I MAY DESTROY YOU

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Michaela Cole

TV series

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BBC & HBO

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2019-20

Ways of Working

• On-Call Cast & Crew Care for the duration of the shoot - all involved had access to artist wellbeing sessions if they should need decompression after a day's work and preparation for the next day / scene

• Wellbeing session for Production Staff

• On-set presence

Michaela's words:

We had a dramatherapist on standby the whole time ... She was very helpful, quite grounding. When occasionally things do get quite tough, you do remember this is your real life, and so I would meet with Lou.

I met up with her a couple of times – you know, in case it starts to feel overwhelming because it can trigger memories for anyone, even people in the crew, so everybody had access.

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Donna Maybe's (Producer) words:

It’s been a lovely support having you around in spirit

JOY GHARORO-AKPOJOTOR

Writer / Director / Producer

Bone

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short film

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2019

Ways of Working

• Cast & Crew wellbeing session to begin production shoot.

• Individual support / consultancy to Writer/Director

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Joy's words:

Professionally I gained a new way of working that allowed everyone to feel that they were part of something. Personally, I also gained a new way of working with myself and with people, finding an emotional way of connecting with the people who I’m working with and also learning to take care of myself.

I think the best [group technique] was allowing people to write down what their fears were and [sharing them] because it revealed that we all had the same fears, therefore commonality.

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Find out more about Joy & her work here.

Bone : Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor

MOLLY MANNING WALKER

SORCHA BACON

featuring

JASMINE JACOBS

MICHEAL WARD

Good thanks, you?

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short film

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2019

Sorcha's words:

Good Thanks, You? is a short film [written & directed by Molly Manning Walker], based on a true story by the director, about rape and the authorities inability to deal with this trauma. It was hugely important as a production that we created a safe space for the film to happen in, to ensure that both the actors and the team behind the camera felt comfortable with the work we were doing. Working with Lou was instrumental to that process helping us to dislocate the work from the personal so that the work became work and not emotionally traumatic. I’d never worked with an artist wellbeing practitioner before but having had Lou come to our rehearsals, to build a safe space with us that addressed everyone’s needs was so critical. I loved working with her and would highly recommend those working on difficult topics in film to do so too.

Find out more about Sorcha here.

Good Thanks, you? - Molly manning Walker

MOLLY MANNING WALKER

SORCHA BACON

featuring

JASMINE JACOBS

MICHEAL WARD

Good thanks, you?

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short film

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2019

Molly's words:

Good Thanks, You? delved into a personal sexual assault that I experienced when I was 16. Our producer Sorcha was very worried about me being retraumatised, which at the time I was naively not worried about.

I’m very grateful to have worked with Lou, we worked both personally and with the crew.

It allowed to me to voice my feelings  to someone who wasn’t stressed about making the film.

We also workshopped our worries about the film with the actors and producers. This allowed the cast to vocalise that they were too worried about doing my story justice. I think what it created was a team bond that would of been riddled with anxiety had Lou not been there. 

Lou was available to call throughout post and we discussed the impact of making the film on me.

I think I was very naive about how making the film would affect me and I couldn’t of done it without Lou.

Find our more about Molly here.

Good Thanks, you? - Molly manning Walker