On the Outside: film-making as story-telling through introspective re-enactment, and the significance of anonymity in the spoken word

ABSTRACT

On the Outside (On the Outside. 2019. Film. Directed by Paul Gray. UK: Good Well Films), is a 42 minute film that is the outcome of a participatory film project involving women serving sentences in HM Prison Polmont, Scotland. Scripts were developed that communicated the women’s stories using their exact spoken words and individual narratives were recounted by actors, giving introspective accounts of the women’s lives, while challenging preconceived notions of the label ‘prisoner.’ Representations of the criminal justice system are a highly visible presence on current mainstream platforms. Delineations between fiction and non-fiction narrative are increasingly exercised by film-makers to affect audience expectations, in particular when exploring dramatisations of ‘true life’ crimes. On the Outside is a project led by Paul Gray, whose practice led research explores the dynamics of such delineations through collaboration with the participants, in their roles as authors of their own narratives. This paper recounts the processes involved in realising the project, which will be discussed in relation to verbatim practices, as well as the underlying methodology used to action participatory video techniques. The aim was to facilitate a production process that best suited the specific voices of those involved, by recognising the significance of anonymity in storytelling, when collaborating with vulnerable individuals and communities.

KEYWORDS:

• Film
• prison
• social justice
• verbatim
• participatory film
• screenwriting

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 For further discussion on the Mindhunter series’ play with fact and fiction, and its public appeal, see articles: Seymour (2019), Heritage (2020).

2 See: https://www.napier.ac.uk/people/anne-schwan.

3 For more information on the Koestler Trust Awards, see: https://www.koestlerarts.org.uk/exhibitions/annual-uk-exhibition/im-still-here/.

4 The participant had written a poem that reflected upon being incarcerated in dark light, under the same sky as her family, which was now only visible to her between the bars of her small cell window.

5 This and all following dialogue by the participants is from transcriptions taken from the recordings of the seminars. The only changes are the names of the participants, where the pseudonyms from the film are used – Vanessa, Gemma, Abigail and Sandy.

6 Taken from a conversation with a fifth participant who was moved to another prison half way through the project. Had she been able to continue her involvement, the film would have included five participants.

7 I will refer to my role as director in the third person. While examples discussed will reflect my personal interests, they are of relevance only in relation to the creative role of director.

8 See https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/131389-voices-prison-2018.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Paul Gray

Paul Gray is a film-maker, lecturer and Programme Leader for BA (Hons) Film at Edinburgh Napier University. Gray's practice led research interests are the delineation between fiction and non-fiction narratives within film-making; film as a means of story-telling and introspective re-enactment; and the significance of anonymity in story-telling, when collaborating with vulnerable individuals and communities.