On Sunday, Harrison, Sara and I had the privilege of attending the premiere of Capel Green — a powerful new documentary film exploring one of the UK’s most compelling and debated cases of high strangeness: the Rendlesham Forest incident of 1980.
We drove down from Hull on Saturday and checked into a quiet Travelodge in Ipswich. That evening, we took a long-overdue walk through Rendlesham Forest, our first since the sighting we experienced there together in 2018. The day had been soaked with heavy rain, but a break in the weather allowed us to walk the full three-mile trail in peace. That drive by the forest and the path through the trees still holds a strange quietness, and revisiting it brought back a flood of memories.
The premiere itself was held at The Regal in Stowmarket, a fitting venue, close to the forest and steeped in local history. Despite the relentless rain, the atmosphere inside was warm, buzzing with anticipation, and completely sold-out. It was a joy to reconnect with director Dion Johnson, Tino Megaro, and the team we first met at a UFO convention back in 2018. Tino was even wearing his Research and Witness badge from our convention RAWCon2020.
We ran through the technical checks and programme early. The stage was dressed with props from the film, and the mic levels were checked. By the time I returned to the foyer, the place was packed. Book stalls had been set up, one for Lori Rehfeldt to sell her powerful new memoir Rendlesham Lone Ranger, and another offering a Capel Green photo book and official posters. I made sure to grab copies of each for us and had them signed. I was surprised (and a little moved) when someone asked us to sign a book too, because they wanted everyone who’s in the film to sign their copy — that was Harrison’s first autograph, and my first on a book I didn’t write.
When the curtains drew back, I had the honour of introducing Director Dion Johnson to the stage. The film that followed was intense, beautifully constructed, and deeply human, a remarkable achievement by a team of over 100 people, working for eight years to tell this story properly. At one point, Harrison and I appeared on screen, captured during an interview not long after our own experience at the forest. Seeing my beardless self and a 14-year-old Harrison speak about that sighting was surreal. He’s now 21 and writing a book about strange phenomena across the UK, a project that grew from this very experience, and which he’s been documenting on his blog here at Research and Witness.
After the screening, I introduced a post-film discussion with three of the original witnesses: Larry Warren, and Lori (who had flown in from the U.S.). They shared their stories with grace, clarity, and courage. Harrison and I supported the audience Q&A from the sides of the theatre, with radio mics, though time was short. The conversations that we didn’t fit in, spilled naturally into the bar afterward, where we continued connecting with guests, fellow researchers, and old friends like Chris Rosings, who had flown over from Toulouse. We gave Chris and YouTuber Ben, a lift back to their hotels before finally reaching our beds. Full of memories, inspiration, and invitations from three podcast hosts to join them soon for a catch up on Harrison’s experiences.
One thing that stuck with me was the number of people who asked us if we would bring RAWcon back for another show. Five years on, and people still remember the event fondly. On the drive home, Harrison said, he was quite enthused by that. So maybe RAWcon2 is on the Horizon. What’s the chances of another pandemic getting in the way? Hmmm don’t answer that.
The premiere was an extraordinary day, humbling, energising, and filled with the kind of moments that remind us why witnessing matters.
Congratulations to everyone involved in this film. Dion has done a phenomenal job bringing these stories together with sensitivity and skill. We look forward to seeing Capel Green reach an even wider audience when it finds its home on a streaming platform. Exciting times! 🎬
Alan
Research and Witness Team
Research And Witness 