Grow Your Own (film)

Grow Your Own is a 2007 British comedy film directed by Richard Laxton, and written by Frank Cottrell Boyce and Carl Hunter. It stars Benedict Wong, John Henshaw, Eddie Marsan, Pierce Quigley, Omid Djalili, Alan Williams, Philip Jackson, and Olivia Colman. The film centres on a group of gardeners at a Merseyside allotment, who react angrily when a group of refugees are given plots at the site, but after they get to know them better, soon change their minds. The film was previously known under the title The Allotment.

Production

The original idea for the film came from Carl Hunter's involvement with the Merseyside community group "Art in Action". With the project he had worked with a number of refugees who had taken up residence in Liverpool. The refugees were each given an allotment as part of a Liverpool City Council initiative. This led Hunter to produce a series of documentaries about the lives of the refugees entitled Putting Down Roots, they were broadcast as part of the "3-minute wonder" slot on Channel 4. Frank Cottrell Boyce saw some potential in the concept and asked Hunter if he wished to work with him to turn the real-life story into a film. The film was supported by North West Vision, BBC Films and the UK Film Council. Shooting for the film began on 14 August 2006, taking place for six weeks. All filming took place in Merseyside, with the shoot providing numerous jobs for locals.