Little Sparta Productions
THE TIME OF THE LAST PERSECUTION
A FILM ABOUT BILL FAY
A DOCUMENTARY FILM OF BILL FAY AND HIS INFLUENTIAL 1971 ALBUM
This is the story of Time of the Last Persecution and how Bill Fay created a stark powerful album then vanished from the music world and was slowly rediscovered by new listeners.
Overview
Bill Fay is one of the great cult figures of British music. An artist whose work slipped into obscurity after his early 70s albums were deleted, only to be rediscovered decades later and embraced by artists, critics, and listeners who heard something timeless in his voice.
This film tells the full story behind that remarkable arc: the recording of Time of the Last Persecution, the collapse of the era that buried it, and the unlikely renaissance that followed. With unprecedented access to Bill himself, and the musicians who created the record this documentary gets inside the room where this visionary work was born. Ray Russell (guitar), Alan Rushton (drums) and Bill remember the single day the album's songs were recorded mostly in single takes.
Ray Russell Quartet circa 1970
Ray Russell & Bill Fay at Konk Studio
The story is widened and deepened by a series of distinctive voices; insiders, scholars, friends, and outsiders profoundly shaped by Bill’s music. Rob Young (author of Electric Eden), David Wells (archivist & reissue specialist), John Mulvey (Mojo, Uncut), Jim O’Rourke (musician & producer), David Tibet (artist & friend), Joshua Henry (producer of Bill's later albums) and others all illuminate the shockwaves his work continues to send out. This is the first film to gather the people who lived it, the people who revived it, and the people who were changed by it a definitive portrait of a singular artist whose music refused to disappear.
THEMES
Artistic risk: A songwriter pushing into new territory with an experimental jazz quartet.
Withdrawal and survival: Bill quietly continuing to write and record despite losing his label.
Rediscovery: A generation finding the album decades later and holding it up as a lost masterpiece.
Human connection: Bill’s gentle and thoughtful correspondence with listeners, often through carefully chosen intermediaries.
Relevance: The album’s political and emotional atmosphere echoing the uncertainty of today.
Filming With Bill Fay, Alan Rushton and Ray Russell
This film speaks to more than music audiences. It appeals to anyone drawn to human stories of disappearance and return, resilience and quiet redemption.
Bill Fay’s journey from a forgotten figure to a respected and influential songwriter has a universal pull. It is the story of an artist who stepped away, lived an ordinary life and was found again by listeners who recognised the depth of what he had made.
The album’s underground reputation and the insight offered by the musicians around him give the film strong potential for festivals and specialist music events. At the same time the personal and reflective elements widen its reach to cultural and general audiences who connect with character driven documentaries.
Ray Russell and David Tibet 2024
Alan D Boyd
DIRECTOR // PRODUCER
This project began when Ray Russell introduced Alan to Bill in 2016, leading to a rare interview and performance with an artist who almost never appears publicly. Their relationship developed slowly over years of conversations, especially during the COVID pandemic, when Bill opened up about his life, his work and the circumstances that shaped both. From those discussions came a shared understanding that this film should exist, created with Bill’s involvement and guided by his perspective.
Alan is a filmmaker, musician and composer with credits in film and television (BBC, NFB, C4), and his debut documentary Four Strings Good premiered at the 2024 Doc’n Roll Film Festival. His background allows him to approach Bill’s story with both a filmmaker’s discipline and a musician’s insight, giving him a unique ability to connect with Bill and the wider community of artists who have been shaped by his work. This film is a collaborative portrait built on trust and curiosity, aiming to reveal the man behind the music with clarity, depth and care.
Charlene Rule
EDITOR // PRODUCER
Charlene has edited everything from interactive museum installations, unscripted television shows, music videos and award winning feature length documentary films that have traveled the festival circuits internationally. Her work has shown on networks including: A&E, Arte, CBC, Discovery+, Max, Documentary Channel, Fox Sports1, HBO, Hulu, Logo, Sundance Channel, Showtime and VICE.
Originally from Canada, she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the San Francisco Art Institute and Master of Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts, New York City. She is an experimental video artist and has been working in the documentary field as an editor for over twenty years.
Contact
If you are interested in this film please contact us via email or the phone number here.
UK: +44 7 808 588 689