**Father of Shooting Victim Seeks to Inspire Hope Through Documentary Journey**
The father of Elle Edwards, tragically killed outside a pub on Christmas Eve 2022, is hoping a new documentary centred on his remarkable walk across Britain will spark a message of hope and resilience. Tim Edwards, whose 26-year-old daughter was a victim of a gang-related shooting in Wallasey Village, has collaborated with Liverpool actor John May to share a story not just of loss, but of friendship, healing, and the power of endurance in the face of unthinkable grief.
Just days after the fatal incident at the Lighthouse pub, Tim Edwards found himself reaching out to John May, an actor who was embarking on a long-distance walk from Land’s End to John O’Groats, raising awareness around gun and knife crime. Edwards, then reeling from his daughter’s death, initially joined May only briefly at Worcester — simply, he said, to “get out of town”. Yet what began as an escape evolved into a profound journey, with Edwards walking the full length of the country with May, eventually looping back south to complete the first segment.
Now, two years on, their journey has been immortalised in a feature-length documentary entitled *The Two Of Us*, which is scheduled to be showcased at London’s Raindance Film Festival. According to Edwards and May, the film explores themes of brotherhood, endurance through grief, and the quiet strength that emerges in the darkest times.
“You see, when life becomes almost unendurable, if you keep putting one foot in front of the other and nurture a flicker of hope, you can come through the other side,” Edwards reflected. The walk took place prior to the trial of Connor Chapman, who was ultimately handed a minimum 48-year sentence for Elle’s murder after he fired on the pub amid a feud with rival gang members.
Edwards credits the journey with giving him not only space to grieve, but a foundation to move forward. “Enduring the walk with John, being alone amidst nature, going through therapy and speaking openly about my feelings — all of that has allowed me to cope day-to-day now. The rawness of what happened to Elle changed me, but it hasn’t broken me,” he said.
John May, who produced the documentary and will soon appear as Wayne Rooney in a new production at Liverpool’s Royal Court, stressed that the film centres on the complex layers of grief, men’s mental health, and camaraderie. “It’s about far more than a walk from one end of the country to the other — it’s about leaning on each other, lifting each other up, and finding humour and solidarity even on bleak days. At its heart, it’s about brotherhood.”
The documentary, constructed from vlogs captured during their trek as well as candid interviews after the fact, does not shy away from the realities of human conflict. In one segment, May and Edwards go their separate ways after a disagreement, only to reunite ten days later. Edwards recounted, “It was important for us to finish together. Sometimes you need that confrontation to then move forward, and that’s what builds a deeper bond.”
Interwoven through the journey were moments Edwards believed to be signs from Elle. He recalled being followed by a white dove at Ripon Cathedral and instances where nature seemed to align with his requests for reassurance. “Those little glimmers — a dove, a random sign — gave me comfort. I like to think Elle was sending encouragement along the way.”
Music, too, plays a central role in the film’s emotional resonance, with a score by 20-year-old composer Patrick Bennett, including a piece titled “Elle’s Theme” which recurs throughout. Director Owen Ward described the documentary as one that eschews the true crime format in favour of highlighting how victims’ families endure in the aftermath of trauma. “This is a film about hope, inspiration, and the ability to move forward. If Tim can find light from such a horrendous experience, perhaps others can too.”
For Edwards, the documentary serves as part of a wider mission to maintain a positive legacy for Elle. “I always wanted her name to be spoken with warmth and positivity, not just as another statistic. That remains my goal, and always will.”
*The Two Of Us* has garnered nominations for Best Documentary Feature and Best UK Cinematography at the festival, a testament to the film’s impact and the enduring power of shared humanity in times of turmoil.