Gary is a middle-aged man from London who has been in and out of prison for much of his early adult life but his first experience with the criminal justice system was at fifteen. For the last decade, he has been living in the Bournemouth area and at this point been on a journey of recovery from substance abuse. Creative writing has given Gary an opportunity to channel many of the feelings, frustrations, and desires of his journey.
He is a longstanding member of The Outsiders Project, a creative writing group comprised of people who identify as being sidelined from society, that meet and perform in Boscombe. A few years ago, he would never have imagined that he would be writing and performing regularly to an audience. Now he sees how much this creative practice has benefited him and is ready to share his passion and motivation with others. Alongside his involvement in The Outsiders Project, he runs creative writing workshops in prisons across England alongside his mentors. He prides himself in lifting others up and believes that “helping people is the essence of a good life”.
Moving Margins is a short documentary that sheds light on Gary’s story in a creative manner. It will capture Gary’s daily life, his participation in The Outsiders Project, and his wider involvement with the community. It is a film narrated by Gary in first-person about his life story. By doing so, the film aims at inspiring others towards gaining agency.
In the UK, there is an increasing number of people who identify as being marginalised from society. This is partly due to the lack of funding of community groups and public spaces which can serve as a place of solace and creativity. There are many marginalised people who benefit from local creative groups in aiding recovery, general wellbeing and providing a sense of belonging and community.
Boscombe is a suburb of Bournemouth, in the Southwest of England. It is a lively place, with a strong sense of community, an arts scene, and music venues. Yet, it is a place that some people look down on. It is a place where marginalised communities coexist. It is home to a high concentration of various creative writing groups and art and music therapy groups. All of which are striving to move these margins in society, one individual at a time, to improve people's wellbeing and provide a safe space to nurture their talents.
It is also the home to The Outsiders Project which supports and provides space for artists to write and perform. It gives artists the opportunity to develop their craft to a high standard.
This documentary follows Gary’s daily life. It shows him at home preparing his workshops for prisons, on the streets interacting with the local community, and developing his creative writing for performing. Gary and the rest of the group members are rehearsing for a performance where each of them will share a key part of their life stories. The rehearsals and performances unfold as a ritualistic practice that provides a therapeutic experience for people on both sides of the stage.
Throughout the documentary, we hear Gary’s voice-over performing a piece of creative writing he has composed for the film. He reveals some of the challenges he faced early on in his life, his first detention, his life in prison, his substance addiction. Today, he is in a very different position. His story is one of transformation. He has been able to change his life for the better and now he is ready to help others.
The reason why we want to make this film is because we firmly believe in the impact that creative practices can have on supporting people, particularly those who are marginalised or sidelined by society. Moreover, this documentary could help demystify preconceptions people have of those who are in recovery or have lived experience of the criminal justice system. We hope to humanise marginalised individuals.
Your donation will help us pay for the many different elements that go into filming this documentary.
26% of the budget will go on hiring filming locations in and around Bournemouth, making sure we are able to get the perfect backdrop for each shot. A further 13% will go towards cast and crew living which includes paying for food and water for the duration of the shoot. Travel and transport will require 12% of the budget and Post production and soundtrack needs 14%. We have also budgeted for promotion, marketing and distribution, which allows us to provide rewards for your donation and also afford to enter into film festivals. This will give us the opportunity to spread this story to a wider audience.
Esmée Goward - Director
Hello, I’m Esmée, the director of Moving Margins. This project stemmed from my interest in the effects creative practices can have on people’s wellbeing.
Documentary filmmaking for me is rooted in the collaboration of the filmmaker and the subject. I am fascinated by this creative process in many of the documentary films I have seen. Something which is co-created with the intricacies of real life is something I am aiming for here.
The opportunity to tell the story of Gary Krishna came from volunteering at BEAF Arts Festival, which is the organisation that set up The Outsiders Project. I was able to watch The Outsiders Artists perform and I was deeply moved by their stories. I feel privileged to be let into their world; to be a part of such a meaningful project.
Natasha White - Producer
Hi I'm Natasha, the Producer for Moving Margins and I am so excited to be working on this heartfelt and powerful documentary. As a filmmaker, one of the things I love most is being able to tell real stories whether that's in the form of a fiction film (based on true events) or as a documentary. I want to be able to spread awareness, love, sadness to as many people as possible and hopefully in the process, the films I work on may be able to help someone. That is why im so passionate about this project. Gary's story is so raw and powerful and it is a story well worth telling.
Grace Murray - DOP
Hello, I’m Grace and thrilled to be DOP for Moving Margins! Working on a documentary allows me the opportunity to work with real people and document their stories. This fuels my passion for storytelling through the lens of a camera but also immerses me in the genuine and raw essence of Gary Krishna’s story. I am excited to translate his story into a visual language that echoes its authenticity and have the chance to create visual emotion that follows the narrative and delves deep into the depths of reality.
Millie Jones - Editor
Using creative outlets as a means of improving wellbeing is an incredibly powerful and understated exercise. Collectively, we aim to explore the process of translating one’s own lived experiences and hardships into vivid, emotive and tangible pieces to be performed to rooms of strangers. Gary Krishna will be the person to guide us through this. Our edit hopes to introduce Gary and his relationship with creative writing through an observatory and poetic lens.
Olivia Sharpe - Editor
Through editing this documentary, we will explore the impact that creative practices have on people's lives through observing individuals who have used the arts to express their own previously untold hardships. Editing will allow us to capture these stories using their own artistic practices and experiences to present the correlation between creative expression and improving wellbeing.
Lucas Green - Cam Operator / 1st AC
Documentary is a genre of film that always fascinated me, films such as Searching for Sugar Man, the Dawn Wall and My Octopus Teacher are inspirations, alongside Vice reportage docs and BBC wildlife films.
I love the intricate worlds built in these films and the fact they are grounded in real people, stories and events. I have made and been involved in the creation of multiple documentaries so far, and relish the challenge of finding the most profound ways to tell our subject’s tale. I look forward to helping capture and convey Gary’s powerful story on Moving Margins
James Rigby - Gaffer
This project gives me the chance to connect with a remarkable group of people who’ve overcome adversity. Working on this film will challenge my biases and I find myself deeply inspired by how they’ve moved on and used their past as fuel to channel their creativity. My aim is to present them in a positive light…a light that I won’t use to glamorize, but rather to make subtle refinements to the images that will further immerse the viewers in their world.
Thanks for sticking around, we appreciate your support, and we will share what we get up to in production. We are all excited for what’s to come. And another big thank you to The Outsiders Project!
Thank you for supporting us to make this important film be made.
Crew Photos by: Jessica Williams
Instagram: @jessicaslwilliams
Graphic Design by: Mariana De Almeida
Instagram: @maralmeida.design
Disclaimer: we are not affiliated with or part of The Outsiders Project ourselves.