Asking the big questions

Lensing filmmaker Ella Glendining’s intensely personal journey of discovery brought the issue of ableism into sharp focus for cinematographer Annemarie Lean-Vercoe.

“This film is not about the body; it is about the soul. It is about otherness, ableism, community, and disabled power and pride.” These are the words of filmmaker Ella Glendining on her powerful Sundance documentary Is There Anybody Out There? which follows her global hunt for other people with a body that looks like hers.

Born with a rare disability meaning she has short legs and uses a wheelchair, Glendining’s lifelong experiences in an ableist world inspired her film. In cinematographer Annemarie Lean-Vercoe, Glendining found not just a creative collaborator but an ally.

“When I first met Ella, I thought, ‘I’ve got to be involved with this,’” remarks Lean-Vercoe, who heard about Glendining’s story through the illuminatrix collective of female cinematographers. “She was incredible, and it felt like it was meant to be.”

In their early conversations, Glendining explained to Lean-Vercoe that she wanted to take a “personal, real and honest” approach to the visual storytelling. Her aim was for the audience to feel as though they were experiencing every step of this life-changing journey with her – including a special personal milestone.

You see, early in the filmmaking process, Glendining discovered she was pregnant, which added another fascinating, intimate strand to her documentary. Shortly after, Lean-Vercoe would accompany her to capture the nervous excitement of antenatal appointments – and was even entrusted with shooting the birth of her son, River.

While most of the documentary was shot on her Panasonic Lumix GH5 with Sigma Art lenses (bar Glendining’s mobile phone video diaries), the DP hired the Canon C500 from local supplier HireACamera to film the special moment. “Just because it’s more of a proper documentary camera – I was a bit worried that bits might fall off mine during the birth!”

While some cinematographers may baulk at the prospect of being in the delivery suite, Lean-Vercoe was at ease, having previously spent a year filming in a neo-natal unit for a charity project. In this case she felt especially privileged to witness River’s “gentle, amazing birth”, having become so close to Glendining during the making of the documentary thus far.

It’s a sequence that defines the Is There Anybody Out There? pure, uninhibited style. The DP remembers: “After we’d done a bit of filming, I showed Ella what we’d done so far – all very observational – and she said it was great and to carry on with exactly what I was doing. Of course, I’d talk to her and ask her questions [about the style] as we went along, but it had to feel not constructed in any way. It had to feel more free.”

This approach was helped by keeping the crew compact; often just Glendining and Lean-Vercoe. Additional crew were required when Glendining heads to the US to meet people with similar conditions; here, Lean-Vercoe was joined by second camera Amy Bench and Scott Snyder on sound. They would rely on ambient lighting as much as possible, only using extra LED panels when conducting the touching interviews with Glendining’s parents.

Ben Mullen, of Serious Facilities at FilmCity Glasgow, was tasked with keeping the naturalistic visuals to the documentary into the grade. Lean-Vercoe had filmed entirely in LOG in order to grade in post. The emphasis for Mullen was also on keeping the look cohesive, given the various cameras used during filming and the project’s geographic scope and timeframe.

“[He] did a really great job. We wanted to keep it very naturalistic, so we didn’t really do more than just make sure nothing jumped out at you or stood out in a negative way. We just wanted it to blend seamlessly,” notes the cinematographer. “I’d say, a bit cooler here or a bit warmer there, but it was not drastic. The story was always needing to be at the forefront and the visual style was never supposed be noticed.”

For Lean-Vercoe, the documentary’s success is partly how well it connects with audiences and reflects Glendining’s journey so authentically. This was helped by producer Janine Marmot, whose support and guidance assisted with navigating the waters through COVID and getting the film into cinemas. “I think sometimes, when someone has an issue they want to talk about in a documentary, people think it’s going to get very serious very quickly. But this is Ella and she’s talking about her life and all the joy, anguish, and laughter [that comes with it], and she’s extremely funny. So, I’m pleased that you get to see and meet Ella – I think it’s a good representation of her.”

The DP has established a confident foothold in narrative (Breeders, Call The Midwife, All Creatures Great and Small) but what is it about documentary that keeps her coming back? “Documentary roots me,” she smiles. “It’s such a pure thing – especially observational documentary. It’s me making a connection with the subject yet being almost invisible. I get so much enjoyment out of those connections and the simplicity of me with a camera, on top of it.”

Is There Anybody Out There? is released in UK cinemas and at home on 17 November.