A short film made by a Winchester director has been released to shine a light on the conditions for children who are sent to solitary confinement in the UK.

The movie premiered in August at the Harbour Lights Picturehouse in Southampton, and now director Zoe Lewis is hoping it will spur people to sign a petition to highlight the issues and encourage the government to enact change. 

The film follows a young couple, Lisa (played by Cheyenne Wood) and Sean (Tyrone McLeod), whose love falls apart after Sean is sent to a young offenders' unit and locked in solitary for weeks on end.

Impressively, ‘FIFTEEN’ is entirely street-cast, a decision director Zoe said was ‘imperative’. The movie also required volunteers from the street to take part in filming and, therefore, was not filmed with a set cast.

FIFTEENFIFTEEN (Image: Zoe Lewis) The film was shot on location in the Winchester area and stars young people from low-opportunity backgrounds, whom Zoe has dedicated the last 10 years to helping. 

She said: “The film is important because it highlights the terrible practice of segregating children into solitary confinement, which is against their human rights.” 

She also goes on to say that the poor treatment of youth in Winchester’s young offenders unit, which is highlighted to a great extent in the movie, is “still happening right now”. 

Zoe said: “I wanted to make a film with young people who have lived experience of hardship or the criminal justice system. I work with young writers from South Hampshire who have never had a chance to write, and I give them opportunities to express their voices.

“Last year, we profiled the work of local young first-time writers at Theatre Royal Winchester; this is a step on from that."

Zoe aims to get the film to the short film circuit and has talked about her hopes of highlighting the practice of child separation with Prison Minister James Timpson in the near future.

She said: “We are fundraising to get the film on the short film circuit, which costs a lot, and also to get the film to the government so the film can put pressure on them to stop the inhumane practice of sending kids to solitary."

FIFTEEN FIFTEEN (Image: Zoe Lewis) Cheyenne, a young writer who has previously worked at Theatre Royal Winchester, admits that when she left school, she found it hard and left without any ‘real qualifications’. 

However, she said: “Working with Zoe gave me confidence in my writing”.

There is currently a page running to support the film and Cheyenne has urged people who are interested in the movie to go and support it.

Zoe said: “Making this film, as a first-time director has given me the determination to carry on working with young people who might not be trained writers or actors, as this film is a testament to the power of the raw, unpolished view of life.”

A petition has also been launched to put extra pressure on the Prisons Minister to enact reform. Once it receives sufficient signatures, it will be taken to London.

For the fundraising campaign go to indiegogo.com/projects/fifteen-short/x/15064956#/

This article was written by Cameron Braddick, from the University of Winchester