Yard Kings is now streaming on Apple TV, bringing its award-winning story to an even wider audience.

 

After an incredible run on the festival circuit — culminating in two Royal Television Society Awards, the UK’s oldest television society with King Charles III as its patron — Yard Kings is ready to move from the big screen to your screen.

 

Yard Kings grew out of its director Vasco Alexandre's desire to write about the subject of domestic abuse, and his fascination with the view of the world through a child's eyes. "Since the beginning, we wanted to portray a strong social component" says Vasco. "It was a real challenge for me as Portuguese to nail the nuances of the British culture". I accepted a lot of collaboration from as many people as possible during the process". The story focuses on 11-year-old Ellie, who can't stand her mother's new partner. 

 

There's a sequence involving an activated car-crusher, and to film a scene with the young actor playing Ellie's friend on top of a truck cabin, the crew worked for days to make sure it was safe. The child actors were completely opposite characters, very shy and very confident - "I had to talk to them in separate ways" says Vasco. "But in the end I saw a chemistry. I’m really glad we cast them". 

 

Producer Billy King recalls being “shocked” when they won the RTS Award. The jury praised the film’s “real depth of maturity in filmmaking — utterly compelling and very touching, particularly the way the young actors portrayed a carefree joy and hope in their careworn lives.”