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Shooting People interviews Director of 'Park’
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Shooting People's James MacGregor interviews Director Justine Gordon Smith
"I have always thought that you can see the bigger picture by looking small, if you see what I mean. One of the things that's relevant to many people watching this film is, they will have a park at the bottom of their road, they will have all these social groups from park drinkers to little old ladies. The film documents not just the community but the way we live today in our culture and that is something we should hopefully all be thinking about."
- Justine Gordon Smith
'Park' is a unique insight into urban Britain and the people in the city. It?s an amazing view into our parks and the people who use them, live in them and in cases die in them.
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What was your route into filmmaking?
I moved to a flat in a London council estate. I met people outside the theatre environment and it really put me back in touch with real people. I got really involved with people, sort of standing up for them, campaigning because conditions were really bad and everyone had lost hope. One of my neighbours had an only son in his twenties with schizophrenia and a year after I moved in he jumped to his death from the 10th floor. His Mum believed he did it because his doctor changed his medication without telling anyone and three days later he was dead? The authorities ducked responsibility and tried to imply that it was Daniel's mum's fault and because I was able to, I helped her get a lawyer and get an open verdict rather than suicide because it wasn't suicide- Dan's mum had been trying to get them out for years because she was always terrified he would jump and the last time she tried a council officer said to her they saw no point in moving him because if he was going to jump he could do it from suicide bridge up the road... You decide if you think that was suicide or just a tragedy waiting to happen because no one would listen.
As I was thinking of quitting design and wondering what to do, I opened The Guardian one day and it said "Fully Funded MA". Coming from the theatre I was pretty skint and it suddenly seemed to make sense so I did my MA in film. Half way through the course, I had to make a 10-minute film. So I sat down and thought well, what do I know? And I went out and made a film about my neighbours. Daniel's story is just one of many and I thought it was time to tell them.
THE BLOCK gained you BBC Newcomer Award 2001 didn't it?
Yes, but I never made it to win anything. I went out and made it because I felt passionate about it. Suddenly there was all these people coming into the edit suites, saying "Wow." My friend Lee Rogers helped me in between his own project and then helped me edit it and we just submitted it for lots of things and got amazing feedback from filmmakers I really admire.
Developing your work from there, you were known now within the BBC - was it a conscious decision to work outside, as an independent?
Well, it all seemed a bit of a fluke. I had gone off to do an MA in documentary filmmaking, but I knew I was just starting out and had a lot to learn and I figured I could learn more by making my own mistakes and I guess I just wanted the freedom to see if I could do it again. I had learned that as a director, you have massive responsibilities. Not only for your crew, but for the people you film as well. I loved the idea of going out and telling these people's stories, of people who would never normally get the chance to tell them.
What sort of stories do you like to seek out?
Real stories about people's life - and death. About how they survive, how they live, who they are, what makes things tick, just lots of questions. I like to find people who would normally never get the chance to be heard, in a way. That's my focus for the moment at any rate. There's something really human for instance, in getting to know a park drinker and finding out why they are in the park, finding
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Hey Shooters ! |
by
Douglas McFarlane
Welcome to Bebo, Shooting People ! Inspiring, educating and nuturing new filmmakers, theatre practitioners and talent is a personal goal of mine and setting up SP Casting Network in 1999 gave me that appetite. All the very best to your continued success.
Douglas
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9 weeks ago |
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