit (it’ll then be shipped to me for the colour grade!)

 BTS Photography by  Ai Narapol

BTS Photography by Ai Narapol

 Photo by Tom Sheffield

Photo by Tom Sheffield

 Photo by Tom Sheffield

Photo by Tom Sheffield

 Photo by Tom Sheffield

Photo by Tom Sheffield

 BTS Photography by  Ai Narapol

BTS Photography by Ai Narapol

 BTS Photography by  Ai Narapol   Photo by Tom Sheffield  Photo by Tom Sheffield  Photo by Tom Sheffield  BTS Photography by  Ai Narapol

Credits:

Cast:

Yara | Emma Leah Golding

Adrian | Simon Weir

Catherine | Rayyah McCaul

Crew:

Producer | Jakob Barnes

Director | Chris Boyd

DOP | Darshan Gajjar

Sound | Marcus Anuzis

AD | Nick Deal

AC | Tarik Skalli

Production Executive | Tom Sheffield

Make-Up Design | Isabella Percival

BTS & Unit Photography | Ai Narapol

Editor | Katie Senior

tags: sheffield cinematographer, sheffield director of photography, sheffield dop, sheffield filmmaker, filmmaker, filmmaker in sheffield, sheffield, south yorkshire filmmaker, DOP south yorkshire, cinematography, behind the scenes
Sunday 08.15.21
Posted by Darshan Gajjar
 
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