Highly anticipated child grooming feature film ‘Hannah’ to be shot in Essex this summer.
From director Julian Augusto, writer Steve Langridge comes an emotive film tackling an important and often taboo topic. Familial child grooming and abuse.
Hannah, a young girl struggling to find her place in the world, dreams of becoming an actress and escaping a homelife that seems perfect on the outside but is far from it when the surface is scratched. When an audition is arranged with a prominent Casting Director it appears that Hannah’s goal is within touching distance.
However, the audition has been secured by her uncle, Jason, who has controlled and groomed Hannah for as long as she can remember. The journey towards her audition is littered with chances and missed opportunities to uncover the systematic abuse that Hannah has suffered at the hands of a person who should be keeping her safe. Hannah has hope, but to reach it she must first escape Jason’s control – the man who holds the key to her dreams but is the subject of her nightmares.
This story is one that has its roots in truth, which is what makes the story it as impactful as it is. Around 90 percent of children that suffer abuse are abused by someone they know, as Hannah is. Steve Langridge spent years working in the police force including cases like Hannah’s. This experience drove him to write this script and create a project that is not just a film, but a platform to open up an honest and shame free conversation.
It is estimated that in an average high school classroom two of the children will experience abuse in some way. This is a staggering number and is part of why we are creating this project, to give those children a voice and show them that they are not on their own.
Talented young Cambridge actress Lydia Ward, who plays the lead role of Hannah, said:
‘One of the key points to the film is abuse can happen to anyone and sometimes all the signs are there, but not picked up on. To the outside world Hannah has the perfect life. I think she feels very ashamed that this is happening to her and tries to hide it from everyone and uses her love of performing to escape.’
‘Hannah’ is shooting on location in Essex throughout August with the premiere set for November.
