By Cissy Baille‘Life’s a Bitch’ – a clever and moving short film about dangerous dogs and the consequences of maltreatment – premiered to a full house at Rich Mix Cinema in Bethnal Green on 19 August.
Looking at the consequences of violence, abuse and neglect, the film was written, shot and edited by five young girls who wanted to challenge the stereotypes about Staffordshire Bull Terriers and provide a different take on the issue of dangerous dogs.
The crew, all under 22, were either unemployed or out of school and the Hackney Hounds project provided the funds, equipment and training for them to develop the film on a subject they felt strongly about.
With support from social enterprises Poached Creative and Mediorite and mentoring from professional filmmakers, they wrote, shot, edited and promoted ‘Life’s a Bitch’,attracting more than 130 people to the opening night.
Their passion and creativity was captured not only in the film itself but in behind-the-scenes footage also screened on the night. Zoe, the 15-year-old film editor who had been out of school due to personal problems, said she’d found a new reason to get up in the morning and work hard. She’s discovered a flair for editing and is setting her sights on becoming an editor of blockbusting feature films in the future.
