inside film

In 2011 Inside Film began its first project outside the prison system. The project was part of Deirdre O'Neill's Ph.D called 'Film As A Radical Pedagogic Tool'.  Open Book, which is based at Goldsmith's University and aims to get socially excluded people back into education, including Higher Education, booked rooms for us at the University. The project ran for 9 months - starting with theoretical classes and workshops. As usual we had many people contributing sessions to the classes. Over the 9 months the group gradually whittled down to three people who we worked with to make a film called 'Bare Inequality' according to the philosophy of Inside Film: that film is a means to not only encourage creativity and confidence, but also and crucially, critical thinking about the world.

Deathwatch (18 mins)"]This film is set in some indeterminate future where the death penalty has been reintroduced. A group of documentary filmmakers follow the last hours of William Gibson before he is due to be executed. What makes this execution different is that William has been offered money for his family if he agrees to allow his death to be screened live on the Internet. Meanwhile his lawyer is desperately trying to get a stay of execution. This film is a tragi-comic mockumentary that deals with the contemporary issue of reality TV in a shocking and thought provoking way.

The Interview  (9 mins)"]Following a car crash the driver wakes up and finds himself in a bureaucratic limbo.Slowly both we and he become aware that this is a celestial interview where the Devil and God argue over whether his soul will go to Heaven or Hell. This is a film about right and wrong and the nature of judgement and about how our past deeds come back to haunt us.

Who Am I? (7mins)"]This is an angry and passionate film that attempts to make connections between personal  identity and society.  The filmmakers use an unconventional approach, mixing a series of dramatic vignettes and documentary imagery and inserts. This film suggests links between international events, such as the war in Iraq, and the struggle to survive on the streets of the UK. Along the way the film poses vital questions about the way in which we all lead our lives and the choices we make.

Change (10 mins)"]A short narrative piece, this film traces the journey of one prison inmate as he comes to terms with the crime he has committed and the effect it has had on himself and those who love him. When he takes part in a rehabilitation programme in the prison, we see him addressing his drug addiction. An up-lifting tale that suggests that it is possible to change our lives.

The Wandsworth Way (16 mins)"]This documentary traces the progress of the Inside Film project through a series of interviews with the students as they grapple with the theory and the practice of filmmaking. The documentary intercuts the interviews with photography, statistics and extracts from the completed films.