A new short film by a Liverpool Hope University student will help to shine a light on male mental health - and an under-reported type of domestic abuse.
Jack Young is a second year Drama and Film & Visual Culture at Hope.
And next month he starts shooting his story The Window, after receiving support and backing from Liverpool’s prestigious Royal Court Theatre.
Wirral-based Jack, 19, says it’s a story that talks about the male victims of domestic abuse - sufferers who he says often go unnoticed.
Jack explains: “My story The Window was actually written as a play but I’m really thrilled to be able to turn it into a short film. And it’s something that holds real meaning for me, as it was inspired by a real life scenario that one of my friends was going through at the time.
“The plot follows a 17-year-old lad called Kieran who finds himself smitten with a girl who is a ‘Queen Bee’ and probably out of his league.
“When she asks him out, he’s shocked, and filled with waves of emotion.
“But as the story unfolds, we see them together, we watch their relationship flourish, only to then see decay and break down, as this female becomes controlling and then extremely abusive.
“For me, the male victims of domestic abuse are perhaps something that doesn’t get spoken about enough, despite the fact that official Government statistics show that one in three victims of domestic abuse are male.”
Jack says he’s indebted to the Royal Court Theatre for making his story-telling dream become a reality.
He’s part of the Royal Court’s Mentoring Scheme, which provides free weekly training sessions for young people, aged 18-25, who crave a career working in the arts.
It’s through this relationship that he’s been offered studio space by the Royal Court Theatre to not only rehearse the play, but to shoot the film, too.
Jack explains how The Window will be filmed on the stage, and will feature a hybrid mix of both ‘frantic assembly’ and naturalistic performance styles.
He is hoping to team-up with a mental health charity to launch the film itself, with all proceeds going to that charitable entity, too.
Jack has special thanks for Miriam Mussa, Community Participation Director at the Royal Court Theatre, for being receptive to his idea, and adds: “When I was told that I could use the Royal Court Theatre’s studio space to both rehearse and shoot my film, I was absolutely bowled over.
“This is what I’ve wanted to do for three years. So to be able to move one step closer to making this story a reality is an absolute dream come true.”
Jack starts filming mid-February and aims to have the flick finished by June.
And the good news for any aspiring actors at Hope is that there’s still time to audition, with the deadline for applications being February 5th.
To get involved, email thewindowcasting@gmail.com