Credit: Life On Pause (Permission given for this article) Salford Alumni Film

Give The People What They Want, a satirical short film written and directed by a Salford graduate, will debut in the city later this month.

The short film brings the audience to the 1950s in a world of picket fences, pretty curls and perfect smiles.

Director and playwright Jessica Parsons, 22, said the idea for the film came to her while running and listening to music.

Miss Parsons said: “This song formed the entire film. I listened to it one day and the ideas just hit me.”

Once she got back home from her run Miss Parsons started taking notes, drawing costume designs and story boards to help visualise how the finished film would look.

The film never takes itself too seriously.

“It’s kind of based off my own experience, most artists like to draw from their own life,” she said.

“It’s been a harrowing but cathartic experience. It’s so British to make comedy out of darkness.”

The cast and crew of the film gives spotlight to Salford University graduates both on and off screen.

Miss Parsons said: “The university really helped. Some of the equipment and locations were thanks to the university so I thought I wanted to use alumni.

“I wanted to make something wonderful out of nothing.”

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The film was partly funded via donations on GoFundMe with donations going towards equipment, props and costumes.

Miss Parsons said: “I thought it was important to reach out to people and create a collaborative process.

“Part of that was putting a GoFundMe out there and people donated which I’m so thankful for.”

The funding was also used for cast and crew including Andrés Costureras who’s music has previously featured in BBC’s Killing Eve.

The silent melodrama is set in a pastel-coloured dreamland following a scandalous series of events started by a letter.

The film is set to the song Killer Shangri-Lah by Psychotic Beats which was a big inspiration behind the piece.

She said: “It’s interesting, the film takes you on this ride to be human, it’s so messy to be human and I think that’s something I’ll take on throughout my career.”

The free premiere of Give The People What They Want is on February 24.

Free tickets for the event can be found here.

A review of the film can be found here.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *