Interview: Barry filmmaker Isaac Atkin-Mayne on his debut documentary

Rhys John Edwards

In 2006, following the death of his mother, Barry legend Rick Canty faced eviction from the home that he once shared with her. In protest, he refused to leave, and in an effort to draw attention to the injustice, Rick took his stand somewhere no one could ignore: the roof of the house. He ended up staying there for two years.

Filmmaker Isaac Atkin-Mayne had grown up hearing tales of this local celebrity, the man who became known as ‘Rick on the Roof’. Inspired by his story, Isaac set out to make the definitive documentary about Rick’s experience. 

The film has since been screened at a number of festivals and is currently available to watch for free via YouTube’s Short of the Week channel. It is a fascinating and unexpectedly moving portrait of a maverick, a man who radiates charisma and demonstrates an endearing defiance against authority. 

‘It was just something I’ve always wanted to do’

I spoke with Isaac following the release of ‘Rick on the Roof’, a film which marks his debut as a filmmaker.

“It was just something I’ve always wanted to do, since I was a kid,” Isaac says of directing. However, it took him some time to figure out exactly what kinds of stories he wanted to tell.

While studying at the University of St Andrews he became involved in video journalism with the student newspaper and learnt the practical craft of shaping a story for screen. 

“That’s really where I cut my teeth in terms of how you actually craft a film or edit video.”

Even so, he left university determined to pursue fiction filmmaking. He moved to London with plans to make a short drama, still unaware of how deeply his time in student journalism had shaped his ambition. 

“I had a script I was pleased with – and a sniff of funding – but it turned out that working with actors, kind of terrified me!” he admits.

Then the pandemic hit and everything stalled. “After COVID, it all went into hibernation anyway.” He started working in social media content creation, but it was here that something clicked. “I basically found that I had this knack for telling true stories.”

‘I preferred characters that already existed’

Gradually, Isaac realised how much he preferred working with real people, finding the heart of their experiences and helping them feel at ease in front of the camera. 

“I guess I just found out that I preferred characters that already existed,” he says. “And I thought, why not just put these people on screen?”

Rick’s actions had a profound impact on his community. During his protest, his neighbours not only rallied to feed him with donated food, but they truly embraced the spirit of his act, with some even throwing street parties.

It was this sense of a community coming together that really drew Isaac into the story and led him to consider whether something like this could still happen today.

“If the film has any kind of message, it’s trying to urge people to talk to their neighbours. To form communities again,” Isaac reflects. “You know, where are people meeting now? How are you able to form communities if there’s no way you can afford to get a coffee anywhere?”

‘It is also a love letter to Barry’

If it were to happen again anywhere though, Barry would be the place. For Isaac, the town still has a trace of that collective spirit, even in these more isolated times. 

“Yes, the film is a story about Rick, but it is also a love letter to Barry. I guess Rick is just emblematic of a lot of similar characters that I grew up with there. All of them seem to have that kind of resilience.”

It appears that a touch of that resilience was instilled in Isaac too, something that served him well as he approached the uphill battle of getting this film made. 

“Film is just so inherently expensive. We were so lucky to get support from Ffilm Cymru and BFI Network. It was a joint fund called the Beacons Fund – which we couldn’t have made the film without – because in order to properly tell his story at the bare minimum, I needed news archive…”

Rick’s story was covered extensively by local news at the time – and these snippets really help to frame the story. “But we’re talking, already, like thousands of pounds…”

I mention that he must have found this incredibly frustrating in a world in which social media posters cut and paste news clips on their timelines seemingly consequence-free. Meanwhile, someone trying to make a short film on a tight budget is subject to the same rules as major Hollywood filmmakers. 

‘There’s just a huge barrier of entry already for aspiring filmmakers’

“It should be means tested, for sure,” Isaac suggests, when reflecting that he also had to seek permits to film on ordinary streets in Barry – where again, anyone can take out their phone and film for an audience of thousands of followers.

“I didn’t make a penny from this film,” he says, suggesting it’s hard to see how anyone can forge a full-time career in the industry off their own back. “It is insane the amount of hoops you have to jump through. There’s just a huge barrier of entry already for aspiring filmmakers.”

But Isaac wasn’t going to be deterred. He had already pitched the idea to Rick himself and felt a responsibility to see the project through. 

“I’d made a commitment to these people, to Rick and his family, that I was going to tell their story. Nothing was going to stop me.”

‘I’m here to tell the story of a local hero’

Rick didn’t give him an easy time of it. At first, Isaac’s interest in him was met with suspicion. “It felt like I was being interrogated. He was like… Why? What are you going to do with this? And I just said, I’m here to tell the story of a local hero.”

Sadly, Rick died partway through the production. Isaac describes him as “an incredible character.”

“It was very sad to lose him. The whole film had to change when he passed. We had to get the community to tell his story for him.”

An integral part of this community was Penny Richards, Rick’s sister, who truly shines in the film. “She’s such a great storyteller,” Isaac says. 

One of the standout moments from the documentary features Penny returning to Rick’s street, where she is visibly overcome with emotion.

“You have to be really careful in those moments, but I would always check in with her to see whether she wanted to stop. But she was comfortable with being vulnerable on camera.”

The film has received attention both online and from industry professionals at various festivals. Isaac recently attended a screening and Q&A and was delighted to see in person how people were engaging with the film. 

“It was such a special moment. To now see Rick’s little story from my town reaching people, even globally. That is just a very exciting idea…”

‘I really want to try and give Rick a proper send-off’

“We have our first proper screening in Barry on the 15th of March,” he says. “This is the first one specifically in Barry for the people of Barry.”

In many ways, he hopes it will act as a bonus memorial for Rick, a chance for those who supported him all those years ago to reunite in his memory. 

“I’d love to try and get as many people as possible to attend. I really want to try and give Rick a proper send-off.”

‘Rick on the Roof’ is undoubtedly a personal affair for Isaac, a celebration not just of Rick, but of three years work and Barry itself, a community Isaac feels will now fuel his future work. 

“Seeing this thing that’s been in your head for 3 years actually manifest, you’re just like, oh my God, this is a real thing. And now, I’m kind of wedded to this idea of exploring Welsh identity and Welsh communities.”

“The days shooting this really were some of the best days of my life.”

‘Rick on the Roof’ is screening at Ysgol Sant Baruc on Sunday 15^th March at 6pm. For more information, visit: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/barry-arts-festival/rick-on-the-roof/e-yzxxmp