Ironically, there’s a lot to say about this anecdotal short TV movie as it got many DC connections.

First of all the music, the soundtrack was scored by Joby Talbot who at the time was really beginning his career of film composer by being the BBC Young composer of the Year 1996. It’s a lovely music which suits the atmosphere of the park with string arrangements. An extract from it is featured on a Joby Talbot’s Showreel sampler. Though the soundtrack isn’t only classical as there is also a song: The Divine Comedy’s ‘Songs of Love’.

Indeed the story deals with romance: a womanizer – working in Queen’s Park – falls in love with an art student. They both like each other, until the girl found about his past. Then he has to conquer her heart again to prove the truthfulness of his feelings. To do so, the hero gets help from his friends, the local animals of the park: dogs, birds, squirrels and an owl. Neil’s love for the dogs being so famous, only him could play the voice of the animal! It’s a big voice à la Casanova which is quite funny to hear nowadays.

Finally, we can note that as a production designer is credited Joby’s then wife-to-be, Claire Burbridge.


As being part of the BBC 10x10 series, the short movie was screened on the BBC in 1998, and back again in 2009. It was also part of the Venice Film Festival and Edinburgh Festival in 1998 and won the Best Director Award at the Toronto Film Festival in 1999. No store release have been made, but the video can be found on the director’s, Barney Cokeliss, website.