Newham director brings internationally renowned film home

Ice Neal (Image: Archant)

Ice Neal, 36, of Atherton Road, has already achieved transatlantic renown with her film, Eva’s Diamond, which won awards in the United States.

The screening will take place at Stratford Picture House cinema next Thursday with a question session with Ice afterwards.

The film also stars Ice in the eponymous role as Eva, a single mother, who is left to take on the authority when her son is wrongly convicted of murder.

The story follows the struggle to clear her devoutly religious son’s name when he is accused of killing an expert in black magic.

The supernatural undertones are rooted by the raw emotion depicted by the characters.

Ice said: “A mother will go through fire to defend their son and that’s what she is doing. She is also has this faith and courage in her and she relies on those things, even though at times she has low points.”

Ice said she had been interested in cinema since she was 10 but thought only of acting.

After landing a role in critically acclaimed drama, Eyes Wide Shut and meeting director Stanley Kubrick, whom she described as “genuine” and “a genius”, she decided to try being behind the camera.

“I wanted to write something challenging and meaningful.

“Life is full of pain and struggle and, when you go out you do your best, but nobody sees your pain behind closed doors.

“I just wanted to be real and tell that side of the story; it is not always just about glamour.”

Ice said that directing was like a labour of love her, so much so that directing while heavily pregnant, she even gave birth to her son, now aged three, on set.

Baby Dante, the youngest actor in the team, was given his own role as Eva’s son in flashback scenes.

Now that the film has come to the UK, self-confessed perfectionist Ice is planning to take it nationwide as well as working on new projects.

Doors open at 5.45pm with the film starting at 6pm. Tickets are £6 and can be booked at thesoobproductions.co.uk.