Vision Shorts

A very interesting film about a project in which some people with mental health problems went on a film-making course and then (with help) made their own short films (which were then screened at a cinema). About a third of the film consists of interviews with the people who arranged it and the participants telling about their experience and how it helped them; the remainder of the film shows two examples of the 10-minute shorts that were produced - presumably the best ones. The stuff about the project is interesting - it was a great experience for those who took part and really helped them, but the shorts themselves are actually far better - a revelation.

One is called 'A Life on the Line' and consists of a series of cuts of people talking on the phone - from which the story emerges. You wouldn't believe that the person who wrote and made this had had no knowledge of film-making at all only a few weeks later.

And the second ('Night Music') is brilliant: an animated film about the mysterious Dr Bird and his adventures in the big city in search of new parts for his old gramophone. Amongst other things he goes to a sailors' dive and a dance hall, buys a soul from the devil and conducts a wedding, before he gets what he wants. The story keeps you interested and there is a great plot twist at the end. Some good jokes and very nice animation and soundtrack.

An interesting documentary by The Independent Film Trust about its Film School in a Box project to provide training in basic aspects of film training for disadvantaged people - people who would not ordinarily get the hands on equipment or access to the knowledge about how to use it. The programme follows on such training project - Vision Shorts, for people recovering from mental health problems. There are touching and insightful interviews with course participants (who are evidently, although this is not stated, recovering from problems such as addiction and depression). They start off thinking that they cannot possibly make a film (or rather, a series of individual films). But by the end they have done it and the realisation hits them that perhaps they can do other things too.....

This a well-made documentary that has a very uplifting message – anyone can make a film if they are only given the chance! It illustrates the work of the Film School in a Box film-making courses run by The Independent Film Trust for disadvantaged people who would not ordinarily get this chance. One of these was the Vision Shorts project run in collaboration with the Raindance film organisation and with Portugal Prints, part of the mental-health charity Westminster Mind, for people recovering from mental health problems. The programme contains two films from this course – Life on the Line and Night Music – made by two of the participants. It is hard to believe that neither of these people had ever made a film before.