TURBO…

A liberation from shame and isolation.

One night. One street. One continuous shot.

TURBO follows a rough sleeper through Bristol’s Gloucester Road as he is drawn into the frantic search for a missing girl. What begins as an act of reluctant help becomes a night-long journey that forces him to confront his invisibility, his past, and the fragile line between survival and belonging.

Shot in a single continuous take, TURBO unfolds in real time, placing the audience shoulder-to-shoulder with a man who is usually passed by without a glance.

The Story

Saul, known on the street as ‘Turbo’, knows Gloucester Road intimately; its rhythms, its corners, its people. He watches life move past him, unseen but always present.

When a desperate young man arrives in search of his missing girlfriend, Turbo is reluctantly pulled into the chaos. Together, they move through shopfronts, alleyways and firelit gatherings, searching for someone who has slipped between the cracks.

As the night unfolds, Turbo is forced to confront his own history. His displacement, his isolation, and the quiet shame he has learned to carry. By the time they reach Turbo Island, the question is no longer whether the girl will be found, but whether Turbo can finally step back into the world he has been surviving on the edges of.

Why One Take?

TURBO is told in a single continuous shot because Turbo’s life offers no cuts, no relief, and no escape.

The one-take form removes the safety of distance. The audience cannot look away, cannot jump ahead, cannot be comforted by editing. We experience the night exactly as Turbo does; moment by moment, step by step. Allowing presence, urgency, and vulnerability to build naturally.

This approach mirrors the fluid, unpredictable nature of Gloucester Road itself: a living ecosystem that never stops moving, never resets.

Why This Film Matters

The UK homeless population continues to rise amid an ongoing cost-of-living crisis. At the same time, there is a growing habit of dehumanising those we see sleeping on our streets, reducing them to background noise.

TURBO resists that instinct.

This film is not about statistics or spectacle. It is about presence. About what happens when we stop walking past and start walking alongside.

Bristol’s Gloucester Road is vibrant, chaotic, and deeply human. It’s a collision of cultures, stories, and lives. By rooting this film in a real place, with real movement and real unpredictability, TURBO aims to amplify empathy and restore visibility to those who are so often ignored.

Bristol as a Character

Gloucester Road is not a backdrop; it is a collaborator.

From the laundrette and late-night pubs to alleyways and the fire at Turbo Island, the street shapes the story as much as the characters do. The film will be rehearsed extensively, then performed live within the unpredictability of the road, allowing the environment and its people to breathe naturally into the frame.

About Us: Barndance Films

We are Jacob Love + Llewy Godfrey, co-founders of Barndance Films, an emerging production company dedicated to inclusive, grounded storytelling.

We focus on lesser-known communities and emotionally driven narratives that take creative risks while staying rooted in lived experience. Our work prioritises empathy, presence, and human connection.

Our previous short, 'Silent Key', screened at international film festivals and was praised for its tenderness, sensitivity, and exploration of loneliness and connection:

“A tender and introspective short that explores human connection through the most unlikely of channels… genuinely heartwarming.”

Big Fridge International Film Festival

With TURBO, we continue this commitment, telling a story that is urgent, intimate, and deeply human.

Where Your Support Goes

Your backing helps us bring this story to life responsibly and authentically. Funding will support:

• Fair pay for cast and crew
   
• Extensive rehearsals required for a one-take production
   
• Equipment and sound to capture a continuous, immersive experience
   
• Location permissions across Gloucester Road
   
• Post-production, including sound mix and colour
   

Every contribution directly supports independent filmmaking and ethical, people-first production.

Our Goal

We aim to complete TURBO in 2026 and share it with audiences on the international festival circuit.

By backing TURBO, you’re not just funding a short film; you’re helping to amplify underrepresented voices, support emerging filmmakers and stories from the South-West, and creating space for empathy in a world that too often looks away.