Nightingale brings back special memories for film producer - The Jewish Chronicle

Celebrated film critic turned producer Jason Solomons has said that using Nightingale House as the setting for a film brought back fond childhood memories.

Solomons produced the short film Beshert, together with Naomi Gryn, which is being screened at the UK Jewish Film Festival. It centres on Mr Pinsky, a curmudgeonly care home resident, played by Anton Lesser of Game of Thrones fame, and Oliver, who is reluctantly taking Hebrew lessons for his bar mitzvah, played by emerging talent Kit Rakusen.

Solomons said that using the south-west London Jewish residence was, for him, “a return of sorts”, as his grandfather, Mark Gordon, had been the treasurer in the late 70s and 80s.

“The last time I'd visited was to watch my brother do a magic show for the residents in 1985. He was billed as ‘The Great Danieli’. There was no plaque to commemorate this feat of prestidigitation but, to my absolute joy, there was one to commemorate Grandpa.”

Solomons said that he had “felt his kindly, guiding, kvelling presence throughout this project and knew instantly that filming at Nightingale House was, as the film itself knew, beshert”.

Filming of Beshert at Nightingale House (Photo: Joanne Davidson)Joanne Davidson

Some of the residents and staff were invited to be extras on the film set, including the home’s physiotherapist, Prince, who stars in one scene with Anton Lesser.

Resident Bobbie, 103, also enjoyed meeting the cast, with Catherine Michie, event and marketing manager at Nightingale Hammerson, saying that the experience “really did make her day”.

The filming of Beshert, which was awarded a grant from UK Jewish Film’s (UKJF) annual Pears Short Film Fund, involved some 40 cast and crew members creating a setting for the film, which takes place in 1999 in Leeds, in an unused corner of Nightingale.

Gryn, whose mother Jackie is a resident at the sister home Hammerson House, in north-west London, said that filming at Nightingale had given an even greater appreciation of the care her mother receives. She said afterwards: “Whilst preparing for and filming at Nightingale House, I was impressed beyond measure to see how [the residents’] care is delivered behind the scenes, with kindness, good humour and remarkable respect for the dignity of each and every resident, all made to feel like valued members of the community right up to the very end of their lives.”

Actors, residents and volunteers during filming of Beshert (Photo: Joanne Davidson)Joanne Davidson

After filming wrapped, script writer Gary Enkin, who lives in Leeds, wrote to the home and told them: “On my train journey home, I could only think how fortunate the London community was to have such a wonderful care home in Nightingale House on its doorstep.”

The feeling of warmth was reciprocated by the staff at Nightingale, with Michie telling the JC: “We were thrilled that the Beshert production team, Jason Solomons and Naomi Gryn, chose Nightingale House as their filming venue.

"We can’t wait for the community to share in this uplifting and joyful story that pulls on the heartstrings and will surely resonate with many in the audience…Nightingale House was the first care home in the world to promote and champion intergenerational care and so the story between the young and old particularly resonated with us.”

Filming Beshert in the gardens of Nightingale (Photo: Joanne Davidson)Joanne Davidson

Solomons said that he was looking forward to returning to Nightingale to show staff and residents the film. “Wandering the corridors of Nightingale brought back so many names from my childhood… They followed me around every day, benevolent ghost guides to ensure the project's good health and endow it with warmth, generosity, and deep care, all core values of Nightingale….Those joyous, dreamy filming days are forever etched in my heart and mind.”

The film screening of Beshert will take place throughout the UK during November and December. Dates and ticket booking details can be found on the UK Jewish Film Festival 2025 website

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UK Jewish Film Festival 2025