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Gun crime's living victims
Amar Singh, Evening Standard20 Aug 2008
A moving short film by two friends of teenage gun victim Billy Cox will be screened in cinemas across Britain.
A Mother's Tear shows the tragic consequences of shootings and was written by Jaron Williams and Alimur Raham, both 15 and from Clapham.
Billy, 15, was shot dead in February last year at his home in Clapham.
The film was co-directed by a former Brixton gang member, Dennis Gyamfi, 18, who now mentors local teenagers.
The two-minute piece depicts the mother of a boy who has just been shot dead. The camera follows a tear on her face to a bead of sweat on the forehead of the killer, then to a drop of blood from her son's bullet wound.
It also includes a poem which asks the question: "Could you be a mother and bury your son?"
It is being premiered this evening at members' club Soho House. Later this year it will be screened across the country, after agency Pearl and Dean donated free space. MTV has also expressed an interest.
The film originated in a workshop competition, Tackling Gun Crime Creatively, at Lambeth Academy. More than 100 teenagers entered.
Alimur said: "We had lost friends due to gun and knife crime - Billy being one. We know people who are close to getting into trouble and we want to get the message out there to stay away from it." Jaron added: "We think this is a powerful film. We are aiming at young people like us - instead of showing a weapon or glamorising violence in any way, we are appealing to them emotionally.
"You can tell people they are going to get banged up in prison, but the fact is young people don't like to see their mother cry. If they know that what they are doing is affecting those close to them, they can't ignore it."
The movie is part of the Create Not Hate initiative launched by commercials director Trevor Robinson.
Robinson, 44, who grew up in Clapham and was behind the "You've Been Tangoed" ad campaign, is codirecting the film.
He said: "I wanted to get young people bitten by the bug of creativity and show there is a future outside of the small world they inhabit. These kids are so bright and it's so sad young people are viewed as potential murderers as opposed to people who've a wealth of ability."
