Education through film

I was called by IJP about a job sometime in May, I think it was.

They had a client who wanted to make a film about prisoners with mental health issues. One of the service users of this organisation had died in police custody and they wanted to do something about it - they wanted to make a film which helped to build bridges; to train people involved in the criminal justice system in how to deal with this vulnerable group.

One of the main reasons why I got involved with film-making was to fight discrimination and unfairness. It's kind of hard to do this when you're making a property show in Miami, but I've always tried to maintain a dual existence, where sometimes I just have to work for the cash to feed my kids, and sometimes I'm able to do what I truly love, like this job.

My aim here was to present the three people in my film who were former prisoners as fully rounded human beings, so's whoever was watching the film couldn't dismiss them as one of 'them'. If you can do that, and elicit empathy in the viewer, then the salient points that you're trying to present to the viewer will hit home - they'll want to know how to deal with these people.

So I set out to capture a little bit of what made these characters tick. We only had a two day shoot, but it's all about getting people into situations where they feel comfy. I also looked at ways of filming them where I could use a few special effects - to show their alienation in the past or how it might actually feel to be ill. The next step was to get professionals involved - politicians, psychologists - people who could punctuate what the three characters were saying, who could give an objective overview about 'them'.

When it feels right, when all the elements work together, it's a great feeling. Not because I think I'm a cool guy and I've done a great job - no I'm not saying that! - but because I know people are going to get something out of watching it.

It's all about consumption.


Ed Harrison, Producer/Director, Inside Job Productions