About me:
My name is Theresa Godly, I am a professional actor which is my day job, but three years ago I started writing The Stranger I Love as an episodic series, this then led me to create the short film which I also Produced.
What inspired this film:
I was inspired and motivated to write this story after being alienated from my beloved eleven-year-old son by his father. It hit me like a truck, one minute I was kissing my son goodbye as he went on holiday with his dad, three weeks later I was faced with a child I didn't recognise; one who said very hurtful things to me, words filled with hatred, words I’d never heard him use ever before which were completely out of character. I realised that this coupled with his dad's refusal to help or bring my son home was suspicious, so I turned to social media and the internet, where I soon discovered that this is a global problem called 'parental alienation' and that if I wanted to ever see my son again, I had to wipe my tears and fight for him. Over two years in family court and dealing with a corrupt child services system taught me that those with the power to rectify these situations are totally inept, and that the laws surrounding parental alienation and coercion of a child MUST change. I have connected with hundreds of other alienated parents/ grandparents and other extended families over the years and the suffering is abhorrent wherever you go, as is the failure of the family courts and governments.
How I made the film:
I crowdfunded £11,500 in April 2023 successfully to make the film and bring an amazing team together. Our Director Martin Gooch has over 25 years experience in the film industry and is a dear friend.
Our Cinematographer Damian Paul Daniel shot the 2022 BAFTA-winning film 'The Black Cop' and is a master of his craft.
Every member of the team has a wealth of experience in film and the two-day shoot went brilliantly. Everyone worked perfectly as a unit with the same goal. We also have a few alienated parents working as part of the team, experts in their field who wanted to donate their time to see this important film made.
Actors: Casting the child actor to play my son was integral to the whole project, and we were blessed to have rising star Leon Ung in that role. Leon is only 13 years old, but has already starred opposite Riz Ahmed in Oscar winning short film The Long Goodbye, Matilda the movie with Emma Thompson and Stephen Graham and will be seen in the 2024 Snow White movie. His acting blew the whole team away!
Christian Greenway plays opposite me as my ex-partner, his performance was nothing short of chilling and his look and talent matched the role perfectly. After serving in the British army for five years, Christian trained as an Actor in London and L.A and went into the acting profession. He has worked on many TV series' including 'Hollyoaks', 'The Bastard Son & The Devil', and Marvels mini-series 'Secret Invasion' opposite Olivia Colman, as well as dozens of superb short films.
Why do we need extra funds?
A lot goes into making a finished film, and it all costs money. The post-production stage requires skilled individuals to bring the film to life, and further enhance all the work done by the cast and production crew. Once finished, the task of showcasing the film at international film festivals begins, this requires a festival strategy and concise plan. We also need to enlist the services of a film PR company whose job it is to get media interest and focus onto the film and the filmmakers who can talk about the project in great depth. Post-productions services include: Editing, Visual Effects, Sound Design, Sound Mixing, Film Score (soundtrack), Colour Grading, ADR (automated dialogue replacement), Titles/Credits, Film Festival Submissions/ Strategist, Festival Attendance, Publicity and Marketing.
Hopes for the film:
I wrote this film to demonstrate what parental alienation looks like, not only as a warning to those who may recognise certain behaviours, but also to raise awareness of this silent and psychological child abuse and shine a media spotlight on this subject matter. My biggest hope is that the success of the film and publicity surrounding it will start wider discussions within governments and we see a change in the laws surrounding parents' access to their children, and that allegations of parental alienation are thoroughly and carefully investigated whilst both parents have court-ordered access to their children. I also want to see parental alienation criminalised so that those who actively coerce a child to reject their other parent unjustifiably, face punishment.
Thank you for reading this. We are excited to share the film with you all and hope you can support us with donating anything you can afford, and also sharing the link far and wide via social media, email and even whatsapp. Every penny counts, without the additional funds we cannot finish the film and get it out into the world. Help us give parental alienation a voice and to see much-needed changes in family law so that children don't have to grow up and live without a loving parent and families are not torn apart. The mental health effects on children losing one half of their identity is far-reaching and often irreversible. Help us stop this cycle The time is now.
The Stranger I Love is proudly aligned with and supported by registered charity Parental Alienation Awareness UK.