Lee Daniel
Drama? I was born into it.
My parents were absolute professionals. The neighbours thought so. As did the paramedics, teachers, and social workers who regularly pulled up outside our house, demanding to be let in.
So I exited early - chasing escape, maybe a quieter existence.
Only drama had other plans. It followed me. Got in the way. Led me astray.
Some things are just like that - inescapable.
Fate. So here I am - and drama it is.
I was born in London to a Scottish family and grew up caught between chaos and resilience. That mix of heritage and lived experience fuels my storytelling: outsiders, rule-breakers, and the “ordinary extraordinary.” My work balances rawness with lyricism, exploring crime and community, sisterhood and survival.
I am currently directing the feature documentary The Super Responders. Recent projects also include The Debt Collector - a neo-noir feature in development with the BFI’s Early Development Fund - and Easy Money, a television series in development with BBC Voices. My speculative script was also placed in the top 1% of entries to the BBC Open Call.
I am a disabled and an active campaigner for Breast Cancer Now and MetUp UK, bringing the same passion for truth and survival into both my advocacy and my filmmaking.
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Short Film
Date
April 2023
Short Film (Brighton screen and film school)
Film Noir style. A thriller, set in 1940s England. The idea for the film comes from the rising obsession with 'seances that was sweeping the UK at this time. The phenomenon of trying to reach out to dead loved ones, was perhaps in response to the collective grief that the nation felt on losing so many of their young during the first and second world war.
STYLING
We went for the film noir black and white styling, which enabled us to establish a 1940s storyworld within tight parameters. We were using the same set as QS, so shooting in black and white enabled us to play with the shadows and make the set look like a different location all together. We focused on costume and making props - as well as sound effects to create the 1940s vibe.