Cherno Jagne is a multi-talented professional who seamlessly combines his passion for storytelling with a high-achieving legal career. As the COO of Cloisters Chambers in London, Cherno plays a pivotal role in one of the city’s leading legal institutions.

Recently, he made his mark in the creative world by, writing, directing, producing, and starring in The Backway, a compelling short film that explores the human stories behind migration and deportation. Released this Friday (17thJanuary) on the YouTube channel, Omeleto, the film has been a massive success at film festivals all over the world, screening in countries and cities including New Zealand, New York, Toronto, Istanbul, London, New Mexico and Nigeria, to name but a few.

In addition, Cherno has been lauded for his incredible efforts by being longlisted for Best British Director at the British Short Film Awards, winning Best Actor at a humanitarian film award, and being nominated for a Humanitarian award in Istanbul for his producing efforts. Drawing from his diverse experiences in the legal and NGO sectors, Cherno’s work reflects a commitment to highlighting critical social issues with empathy and depth.

Our partnership with Cherno spans many years, from supporting his position at a Doughty Street Chambers through to his current role as COO at Cloisters Chambers. It’s been rewarding to maintain this relationship, with Cherno continuing to trust us as he builds his own team. Ed was lucky enough to get a glimpse of the film in preparation for the interview. We felt particularly honoured when he agreed to share his story about The Backway with us.

What inspired your first film, and why did you choose this story?

The film tackles illegal migration in Gambia – an issue that hits close to home for many Gambians who regularly hear about lives lost at sea in search of better opportunities. While it’s a constant topic of discussion locally, it often goes unnoticed internationally.

My background in human rights and experience working with refugees (through NGO’s) gave me the insight to tell this story effectively. I’ve always believed in storytelling’s power to spotlight crucial issues.

What message were you hoping to convey through your film?

The film sheds a light on what happens to people after deportation – a perspective often ignored in the migration narrative. I was quite keen to do was to humanise those affected by the topic of forced migration and to counter the depersonalised rhetoric of boats and numbers. Behind every person who risks their life at sea is a life, a story and a family, which we don’t often think about when another bulletin appears on the news about the topic of immigration. At its core, it’s a family story set against the migration issues in Gambia, aiming to shift perspectives and foster empathy.

Did any filmmakers inspire your approach? 

There’s this interview where Ava DuVernay talks to Michael Mann, and she makes an observation that really stayed with me. She says that all his films have “a social consciousness wrapped in genre.” Whether he’s making drama or action, at their core, his films are human stories exploring important issues. That concept really resonates with me.

How did that influence your film? 

We approached our film similarly, using the genre of drama to shine a light on the important topic of migration. Through the dynamics of the family at the centre of the film, I hoped to open people’s eyes to the struggles that individuals and families face in these situations.

The film was shot on location in Gambia. What were the challenges you faced while filming, and how did you overcome them?

One major challenge was transporting our equipment to Gambia – a logistical and insurance nightmare. On our final filming day, the camera broke, leaving us scrambling to capture our remaining shots.

We also had incredibly tight preparation time – just 6 weeks before filming and only 2 days for location scouting in Gambia, compared to the usual 6-12 months. It was truly guerrilla-style filmmaking with minimal budget and resources.

What saved us was our incredible crew. From the cinematographer, the actors, the first AC to the local Gambian team, these professionals made my job as a first-time filmmaker so much easier. Without their expertise, this film simply wouldn’t have happened.

Without any formal training as a director, producer or a scriptwriter. How did you prepare for your role as a filmmaker?

I’ve only acted in two films – a low-budget indie in 2017 and a short in 2018. The rest was theatre. I have no formal filmmaking training – I considered a director’s course at London Film School, but someone advised me to just dive in and be ready to learn from failure. That’s what I did.

My real film education came from being a huge film fan and working at a cinema for 8 years during university. It reminds me of how Tarantino learned his craft working in a video store, though I’m certainly not comparing myself to him.

The script was my first big challenge – getting what was in my head onto paper took 18 months and 15 drafts, working around my regular life. Friends’ feedback helped me streamline scenes and make them more practical for filming.

My COO and operations experience proved invaluable for producing – budgeting, recruiting, and managing operations are essentially what producers do. And my law background helped me negotiate with our impressive team – a BAFTA-nominated actor, Emmy-winning sound designers, and a Star Wars editor. They ultimately believed in the story and my passion despite my lack of filmmaking experience.

How did you go about getting introductions to your collaborators? Did you cold call or email them, or did you rely on personal connections?

Great question. For post-production – the colour grading, music, editing, and sound mixing – it was a mix of recommendations and careful searching. My cinematographer recommended an editor who, though unavailable, shared a valuable BAFTA Connect members list. After work and dinner with my wife, I’d spend hours reviewing profiles and portfolios, shortlisting 5 candidates for each role. I’d then interview them, hoping they’d join despite our limited budget. It was time-consuming but ultimately helped us build an exceptional team.

How did you manage to bring people on board with a tight budget?

