Behind the scenes of a short documentary for Cafe Lingo.

This is a behind the scenes account of a short documentary produced by DotPerformance for Café Lingo and The Welcome Project on the Isle of Man.

The film tells the story of Oksana, who arrived on the Isle of Man eight years ago feeling isolated and uncertain. With little English and no familiar faces, the island felt out of reach. Café Lingo changed that. Through the community she found there, Oksana built her confidence, her language and her sense of belonging. The film is a portrait of that journey and a testament to what the right environment and the right people can do.

Oksana came in for an early interview and it was clear straight away that she was the right person to carry the story. From there the shoot took us from the studio out to Café Lingo, where we filmed a live session as it happened, capturing the conversations, the warmth and the small moments between people that give the place its character. We then spent time out in the community with Oksana, gathering the wider material needed to support the story on screen.

The approach throughout was to stay out of the way and let things unfold naturally. The story was already there. Our job was to capture it honestly.

Kindly funded by the Manx Lottery Trust.

Our role: Production, direction, cinematography and post-production.

Credits Producer / Director: Andy Orton Assistant Producer: Ella Garvey Camera Operator / Sound Recordist: Nico Van Loggerenberg Camera Operator / Sound Recordist: William Oates Client: Café Lingo / The Welcome Project