Emmott & Rowland

Emmott & Rowland is a romanticized short historical film based on events that happened during the Plague of 1666 in a small village called Eyam. Written by Raees Khan & Tim Warburton and well directed by Aneel Ahmad, this short tells its tale of promise and grief in a quiet way.

The film is beautifully shot with long sweeping, pastoral landscapes in rich color and light. The cinematography is remarkable, immediately drawing it’s viewers into the story of the young lovers, Emmott & Rowland, played by actors Grace Day & Edward Darling. Grace epitomizes Emmott’s youthful innocence and beauty, and Edward is convincing in his heroic, long suffering character as Rowland. The supporting cast is wonderfully directed, and although at times comes across as slightly overdramatic, these new actors still manage to portray their truth and allow us to connect to their plight.

There are a few scenes that are memorable, and displays Director Ahmet’s ability to tell a story on multiple levels. One is where the Rector is talking to his congregation in a nature-filled outdoor venue. As the Rector speaks, the sun rises and casts a warm glow of light on the preacher’s face… giving him an aura of heavenly inspiration. Whereas the faces of the townsfolk are in shadow as they hear and angrily protest his unwelcome words.

And then there is the scene with the Rector’s wife tearfully pleading for them to take their families and flee the plague-ridden village. This scene takes place in a dark, devoid-of-light chamber, and is particularly heartbreaking. The frightened wife speaks of reality, death and danger, while the stalwart Rector answers of duty and love. He reminds her of their God-given assignment to stand by their flock, giving support and aid those who are suffering and dying.

Yet hope is returned in the very next scene with the brilliance of the arising sun, silhouetting the brave young Emmott. Even though it is shortly revealed that she had since developed an alarming cough, the ray of sunlight behind her gives a remaining cinematic hope for all those who stay. And for the young lovers, there is subtly retained a pervading belief in the power of love to protect them from impending death.

All these undertones are supported and aided by the musical score adeptly written by Mark T. Payne. The long sweeping arc of his composition captures both the epic ongoing drama, as well as the inner dialogue of those who cannot adequately speak. The cinematography itself makes this a truly beautiful film to watch, with its gold-flecked wheat fields and sparkling streams. Add to that the expert multi-level storytelling by Aneel Ahmad, a self-made man having had no formal training and no film education or qualifications when he first started over 10 years ago. He has since progressed to the level of superior filmmaker who is able to tell a story that captures the imagination of those who view it, while also pulling honest interpretations by his cast of mostly new, inexperienced actors. Imagine what he could do with more resources! Mr. Ahmad is a director to watch, and his current film “Emmott & Rowland” is a joy to see.