Directors Statement

ELAINE WICKHAM

My work as a writer-director centres on human stories that challenge assumptions and open up difficult conversations. Through Impart Pictures, I have explored that purpose with the award-winning My Mother and Gaslighting, starring Stephen Graham, which reached more than half a million online viewers.

Being Shame extends this practice into generative AI filmmaking. At its heart is a betrayal of children’s trust, examined through the tension between public punishment and personal accountability. I want audiences to feel the violence inflicted on Eddie without losing sight of the harm he has caused—and to witness the moment a mother’s instinct to protect becomes a refusal to acknowledge the truth.

My decision to use AI is both practical and artistic. It enables me to realise a film I could not otherwise have financed: a challenging story with limited commercial appeal but a clear social purpose. It also allows me to represent vulnerable children through synthetic characters. Using generative technology to confront its misuse creates a deliberate tension between the film’s subject and its means of production.

I bring my filmmaking experience to every stage, using prompt-driven direction, iteration and editing to shape character, performance and atmosphere. The tools expand what I can achieve; my responsibility for the story and its emotional truth remains unchanged.

Through festivals, charity partnerships, educational screenings and public discussion, I intend Being Shame to have a life beyond exhibition. It marks the next stage of my practice: developing ethically considered AI cinema, opening opportunities for commissions and collaboration, and building a sustainable independent filmmaking future through Impart Pictures.