The Space Speaks (to Be Heard)

Hi, my name's Oscar and I'm making a documentary about grief.

Over the course of a few short years, by sheer heartbreaking coincidence, several childhood friends lost a parent far too young.

I repeatedly watched people go through the life-shattering process of grieving, and repeatedly found myself utterly unable to help, support them, or even know what to say.

And it wasn't just me.

The one constant thread between everyone, no matter how they personally processed their grief, was the fact that talking about it with others was nearly impossible.

The fact is, we don't know how to talk about grief. Because we don't talk about it until it happens. And by then, it's too late.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. This is Georgia - IMDB

Georgia and I went to school together and were both pretty creatively inclined, so we've got a long history of collaborating on projects (including a school play of questionable quality).

So, when she unexpectedly lost her dad in early 2021 and found herself with a drive to express her grief through creativity, she asked if I would help.

She had created The Space Speaks, a multi-faceted project encompassing a live performance at her dad's favourite pub (soon to be adapted into a film of its own), a series of workshops where complete strangers came together to share their experiences of grief and, finally, a documentary covering the whole journey, and the journeys of others.

The live performance was a resounding success, and Georgia is planning a follow up this year.

The workshops themselves saw complete strangers open up to each other about their most intimate fears, their most personal stories, and their wildly different (yet shockingly similar) views on what life and death even mean.

I have to admit, I was unsure how effective the workshops would be before we began. By the end of the first one, I was blown away.

It was clear that no one fully understands grief, no one fully understands how to deal with it, and yet we all want and need to talk about it.

Which brings us to the film.

The Space Speaks (to be Heard) is a documentary covering Georgia's experience , her journey that led her to creating this whole project, as well as interviews with others who have lost and grieved.

I'll be directing, interviewing and I'm currently producing, though we'll be looking to hire a dedicated producer if we can raise the funds.

But the real star of the show is this man.

This is Rob Loud, our cinematographer, editor and all-round wizard - IMDB

Rob is one of those people who is instantly brilliant at anything he does with seemingly no effort at all. He's constantly in huge demand because his skills are THAT legendary, so I'm massively grateful that he's agreed to come on board. The film will genuinely be better for it.

Rob is also one of the nicest people you'll ever meet, and is about 5 years younger than you think he is.

Seriously, when I find a flaw I'll update you, but don't hold your breath.

Finally, there's me. Hello.

I'm Oscar - IMDB

I'm an award-winning writer and filmmaker, and I've really struggled with how to approach grief.

The last few years have been full of morbid coincidences, and I've had far too many friends lose loved ones.

Every single time, I have not known what to say, do, or how to support my friends.

Every time I've tried to do the right thing, and every time it's felt like I've missed the mark.

I'm making this film as much for me as I am for Georgia. I want to know why this inevitable fact of life is so difficult to comprehend, and so difficult to speak about.

I truly believe that this project could be a real force for good, and could really help people. As I've already seen in the workshops last year, talking frankly and honestly about the experience of grief is enlightening, liberating and massively healing in so many senses of the word.

Where the money will go

Here's the meaty bit.

Crew

First, I want to pay everyone.

This is a project that everyone is passionate about, and I know everyone involved would do it for free if I asked them to.

However, I won't.

This is a massively sensitive and delicate topic. We'll be interviewing people recounting deeply traumatic experiences, and the entire thing needs to be handled with care, professionalism and respect.

Not to mention, it can just be really upsetting. I know I'll probably (definitely) cry at some point.

I cannot ask, in good faith, for anyone to bring the level of dedication and care I need them to without compensating them for that time.

Depending on how much we raise, I'd also like to look at hiring extra non-essential crew like animators or voice-over artists.

Distribution

Second, I want to take this film to all the festivals we can, get it shown wherever we can, and share the messages and experiences within it wherever we can.

I've seen before how fast a budget can vanish when submitting to film festivals, and I know this film will do brilliantly, so I want to make sure we're fully equipped to get it out there and seen where it needs to be seen.

Charity

At the end, and after all the other small costs like transport and equipment, any remaining budget will go towards charities chosen by the crew and interviewees featured in the documentary.

Ultimately, grief is an endlessly complex subject. We're not expecting to solve it over the course of filming.

We want to create a film that helps people, and part of that will be donating the proceeds towards charities like Mind to continue to provide support for those who need it.

If you decide to support us today, thank you. Truly.