Faith inclusion · The Rank inheritance
The reason we are at Pinewood.
The man who built this studio believed film should serve moral, social and educational good. Ninety years later Futures in Film works on his lot, with his foundation’s support.
1888–1953
A flour miller who built the studio.
J. Arthur Rank was born in 1888 into a devout Methodist family and made his money in flour. He came to cinema late.
01
1933 — the Religious Film Society
Founded to make and distribute religious films to church audiences.
02
1935 — Pinewood Studios
Built with Charles Boot at Iver Heath. The lot we work from.
03
1937 — the Rank Organisation
Production, distribution and exhibition under one roof.
04
1953 — the Rank Foundation
Established to promote Christian belief, leadership among young people, and support for disadvantaged communities. It has supported Futures in Film CIC.
Three people building a rig on a glass table
The line
From 1933 to a call sheet this morning.
What Rank was solving
Not representation on screen. Room in the industry.
Rank built capacity: studios, cameras, distribution, a route in. A crew member who prays, fasts, keeps a Sabbath or does not drink still negotiates for themselves, one polite request at a time.
What we do with it
Write it down so nobody has to ask twice.
The Faith Inclusion Toolkit: where the prayer space goes on the base plan, when the catering brief is written, how a 1st AD builds observance into the schedule. Published, piloted on a live shoot, free to read.
The founder
Where the founder came in.
Rizwan Wadan came to Rank’s story from inside Pinewood, working there as a technician. A Methodist businessman and a Muslim technician were asking for the same thing on the same base plan. It does not have to be redesigned. It has to be scheduled.
