Childrens charity Kids Company remind us that while December 25th marks Christmas Day for most children, for some its just any other Thursday. Directed by Debbie Ninnis and Hayley Williams, the bleak film is part of Kids Companys #GiftofChristmas campaign to raise £100,000 for vulnerable children, young people and carers.
The directing duo were able to take some time out of their hectic schedule to sit down and have a chat with us about their role in the project as they made their directorial debut.
First and foremost, you're producers so how different was it making the shift to a directorial role? Was it a challenge to relish?
Debbie: It was quite different, although the role of the Producer in commercials has evolved somewhat over the years so it wasn't too much of a shift, and certainly a very enjoyable one.
Hayley: My background is in casting and script development as well as producing, so the transition felt quite natural. The interesting and enjoyable part was collaborating with Debbie we've been good friends for many years great creative friends and colleagues who all gave their time pro bono.
It's such a worthy cause to support, how did you become involved?
Debbie: We both live in South East London, not far from two of Kids Companys centres. Wed heard Camila Batmanghelidjh (Kids Company founder) speaking about the charity and read about the incredible work they do and talked together at the beginning of this year about the possibility of offering our services in some way. To hopefully leave Kids Company with a film that has some longevity seemed like it could be the most beneficial way to help.
Despite it being such a bleak narrative, did you enjoy telling the story?
Hayley: It was an honour to tell this story. Droga5 wrote a beautiful script which we shared with Kids Company. They felt that it was accurate and true so we had confidence in the integrity of the story. We spent the next few months finding out about the lives of children who benefit from the work of the charity. We visited their centres and heard stories that were often heart-breaking and made you question how this could be possible in our great city.
Debbie: Ultimately, the work that Kids Company does is so amazing that it's difficult not to feel inspired. Their success stories, alongside working with the wonderful Kasey (our young boy) and our brilliantly talented crew, made the whole experience very enjoyable.
Have you worked with any of the other creatives before?
Hayley: We were very lucky to have Somesuch & Droga5 involved, we felt incredibly well supported practically and creatively. It was brilliant to have the opportunity as directors to work with DP Robbie Ryan and colourist Paul Harrison, both of whom weve known and worked with for some years. This, coupled with the fact that Fi (Kilroe) is a wonderful woman with a great big heart who insisted on generously giving us what we needed for post-production, made Finish the only choice for us.
To see the film click here.
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Childrens charity Kids Company remind us that while December 25th marks Christmas Day for most children, for some its just any other Thursday. Directed by Debbie Ninnis and Hayley Williams, the bleak film is part of Kids Companys #GiftofChristmas campaign to raise £100,000 for vulnerable children, young people and carers.
