Just Do It @ BEV

Birds Eye View (BEV) is a charity that celebrates and supports international women filmmakers.  A striking statistic - in the UK fewer than 7% of films and tv programming are directed or written by women.

Last night, BEV hosted a preview screening and Q&A of Just Do It,  the debut feature documentary by filmmaker Emily James, in the screening room at The Hospital Club.

Just Do It is a film using first-hand footage collected by the filmmaker during her year embedded within the secretive Direct Action movements in the UK, including Climate Camp and Plane Stupid.  At times, grabbing her camera and told where to turn up, you get the sense of a "rolicking ride" and a window into their clandestine tactics and mischief to outwit police and security - to stage takeovers of  factories and power stations and halting bank trading floors to garner attention for their environmental and anticapitalist message.  They throw their bodies into the cause, sometimes supergluing hands to create an unbreakable barrier, or suffering aggression by police such as at the G20 summit protests in Copenhagen, 2009.  They have actively participated in forcing u-turns by government and large corporations.  But more than anything, it is the trust and relationship with the filmmaker that reveals the personalities up-close; who create the system of comaraderie, their articulate intelligence and beliefs, alongside their quirk and mischief for "civilised disobedience".

Following the film was a Q&A, conducted by Gali Gold of BEV with Emily and Lauren Simpson (the film's Producer).  They discussed the opportunites but also the challenges of funding and distribution as independent filmmakers, sharing their experience and insight into creating this unique and topical documentary, and aspirations for it's reach; inspiring for any budding filmmaker to hear.

Just Do It goes on UK release on Friday 15th July - see their screenings for details of venues and scheduling.  You can Like their Facebook page and help spread the word, and go seek it whether at the cinema, or DVD when it becomes available!

If you are interested to attend or be involved with the work of BEV, full details are on their website.