Momentum Pictures

Director: Michael Apted
Writer: Steven Knight
Kent Filming Locations: Chatham Historic Dockyard

The film was directed by Michael Apted (The World is Not Enough) from an original screenplay written by Academy Award nominee Steven Knight (Dirty Pretty Things). Ioan Gruffudd (Fantastic Four) leads a cast including Michael Gambon (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Good Shepherd), Albert Finney (Ocean's Twelve, Big Fish), Rufus Sewell (The Illusionist) and Youssou N'Dour(the famous Senegalese singer and percussionist).

The church at Chatham Dockyard was transformed for the film to recreate the 18th century House of Commons. The film portraits how Wilberforce, supported by his confidant John Newton (Albert Finney) and William Pitt the Younger (Benedict Cumberbatch), England's youngest ever Prime Minister, spoke out against slavery and fought for the freedom of others.

The true story of William Wilberforce and the abolition of slavery started in 1787 in Teston, Kent, where Wilberforce agreed to become the leader of the parliamentary campaign to abolish the slave trade.

Michael Gambon as Lord Charles Fox © 2007 Momentum Pictures. All rights reserved

Films made within the Historic Dockyard during the last year include:

- His Dark Materials: Northern Lights (AKA The Golden Compass.) An adaptation of the bestselling trilogy by Phillip Pullman and due for release in December 2007.

- Amazing Grace about the life of William Wilberforce, released 2007

- Children of Men starring Clive Owen and released early 2007

[Rebecca Anderson]

Links

• For more information about Amazing Grace
• www.Historicfilmlocation.com for information about filming at the Dockyard

The Historic Dockyard Chatham Logo