“A Beautifully Raw Journey”: The Poignant True Story Behind New Film Silver Haze
After premiering at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2023, Silver Haze is hitting UK cinemas today. It marks the third feature film by Dutch writer and director Sacha Polak, taking viewers on a beautifully raw journey inspired by the life story of actor and A&E nurse Vicky Knight, who plays Franky in the film. Knight survived a deadly arson attack on her grandfather’s pub in Dagenham, east London, back in 2005 when she was just eight years old. Tragically, she lost her two cousins in the incident, and to this day, no one has been held accountable. Silver Haze blurs fact with fiction as we witness this story through Franky’s eyes.
The film is the second collaboration between Polak and Knight, following Knight’s lead role in 2019’s Dirty God – the story of a young British mother reclaiming her life after a brutal acid attack. “After we premiered at Sundance with Dirty God, Vicky and I travelled all over the world together with the film,” says Polak. “We spent a lot of time together, and Vicky shared all her life stories – some funny, others sad, but always incredibly interesting. I knew I wanted to do something with what she had shared with me, but it had to feel genuine and free.”
Silver Haze is immersive, emotional and profoundly honest, confronting the realities of working-class life in Britain. Polak’s work encourages conversations and reflections, especially for those watching from the film’s home perspective: “Dagenham is exactly as you see it on screen. Normally, productions would clean up any mess on the road, but we deliberately left it as it was,” says Knight. “It was really important to me to show my hometown’s realism.”
“I struggle to find words that truly show how I feel,” she continues. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do – tell my story.” After collaborating on two films, the bond between Polak and Knight is unmistakable, extending well beyond their work in film. “We are now connected forever,” says Polak. The director also acknowledges the responsibility she bears when casting a non-professional actor: “You can’t give her all this attention, then suddenly everybody goes back to their own life. I also love her as a friend so I would never do that.”
Filming Silver Haze was a special time for Knight, especially as it brought the opportunity to share the screen with her sister and cousins. “This film has brought my family closer than ever,” she says. “I may carry the physical scars, but they have the mental scars from our upbringing since the accident. So just to see them take in this moment, I have no words to express it. It was just so incredible.” Knight beams while recalling the funny moments – and occasional chaos – of the production: “My sister Charlotte was eating McDonald’s under the table while she was on set; she didn’t really understand the concept of needing to be ready!” Polak adds, “Yes, she ordered Uber Eats in secret without anyone realising!”
Silver Haze is a heartfelt piece, rooted in family, love, and the drive to tell a story that everyone involved – from the cast to the crew– felt needed to be shared. “I want the audience to take away strength from every single character,” says Knight. “It touches on so many different life stories that I feel everyone in the audience will relate to, whether it’s cancer, eating disorders or homophobia. I want people to see there is life after an experience like mine.”
5 More Eye-Opening Films To Watch…
- Beyond Utopia – The BAFTA-nominated documentary shares the stories of several families trying to escape oppression in North Korea. Directed by Madeleine Gavin, this film uncovers a hidden world and spotlights the voices of people who have been kept silent for years.
- Red, White and Blue – This Oscar-nominated short film by Nazrin Choudhury follows the life of a single mother in America who has to go out of state to get an abortion, spotlighting the ongoing conversation around abortion rights.
- The Barber Of Little Rock – John Hoffman and Christine Turner’s Oscar-nominated short documentary focuses on the work of Arlo Washington: an African American barber who founded a nonprofit bank offering economic opportunities for their community that mainstream banks refuse to offer.
- 20 Days In Mariupol – Winner of Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars, director Mystslav Chernov and a team of Ukranian journalists cover 20 days during the siege of the city of Mariupol at the beginning of the Russian invasion.
- Our Uniform – Yegane Moghaddam’s Oscar-nominated short animation retells personal memories of girls at school in Iran on the fabric of her old school uniform.
Pia Brynteson is Content Editor at Service95
