Summary

Thank you for taking the time to watch the Gaslighting short film. This site outlines why we are campaigning to end child poverty and child abuse in our community, and how we are utilising this short film, with the support of our partners and affiliates, to reach people with our campaign message.

"You make a film to distract people, to interest them, perhaps to make them think, perhaps to help them be a little less naive, a little better than they were." - Claude Chabrol

WHY WE PRODUCED A SHORT FILM?

The unique power of short films is that they engage the audience in a short span of time. They often challenge and stir up emotions in seconds, unlike feature films where the audience has to wait hours for the plot to unfold. Short films have no commercial value and are therefore less censored, allowing the writer more freedom to tell stories that many viewers may find too difficult in a longer format.

The Gaslighting story is based on true events. It is about a young girl, Brooke, who from the age of eight has been in the “system” - social services, youth offending, care and penal. Her story is an important reminder of why some children offend and how the underlying cause of the offending is often poverty and abuse. Although uncomfortable viewing for most, this story is a sad inditement of a "system" that does not work and a reminder how we, the UK public, need to rally parliament to acknowledge the link between poverty and child abuse and reconsider the damaging austerity measures implemented in 2010.