The director of "When The Lights Went Out" talks about his personal connection to the horror story

UK filmmaker Pat Holden (Long Weekend, Awaydays) had a personal reason to tell the story of his Rotterdam world premiere When The Lights Went Out – it was his aunt’s home that was the target of the haunting. “I was about 8 or 9 when it happened,” Holden remembers. “My mum was always around there with the family.”

The film is loosely based on the story of the Black Monk of Pontefract, the true story of a haunting of a working class family in 1970s Yorkshire. Holden says: “It is recognised as the worst case of poltergeist haunting in European history; many people experienced it at first hand; the police, neighbours, relatives, priests — even the local mayor.”

“I grew up with the story, it was a famous thing in the town. I was getting asked about it at school,” he says. “This has been a part of my life for so many years, I’ve been desperate to make a film about it for so long.” He got it made with producers Bil Bungay (Moon) and Deepak Nayar (Bend It Like Beckham).

He didn’t experience the spooky stuff first hand because of his age — “I was never allowed in the house [at the time of the events], I’m sure that was for the best.” But he doesn’t for a moment doubt the story’s authenticity. He tells Screen: “These were staunch Catholics, the idea of them making it up or exaggerating the story wasn’t anything I’ve ever considered. If anyone doubts it, I understand that emotion, but for me there’s never been any doubt in my mind that it happened.”

The film boasts an impressive performance by first-time actress Tasha Connor. “It was a real learning curve for her,” Holden says of the shoot. “By the end of the film, we were calling her ‘One-Take Tasha.’ She was amazing.”

The cast also features Gary Lewis, Kate Ashfield, Steven Waddington, Craig Parkinson, and Martin Compston (pictured above)

The film premiered in Rotterdam  on Thursday and will be screening at Berlin’s EFM.

Read more at Screen Daily