BBD3 film

“Belt, Braces & Disability 3”

This film, produced by Troy, Rachel and Daniel, was two years in the making, partly due to the pandemic. It features three remarkable people each of whom has shown that disability can be an inspiring sphere of human life just as it can be difficult, bullied and disadvantaged. Lisa says,

“It’s shocking the standards that disabled people have to put up with and in this day and age, but to be honest it wasn’t that surprising to me, as someone who cares for a person with a disability. I loved the film’s life affirming message.”

One participant, Ralph, said: “it’s a shame we have to fight so hard to get our voices heard.”

It is the third in an occasional series of films which dates back to 2010 and then 2017, when the first two largely autobiographical films were produced. All three films in the series were directed by Chris Haydon.

The film features former Paralympian Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson and Baroness Jane Campbell, a legendary campaigner for disability rights. Both sit in the House of Lords on the Cross Benches.
Joining them is Mike Newman who was born blind, became a bank manager, and now runs a charity for disabled people to try their hand at driving a racing car on a racetrack. For good measure he set world land and water speed records in excess of 200mph and 100mph respectively.
Three outstanding people and role models to us all.
It launched on Facebook on World Disability Day Saturday 3 December and was followed by a Q+A featuring Baroness Campbell:
vimeo.com/778956759

BROOKWOOD: The Living and The Dead

CTVT’s documentary, produced with Ole Jensen who brought the recent Millwall FC film project, explores the world of minority burial grounds and Victorian foundations of today’s multicultural Britain.

There are powerful stories in this film of migration, sometimes over centuries, of refugees fleeing war, of economic migrants who find they have put down roots and stay, of community, of respect and love.

Breaking Bonnie

Here is a crime drama, a single 52 minute film, produced with Freewheelers media group via the services of Chris Haydon who has worked as their media tutor since 2006. This complex story of drugs, corruption and redemption was produced in eighteen months. As is the custom, dialogue is improvised after lengthy discussions and planning over plot and character.

Ems Dooley, who came up with the story, plays Supt. Bonnie De’ath whose drug habit leads her astray. Redemption comes at a price, with a significant sacrifice.

Bede House at 70 documentary

Newly uploaded is our 2008 film celebrating seven decades of work in Bermondsey for Bede House. Old stories, archive film and photographies, valuable historical testimony from the main players some of whom are no longer with us …

The commission came from Nick Dunne who is still Bede’s Director these several years later. He wrote and narrated the film.

LET’S TALK Knife Crime Project 2019-2022

“CHANGE OF THOUGHT”  [cert 12A, 73 mins, 2022]

There’s 3 paths: dead – jail – or a bounty on your head

This documentary film features Southwark boys facing permanent school exclusion who now deliver training sessions to London’s Police recruits.

Here is a trailer. Alternatively watch the film.

Feedback: “It’s a very important film.” …“shows what can be changed with the right intervention at the right time” … “I did wonder if black kids could do some training exercises for teachers as well as for the police.” … “a  well told story, congratulations!” … “it’s really good that Javell made it, among other young people featured in your film – there is hope in your film ! :)” … … “I was both encouraged and troubled by all of this” …

Elevated Minds, run by Doreen Sinclair-McCollin, coached the boys and aims to create sustainable change between Black communities and the Police. The film itself is the final output of LET’S TALK, CTVT’s 4-year project looking for breakthrough initiatives to confront knife crime and youth violence. It ran Forums in schools and youth clubs from 2019, produced discussion videos during lockdown, and in September 2022 launched “CHANGE OF THOUGHT” at Peckhamplex cinema as part of Peckham & Nunhead Free Film Festival.

Voices in the documentary alongside Doreen Sinclair-McCollin, CEO of Elevated Minds, include many young people from local schools – Harris Academy Peckham and Surrey Square Primary School,  plus barrister Stephen Akinsanya, playground manager Stephney Bent, Sherifa Carr of Passion For Change, and Sayce Holmes-Lewis of Mentivity.

LET’S TALK videos LT#8 and LT#9 have been dedicated to this work.            Check them out on the Films page of the LET’S TALK project website.

LET’S TALK produced a range of videos across 2021 with young people and professionals. Across 2020 five out of six events involving schools and youth clubs took place as planned before the national lockdown. 

See also LET’S TALK Video Report 2020.

Community TV Trust [CTVT] offers media training & filmmaking in schools and PRUs and in workshops for the disabled and marginalised. Engaging young people in open-ended creative work, links Community to Education.

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CTVT has produced a large number of videos, film dramas and documentaries, including a one-hour film, “It’s A Cavendish Thing”, with students and staff at Cavendish School in Bermondsey.

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Chris Haydon, who founded Community TV Trust in 1999, worked in broadcast TV as a director and producer, learning his trade as a documentary filmmaker on 16mm at Granada TV in Manchester.