Lift

When filmmaker Marc Isaacs decided to make a documentary about a lift in an East End tower block he had no idea how the residents would react and what they would reveal of their lives. He simply set himself up in the lift with his camera and waited for the right moment to ask questions. The result is both humorous and moving. Once the early suspicions of the residents disappear, the lift is transformed into a place of comedy and reflection. Trapped in a confined space and suspended in time for the few seconds it takes to come and go from the building, a rich variation of characters reveal the things that matter to them.As the lift doors open we wait expectantly for the next reaction. (A thirty-something man in search of a girlfriend comes back from a night on the town; an elderly Jewish woman dreams about the filmmaker; an alcoholic describes his most valuable childhood memory; and an Asian man comes baring gifts.) Sit back and enjoy the journey between floors - you'll forget the outside world exists. A little warning... this film is not for the claustrophobic. Born stones throw away from the location of LIFT in the East-End of London, 34-year-old director Mark Isaacs as an Assistant Director has gained experience on some of Channel 4‘s and the BBC’s premium documentary strands. LIFT was presented on Channel 4‘s new talent primetime slot ALT-TV.