When recruiting the team, I was honest about our limited budget but emphasised our story’s power. My pitch was consistent: ‘I don’t have much money, but I guarantee I’ll get this film seen.’ With all the festivals, awards, and media attention we’ve received, I’d say we delivered on that promise. In Gambia, we found strong community support for tackling this sensitive topic, and despite just 6 weeks of pre-production, everything fell into place naturally.

How did post-production differ from pre-production? 

Post-production was much longer, I had to spend such a large amount of time reviewing peoples work and interviewing them. It required due diligence to assemble a team for editing, sound, music, and colour grading. Ultimately, having such strong collaborators helped elevate the film to a professional level. 

It sounds like your experience of being a COO played a huge role.

My background managing Barristers’ Chambers gave me crucial skills in finance, organisation, and recruitment. At a New York screening, a Disney executive remarked that he could tell I had business experience – he said it was clear from how we’d achieved such quality on a tight budget and timeline. When I mentioned my work in Chambers, he laughed, saying he’d even had a bet with a colleague about my background.

That’s amazing. It’s clear you’re passionate about your work.

Thank you. I really believe those skills made this possible. Without these skills. making and completing a film, all within 4 months, with limited resources might not have been possible.

Who would you say are your biggest influences as a filmmaker, and have they shaped your style at all?

Despite writing, directing, and producing The Backway and all its accolades, I still primarily see myself as an actor – that’s where most of my experience lies. When I’m in rooms with filmmakers who studied at top schools and have multiple films under their belts, I don’t quite feel like I can call myself a filmmaker yet. Part of me still sees this success as something of a fluke.

As a director, you must have some kind of style or filmmakers that you look to for inspiration?

One film that really influenced me was The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford with Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck. What struck me was its stillness and minimal dialogue – the way it lets scenes breathe, like those long shots of Brad Pitt where his face tells the whole story without words.

A friend in film always says, “Don’t insult your audience by telling them too much. Let them figure it out themselves.” That’s exactly what this film does. Looking back, I think it unconsciously shaped how I approached my own film, where people have noted similar qualities – letting silence and expressions tell the story.

What do you hope the audience will feel or think after seeing your film? What do you want them to take away from it?

I get asked that often, and I think it’s because the film takes an apolitical approach. Rather than criticising governments, it offers a different perspective on irregular migration. While we often see stories about people arriving in destination countries, we rarely see what happens when they’re deported. That’s the perspective I wanted to highlight, particularly in The Gambia.

Recent events, like the UK riots have shown that people feel deeply about this issue. I hope that by showing the human side of these stories, people will understand both why individuals risk everything for better opportunities and the harsh realities they face. Many don’t survive these dangerous journeys, while others end up in unwelcoming places without speaking the language. The film aims to both deter these risky journeys and encourage better solutions.

The film has opened doors I never expected, leading to discussions with NGOs, high commissioners, and policymakers. While it’s not political, if it can influence positive change in The Gambia and beyond, that would be incredible. The film’s global impact has exceeded our expectations, though its continued relevance 3 years after writing is bittersweet – while gratifying as a filmmaker, it’s sad that these issues remain so urgent.

On a more personal note, how did you have the time? I’ve thought about that myself. As someone who was once an aspiring screenwriter I would have loved to write more scripts, but with my job and my kids, it felt impossible.

It’s funny you mention that – I just had my first child. When we went to Gambia to film, he was only three and a half months old. It was a challenge to leave during that time, but my wife supported me, knowing this was the right window to do it.

The key was waking up at 4 a.m. for my “me time” – I’d spend those early hours writing the script, and later, working on edits. After work, I’d have dinner with my family, then dedicate 9-11 p.m. to calls with the editor or sound designer. During post-production, I worked 7 days a week for 2 months – weekdays at Chambers, weekends in the studio editing. It was intense, but it felt like a passion project rather than work.

I’ve been fortunate to have incredibly supportive employers like Cloisters, Choose Love, and Doughty Street who’ve backed my creative pursuits. They’ve shown remarkable flexibility, like when Doughty Street adjusted my schedule so I could perform in The Jungle on the West End while keeping my job – something most employers wouldn’t consider.

That level of support must have been motivating. 

Absolutely. Choose Love inspired the film, and while I kept it under wraps at Cloisters until the screening, their support since has been incredible. Half the audience at the screening was from Cloisters. Their encouragement really drove me to create something we could all be proud of. The supportive environment they’ve created gave me the headspace I needed to work on this project before and after my day job.

It sounds like being surrounded by high-performing individuals has also shaped your approach.

Very much so. Over my 15 years in the Bar and NGO sectors, I’ve been surrounded by people juggling immense workloads – juggling multiple cases, court travel, and speaking engagements while balancing demanding careers and family lives. Watching their drive and work ethic has inspired my own approach.

And you’ve achieved so much at a young age yourself.

Thank you. Seeing others thrive under pressure has helped me push through my own challenges, whether it was filming in Gambia or post-production in England.

It sounds like mutual inspiration has been key.

Definitely. It’s helped me realise that even when things are hard, you can persevere.

A huge thank you to Cherno for sharing his journey with The Backway. The film premieres this Friday, January 17th, on Omeleto’s YouTube channel – we’ll share the link here when it goes live.