I wrote Bench while living in LA for eight years and watching classic French heist movies like Rififi (1955, Dassin), Touchez pas aus Grisby (1954, Becker) and Melodie en Sous Sol (1963, Verneuil).

In the streets, bars and homes of Los Angeles I met the modern versions of: the hard man who discovers his conscience, the wronged woman who is righted, the born bad villain who sees the light, the arch villain and the lover. They wouldn’t let me rest, so I trapped them in a claustrophobic city with ancient ties to Britain’s murky financial world; and shook that snow globe until it turned red.

Barry Hanson the legendary producer of The Long Good Friday and Michael Wearing the equally legendary producer of Edge of Darkness midwifed the script.

I dedicate it to their memory.

Alexis John Bicât - Writer/Director, Bench