The Changing Faces of Diss film project hears a tale or two about the town

Some of the stories of Diss down the ages have been recorded as part of a film project about the town.

Moving House Films has been commissioned to deliver The Changing Faces of Diss, following in the footsteps of Poet Laureate John Betjeman, who made a film called Something about Diss in 1964.

Led by the Essex Cultural Diversity Project and Arts Council England, it will see the production company work in partnership with Diss Corn Hall, DesignerMakers21 and No 8 Market Place.

Jonathan Ben-Shaul, who runs Moving House Films alongside Louis Norris, was on hand to meet people last Friday and Saturday to gain an insight into the town’s past.

“Our public outreach sessions at the market, Mere’s Mouth and The Corn Hall were almost constantly full, with a steady stream of people and a series of extraordinary memories, from deeply personal stories of public kindness to tales of the Mere freezing over, the fairground and colourful local characters,” he said. “We could not be happier with how it went.”

The pair were able to record around 70 audio interviews and see well in excess of 250 people across the three locations.

“Thank you to everyone who visited and shared their memories with us,” said Mr Ben-Shaul.

“We are also grateful to the community clubs and local businesses in Diss who kindly let us conduct interviews with their clientele.

“All of the stories have added depth and warmth to our project, truly reflecting the unique character of this extraordinary town.

“People’s openness, humour and willingness to retrace memory lane with us made our outreach days unforgettable, and we are genuinely grateful for each contribution.”

The film company has said it will be conducting more interviews in the town in the coming weeks as the project develops.

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