BBC premiere for Edge Hill Lecturer

A film made by Edge Hill lecturer Carl Hunter is to have its TV premiere this week on BBC 2.

Grow Your Own is a quirky and warm hearted British comedy with a host of well-known British stars such as comedian Omid Djalili and actors Benedict Wong, Eddie Marsan, Alan Williams, Philip Jackson, Olivia Colman and Diveen Henry.

The film tells the story of a refugee family that is given a plot of land in Liverpool to help rehabilitate their traumatised father. At first they are met with suspicion by those who have worked in the gardens for years but eventually, they are accepted by their united love of making things grow. The film will be introduced by Carl Hunter, co-producer and co-writer of Grow Your Own.

Carl Hunter, screen writer, media lecturer and bassist with Liverpool band The Farm said: "The film started life as a Channel Four documentary series called Putting Down Roots, based on a real life project in Liverpool, called the Family Refugee Support Project.

"The scheme gave allotments and therapy to asylum seekers and refugees to help with their recovery. The combination of horticulture and support help these frightened and damaged people. Initially it was Margret Ruegg, the director of the project who asked if we'd make a short fund raising film for them.

"It involved Frank Cottrell Boyce and was co-produced by BBC films, Warp Films, Northwest Vision, Pathe and a Bootle-based community arts project called Art In Action."