Barnard Castle dramatist makes film about 'stigma' of inmates' kids - BBC News

The coronavirus brought the drama world to a halt, with theatres closed and productions postponed or cancelled. Fledgling dramatists Phoebe Lorenz and Amelia O'Loughlin decided to use the downtime to make their own film, highlighting what they consider to be a grave injustice in the justice system.

I'm Still Ethan is the story of a boy struggling with the impact and infamy of his father's incarceration.

He and his mother, played by Phoebe, have to deal with being shunned by the community for the crimes committed by their father and partner.

Though it is a fictional tale written by Phoebe in her Barnard Castle bedroom, Ethan's story is being played out many times over in the real world, she says.

"These families and children face stigma and prejudice for having somebody in prison," Phoebe says.

"The families can be completely innocent and unconnected with the crime but they are tarnished with the same brush.

"I want to make communities realise these stigmas exist and recognise the impact it has."

That impact can be devastating on the child's present and future according to Amelia O'Loughlin, who produced the film, through her company Freida Films, with more than 300,000 children and young people affected each year.

"One of the large downfalls of a child with a parent is in prison is how they are treated by society," Amelia, who also stars in the film as Ethan's teacher, says.

"If a child loses a parent in a car crash or to cancer then the entire community would wrap themselves around that child and make them feel loved and valued.

"When a child loses a parent to incarceration, the opposite happens and everyone runs away. People do not want to be associated with it.

"And that's understandable, it would be very hard to care about a paedophile for example, but their children still need support.

"A child is going through an emotional process but instead of being helped they are being shunned or ignored.

"They are bullied, scared and anxious and that has a huge impact on their mental health. Then their education goes out the window and the whole cycle is repeated."

Amelia acts in a scene with Phoebe and Louie

The stats, Amelia says, are against children of inmates, with 65% of sons of prisoners ending up in the criminal justice system themselves.

"It's a broken system and that's what I want this film to raise awareness of," she said.

"We have seen how films have successfully transformed general consensus or archaic views on issues like racism, sexism and gender inequality.

"My dream for I'm Still Ethan is to change how people perceive those who are connected to the justice system.

"Humanity needs to be brought to these people."

Phoebe got the idea while working in a café opposite HMP Wandsworth while she was studying at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts (ALRA) in south-west London.

"We used to get families coming in for a drink who were visiting people in prison," Phoebe says.

"That's how I started to really see this other side of it, from the families' point of view."

Phoebe and Amelia finished the script for I'm Still Ethan during the first lockdown, then raised £10,000 through crowdfunding.

"Making films is expensive but the people of Barnard Castle and the wider area were so supportive," Phoebe says.

They found an 11-year-old actor called Louie Collibee to play the title role - an "absolute gem" according to Phoebe - and brought in Dave Johns, award-winning star of I, Daniel Blake, to play the role of his grandfather, who has also spent time inside.

While the lockdowns had given Phoebe and Amelia time to research and work on the script, it nearly scuppered them when it came to filming.

"Two days before we were due to start filming the second lockdown came in," Phoebe says.

"Thankfully the film industry was allowed to keep working but it definitely brought challenges.

"The core group of us bubbled together, and there were a lot of temperature checks on the days when other actors and people came in.

"There had to be a lot of clever placements of people and cameras to keep within the rules, but I think we rose to the challenge."

I'm Still Ethan was filmed mainly in Barnard Castle in November and the 30-minute long film is now being punted around film festivals.

Scene showing Amelia and Louie walking out of a school

The film has gained the support of Nepacs, a charity which supports the families of prisoners in the North East.

"We are delighted that this subject is being brought to the forefront through I'm Still Ethan in such a way that will encourage people to sit up and listen," the charity chief executive Amanda Lacey said.

Amelia has hopes to turn it into a TV series and is in discussion with several production companies.

"I love the role of Ethan and the message and idea behind it.

"It is an issue that is seriously under represented on our screens."