Liverpool takes centre stage in new film that shines a light on what makes city special

Liverpool takes centre stage in a new film being released today. Liverpool Story is a documentary centred around the communities and cultures in the city.

The premiere will take place at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall tonight at 7.30pm. Liverpool has become a hub for film and television with many blockbusters bringing productions to the region to take advantage of the city's historic architecture and stunning buildings.

Liverpool Story is directed by Daniel Draper and he wanted to put a spotlight on Merseyside as Liverpool is often used as a double for other historic cities across the world. He said: "Liverpool’s become a go-to destination for productions - easily disguised as London, New York, Moscow or even Gotham City.

"Given this, I thought it was time to make Liverpool the leading lady of her own film. I spent a year walking and filming the streets of the place I call home, documenting how a city operates over a single year and ultimately making a film about humans; the importance of community, fragile memories and the passing of time.”

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The documentary, which is produced and edited by Christie Allanson, focuses on a year in the the life in Liverpool and explores themes of home, belonging and memory. Christie and Daniel founded Shut Out the Light films, an independent company that aims to give a voice to under-represented communities.

Daniel, who is originally from Norris Green, has previously directed films such as Dennis Skinner: Nature of the Beast, Almost Liverpool 8 and Manifesto. He began filming for Liverpool Story in 2023 and told the ECHO he wanted to show the authentic side of his home town.

Daniel, who now lives in Toxteth, told the ECHO: “The process of it was brilliant because It involves interacting with the city in a way that you don't usually.

"We filmed 150 days out of the year, walking around every area in Liverpool and every postcode, and meeting people in the streets. You go to a certain area, people ask you what you're doing with the camera.

"And then they go, 'oh if you're making this, maybe you should film this or this person'. To slow down and just look at the city as it breathes and lives, it was great really.

“One thing people might say when they see it is, ‘why is X place not in it?’ The thing is, it might have been in it. We shot over 12,000 individual shots - only 1,500 are in the film. But we literally walked every street and we filmed everywhere. In terms of big places, there's some they didn't want us to film in.”

Daniel didn't want to focus on The Beatles and football, but instead aimed to highlight different corners of the city that don’t often find themselves in the spotlight. The film crew even put a camera in the Mersey to capture the lesser seen life underneath the river.

Daniel learnt something valuable about Liverpool while exploring its lesser known features. He said: “What I think I've figured out is there's something for everyone in the city. Not everyone's into football, not everyone's into music.

"No matter what you're into, there's something in the city for you, whether it be language classes, bridge clubs or dancing classes. There's little micro communities all over the city, which I think make the city more interesting than what it is.

"We're quite often trying to boil down what the city is into a sentence or a slogan but it's a city, it's a living, breathing thing, and it changes always, and I think that change is actually what makes Liverpool feel quite interesting.”

Liverpool Story premieres at the Liverpool Philharmonic tonight. You can find details on how to get tickets here There will also be a screening and a Q&A at FACT Picturehouse on November 28. You can find information on how to get tickets here

There is also a screening at Odeon Liverpool ONE on December 3. You can find out more information on all screenings of Liverpool Story here.