Council turns down Cage film over Nazi swastikas
At Waltham Forest Town Hall, plans to film part of a Nicolas Cage war film were halted due to Nazi iconography. The shooting for Operation Fortitude would have involved drapering the building in flags bearing the swastika. The film tells the tale of the eponymous 1944 operation carried out by Allied forces to deceive Nazi Germany about the origins and timings of D-Day, Normandy's tumultuous storm. The Waltham Forest Council accepted the scheme under the provisos that the production team would consult with local people to ensure
but production wasNazi-era flags and symbols were not widely visible
abruptlybrought forward, meaning there was not enough consultation time.
When the shooting was postponed from October to September, a spokesperson for the east London council said it was very sad
to be
indicating specifically that Nazi symbols would be prominent during the shooting," the spokesperson said.preventing the level of consultation that had not been discussed. The location team had letters from residents near the filming location in Walthamstow
"We felt we had no other choice than to refuse permission because of these significant changes that did not comply with our agreed terms, and given the high degree of sensitivity to far-right iconography, we felt we didn't have no other option than to decline permission. No filming license was ever granted, the council did not charge any fee for the upcoming filming, and no compensation was given or requested by the filmmakers. Production in Greenwich went forward in the end.
In recent years, Waltham Forest Town Hall and Fellowship Square have been featured in several high-profile shootings, including the development of the Emmy Award-winning Apple drama Slow Horses. A full day of shooting at the town hall with a crew of more than 50 people can cost more than £22,000, while a team of five will cost a staff of five £2,045 for the same time. The council has a long-standing and positive relationship with the film and television industries," the spokesperson said.
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