Film project aims to beat hate crime
ANEW hate crime video which has been produced by victims will be shown to young people in Cheshire’s schools and community groups.
The powerful film tells the story of people throughout the county who have experienced hate crime and how it has impacted their lives.
It will be shown at hate crime workshops facilitated by Got Your Back, a service to help anyone under 18 that has been a victim of crime in Halton.
It is run by restorative justice charity, Remedi, which supports victims of crime under the age of 18 whether they have reported the crime to the police or not.
The video has been produced by Luca Matthews and James Brett, two media students from Warrington & Vale Royal College who have been victims of hate crime themselves.
They have been able to channel their experiences to produce a film which raises awareness of the effects of hate crime among other young people in Cheshire.
The film was launched by Cheshire’s police and crime commissioner (PCC) David Keane and Remedi during Hate Crime Awareness Week.
Mr Keane said: “Hate crime is a heinous crime as it targets its victims right at the heart of who they are. No-one should be targeted for being themselves.
“We’ve seen incidences of hate crime increase on both a local and national scale over recent years. That’s why it’s important that we educate young people from an early age so they understand what a hate crime is and how they can seek support if they or someone they know is victim to a hate crime.
“This film does an incredible job to depict the effects of hate crime on real people in our communities. It is harrowing to hear the pain and suffering they have had to go through because of someone else’s actions.
“Even more poignantly, the film has been produced by students who have unfortunately been victims of hate crime themselves.
“They understand what it feels like to be targeted simply for being who you are and they have been able to channel these experiences into a fantastic resource which will educate other young people about the seriousness of hate crime and will hopefully reduce hate crime in our communities.”
Lisa Gill, manager of Remedi in Cheshire, added: “We have already engaged with 700 young people in Halton through the hate crime workshops but this film will make the workshops even more interactive and enable young people to really understand the effects of hate crime on local people in our communities.
“James and Luca have worked incredibly hard over the summer to capture as many stories and experiences as possible and as a result, have been able to put together a professional film which tells the real story of hate crime in our communities. I am
● incredibly proud of their work, commitment and dedication.”
Luca, who produced the film with James, said: “From the very beginning, James and I have felt extremely privileged to have been asked to work on such an important and poignant project.
“We were initially attracted to the brief because we have both, unfortunately, been the victims of hate crime. Through this opportunity, we can now both stand up against hate and use our knowledge of it to educate those watching, which is something we believe has been effectively shown in the film.
“It is an honour to have been chosen to undertake the job, particularly because this will be our first accomplished credit within our chosen creative fields and has given us both the right knowledge and tools to step into the industry.
“We have worked alongside a team of great people, who have supported and nurtured us through a process that we haven’t always been so familiar with, but with lots of hard work, determination and elbow grease, we have created a film that we are extremely proud of.”