“The standard of the films was impressive, with the winner Lyttanya Shannon getting great access to a story of domestic violence.”
Winner: Channel 4 First Cut Pitch @ Sheffield Doc/Fest
After building up the courage to ask her husband for a divorce, Rachel Williams was shot at point blank range by her husband, the violent culmination of a relationship defined by years of domestic abuse. Weeks later, her 16 year old son tragically took his own life as a result of witnessing years of trauma. But Rachel is no ordinary person, and has used her unfathomable experiences, to advocate tirelessly for the rights of women to live their lives free of violence.
This short film was made for Channel 4’s First Cut Pitch at Sheffield Doc/Fest 2018. Five finalists were given an identical brief: to shoot in one day and edit in another, a three minute film based on the theme: “Moving On”. The filmmakers could interpret that brief as they pleased. I was selected as the winner, the prize being a prestigious 1X60 documentary First Cut commission for Channel 4.