AS Lance Corporal William Schofield, alias actor George MacKay, is swept down a fast-flowing river while fleeing from German soldiers in the blockbuster war film, 1917, audiences are transported to the Western Front during the dark days of the First World War. In reality, MacKay was filmed in the safety of a controlled environment at the Tees Barrage International White Water Centre, just off the A66 at Stockton . The 2019 film, directed by Sir Sam Mendes CBE and filmed by legendary cinematographer, Sir Roger Deakins CBE, received ten Oscar nominations, winning Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects, and Best Sound Mixing.
It also won Golden Globe Awards for Best Motion Picture – Drama, and Best Director. And, though the Tees Valley may be more than 5,000 miles from Hollywood, it can take pride in the important role it played in the making of that award-winning movie. Now, a promotional campaign is being launched by community leisure trust, Tees Active, to cement the Tees Barrage’s claim to fame as the UK’s number one choice for film and TV production companies looking for locations for scenes involving water.
“We have something unique to offer the world of film and TV right here in Stockton,” says Tees Active’s Managing Director, Leon Jones. Chris Gibbens, left, and Leon Jones, of Tees Active (Image: Chris Barron) “No one else in the UK is offering what we can provide in terms of a safe, controlled and flexible location for scenes involving floods, or anythin.