Alessio Avezzano’s film ‘Behind’ wins best international award

A derelict tenement estate in Port Glasgow known as Scotland’s Chernobyl has yielded some of its final recorded images before demolition crews cleared the site, preserved within the scenes of a newly minted post-apocalyptic short film.

Demolition Day Filming at Clune Park

Glasgow-based filmmaker Alessio Avezzano captured footage for his post-apocalyptic sci-fi horror comedy, Behind, at the Clune Park estate just as heavy machinery arrived last May. The tenements, constructed a century ago to accommodate shipyard workers, stood largely vacant for years following a prolonged redevelopment standstill between private landlords and the local council. That impasse froze the neighborhood in time, leaving behind a heavily deteriorated landscape that earned frequent comparisons to Pripyat, the Ukrainian city abandoned after the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster. “It’s the last film to be made there. It was announced it would be demolished the day we were filming – we managed to get in there not a moment too soon,” Avezzano noted. Scenes were recorded in public-access areas of the estate, marking the end of an era for a location that previously hosted productions like Scarlett Johansson’s 2013 sci-fi horror film, Under the Skin.

From Accidental Calls to Post-Apocalyptic Satire

The narrative framework for Behind originated from the everyday mishap of pocket-dialing. Avezzano explained the concept during script development, stating, That week my cousin, who hadn’t done this before or since, just started to butt dial me every day and by the fifth day the light bulb moment came. He added, It is basically taking the idea of butt dials and what if they were a symptom of something more deadly. It’s got elements of how we responded to the pandemic and it’s got elements of phone addiction and social media addiction, Avezzano said, describing the project as post-apocalyptic satire. BBC Scotland News footage documented the decaying state of Clune Park prior to the arrival of demolition teams.

Behind Wins Best International Short at Roswell Shorts Festival

Operated entirely on self-funding, the short film features lead actor Jade McDonald, recognized for her role in the female run of Singin’ I’m No a Billy He’s a Tim, a play centered on an Old Firm football rivalry inside a prison cell. Following its premiere at the Glasgow Film Festival’s Frightfest, Behind traveled to international film festivals across Italy and Argentina. The production secured a best editing nomination at Basingstoke’s Exit 6 Film Festival and captured the award for best international short at the Roswell Shorts Festival in New Mexico. Meanwhile, Avezzano has shifted focus to his upcoming feature-length project, Midgies, a Scottish horror film scheduled for release next year.