Rob Munday
When we think about what makes a film engaging, we often focus on storytelling, pacing, and characters. But how much attention do we give to those in the background – the extras? For filmmaker Anthony Ing (The Gallery), his interest in these peripheral performers began while working on film archive projects. Realising that exploring their work could open the door to deeper themes, this curiosity led to Jill, Uncredited – a study of one of Britain’s most prolific extras.
The story of Jill Goldston, a ‘bit player’ with almost 2,000 appearances across television and film, Ing meticulously pieces together her impressive (but largely unnoticed) career through the use of archival footage showing her at work. “I spent years scrubbing through footage (sourced from Jill’s diaries) trying to find her in the background of everything”, he shares. The search was painstaking, but the result is a poignant and unexpectedly haunting film.
Spot Jill in the crowd in a scene from Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965)
At 18-minutes long and composed almost entirely of dialogue-free clips from Jill’s countless cameos, Jill, Uncredited leans toward the more experimental side of what we typically champion on S/W. But with that experimentation comes bold, thought-provoking filmmaking – the kind that braves new territory (exactly what we claim to seek on our submit page). For those accustomed to more conventional storytelling, it might feel like a slow burn, but for viewers willing to embrace its pace, it offers a uniquely compelling and reflective experience.
“I hope the film captures that sense of something that once was”
For Ing, the film wasn’t just about celebrating Jill’s “beautiful performances.” He also wanted to explore broader themes—what it means to exist in the background of other people’s stories, the nature of unsung labor, and the fading sense of community within the industry. “It was interesting to me how Jill’s career spanned a time when you could truly make a living as a film extra and feel a real sense of belonging,” he reflects. “That doesn’t quite exist in the same way today, and I hope the film captures that sense of something that once was.”
It’s a beautiful sentiment – one that adds another layer of meaning to Jill, Uncredited. But a film should stand on its own, without requiring deeper context from its creator. Even without this reflective lens, there’s plenty to appreciate – especially the sheer scope of Goldston’s decade-spanning career.
Having screened at the BFI London and Berlin International Film Festivals, Jill, Uncredited has been well received, and Ing is now developing a feature-length book adaptation. He is also one-third of Loop, a production company founded alongside Catherine Bray and Charlie Shackleton, whose impressive and ever-growing catalogue continues to push creative boundaries.