As well as telling an exciting story, I wanted to make a film that both explores the precarious nature of being a British Jew and complex questions of identity. Most Jews are painfully familiar with the feeling that their loyalty will always be questioned, and their Judaism will always make them a target in the context of geopolitical events. I wanted the film to address the fact that, even today, too many are willing to stand by and watch as these sorts of events happen.
Liverpudlian Jews are enormously under-represented in the history of British Jewry. Once a thriving community with several synagogues, it now has few Jews left in the city, and the number is dwindling. I want my film to serve as a lasting testimony both to the Liverpool Jewish community and the memory of my grandparents.
By Barney Pell Scholes
The Soldier on Smithdown Road is screening at the UK Jewish Film Festival (20 Nov, Manchester; 22 Nov, Liverpool). Barney Pell Scholes is a writer and filmmaker. barneypellscholes.com
This article appears in the Autumn 2023 issue of JR.
