Children of the Wicker Man

Feature documentary directed by Justin Hardy, Dominic Hardy and Chris Nunn.

Children of the Wicker Man investigates the making of Robin Hardy’s 1973 film through the experiences of his sons, Justin and Dominic. Bringing together film history and personal documentary, it examines the distance between a celebrated work’s public reputation and its consequences for the people closest to its creator. The rediscovery of Robin Hardy’s personal papers provides the starting point for an investigation into his creative contribution, his relationships and the pressures of independent filmmaking. 

Through archival correspondence, interviews and visits to the original filming locations, the brothers piece together the circumstances surrounding the production. They revisit their father’s difficult relationship with screenwriter Anthony Shaffer, the conflicts with distributor British Lion and the financial difficulties that accompanied the film’s completion. These accounts are interwoven with conversations about their own childhoods, allowing the documentary to move between production history and the lasting effects of family estrangement. 

A central discovery concerns Caroline, Justin’s mother, whose investment of money and time helped make The Wicker Man possible. Recovering her contribution shifts attention away from the familiar account of an individual director’s achievement towards the often-unacknowledged support behind it. What began as a reassessment of a landmark film consequently became a more personal exploration of fatherhood, responsibility and the costs of artistic ambition. 

The project also brings academic research into direct engagement with independent film production, involving collaborators from UCL, the University of Birmingham and Université du Québec à Montréal. Archival research becomes both the documentary’s subject and a means of reshaping its narrative. The film received its world premiere at FrightFest in 2024.