Nick Broomfield is best known for directing documentaries like Fetishes (1996) and Aileen: Life And Death Of A Serial Killer. Ghosts is his second foray into drama but uses a documentary style to present a "powerfully sober and sincere" portrait of the Chinese cockle pickers who drowned near Morecambe Bay in February 2004. The gangmasters responsible were jailed in March 2006.

Into The Underworld

An hour-long documentary by film school graduate Marc Hoeferlin accompanies the film on DVD. As well as exploring the making of the film, it also throws the spotlight on the horrific real-life experiences of illegal immigrants working in Britain. Part of Broomfield's research involved collaborating with a newspaper journalist who infiltrated the gangmasters' underworld and exposed the poor living conditions imposed on their illegal workforce. Excerpts of secretly filmed footage are peppered throughout the documentary.

In a quest for authenticity, Broomfield imposed the same living conditions on his cast of mostly untrained actors. Not everyone is happy with this arrangement, especially would-be leading lady Sihan. She eventually bows out telling Broomfield she fears that Chinese people will be portrayed negatively in the film. It means the project stalls and Broomfield must hit the streets again to find a replacement. Clips of audition tapes show just how far Broomfield ventured to find the right actors, from a London car park to the Chinese back streets.

Past And Present

When production finally gets underway there are other problems, including protests from locals (concerned about how they are being portrayed) and the nearly impossible logistics of shooting in the boggy sands around Morecambe Bay. But there are lighter moments too, like Broomfield's battle of the egos with previously unknown actor Zhe Wei - basically the Chinese answer to Harry Enfield's Mr You-Don't-Wanna-Do-It-Like-That!

In essence this DVD offers a rarely seen glimpse of the harsh day-to-day realities for many people working in Britain today. It lingers long after viewing.

EXTRA FEATURES

Ghosts DVD is released on Monday 9th April 2007.