The Hawkers, almost a year on.

Saturday 15/03/08

 

Story:  The Hawkers, almost a year on.

 

On meeting Bill Hawker once again my first reaction was that he had lost a lot of weight, and he later told me that he had lost nearly 2 stone during the past year.

Sadness was still there but in a more controlled way now and with it a continued determination and anger at his daughters horrific fate. The whole family brought with them a much better realisation of working with us, the media, and as we asked “may we film this..?” or “can we do that..?”, Bill continually replied with “just do what you’ve got to do”. There was also a recognition that we had mostly met before, of us four a visiting them that day it was only our new reporter who had not made the journey before.

 

In fact it we were confronted with a whole lot more Hawkers than we had met before, at least 7 extras crammed into the kitchen for tea. Perhaps the biggest shock was that Bruno was no longer alive and had been replaced with a new addition to the family, Monty. Bruno, and Monty, was their dog, a ‘proper’ poodle, not one of these small things but a proper poodle of hunting dog proportions. A lot had been made about Bruno, as Lindsay used to really love the dog and ask after it every time she called. Bill told us that Monty was helping them in some way and he certainly played and entertained the large gathering in the kitchen that day.

 

We did an impromptu interview with the parents and some new posters on their new sofa in the living room. This had me on my knees right in front of them and using the macro facility on the lens as I moved between the two of them and the posters being passed around. It was hot, uncomfortable work, but as the soundman said “don’t feel sorry for him, that’s what he’s paid to do”.

Bill wanted my reporter’s help in pronouncing some Japanese words and phrases, which he recorded and practiced with my reporter as I filmed the scene. The most poignant was as he tried to say in Japanese “Please look for this man”. You could really feel his need to keep the profile of the case high and get the public in Japan doing all they could to help find the only suspect.

 

For the first time we were allowed to see inside and film Lindsay’s room. It was a slightly strange experience especially as her father gave us a tour round it pointing out things and reminiscing about his daughter until he had to excuse himself. I took shots of pictures, books, jewellery, make up containers now covered with a layer of dust and even a hair roller with a few strands of hair, presumably Lindsay’s, left in it.

 

We interviewed Lisa in her own room and also took some shots of her writing out a message she wanted to be able to say to the Japanese people in Tokyo next week. My reporter later helped her translate it so that she could practice it before the trip.

From Lisa’s interview too you could hear and see that she was somehow at a stage of emotional feelings that needed to end, something like the capture of the suspect was needed so that she could move forward again albeit still in grief.

 

We did get the parents to sit once more and answer a few more questions and I even got to use the tripod for that interview. I am so used to monitoring sound as well as pictures that I kept wondering why I wasn’t wearing an earphone, but it was really good not to have to worry about it and still come back to the office with excellent audio.

 

Before we came up to Coventry today my reporter had previewed all the Lindsay Hawker related filming we had done in the last year and then she sat down with me and we discussed the shot sizes she personally liked and wanted for today’s shoot. She also discussed how even though we were speaking to the parents together she wanted more one and one framing and that if I had to pan between them then that was fine but also that I was free to stay on one subject whilst the other spoke so as to capture expressions and reactions. She also said that where possible communicating like this before a shoot was essential but that once on location she usually left it up to the cameraman’s decision. This was great, having chat like this and I even told her that on location she should feel free to point out things she wanted covered. I now felt that once again there was a chance for me to improve and grow, something I have been needing, I only hope I can keep up with her.

 

 Eventually the soundman’s stomach rumbled, I took seasonal exteriors, we said our thank you and goodbyes and ended up having a late lunch in Leamington Spa’s Café Rouge. The soundman got outrageously drunk at our company’s expense, insulted everyone and will never work for us again. He no doubt wishes.