03/12/2024
PLEASE do not hesitate to tell someone if you appreciate something about them.
After our Mill Road Collective event a couple of weeks ago (more to come on this – Dominic Streeter of was phenomenal) – a graduate pulled me aside and said “I just wanted to say how much hope and inspiration you give me as a female in this industry. You seem calm, determined and poised. I associate production company culture with aggression and exclusivity - but seeing you running one and hearing you speak tonight has shown me that it doesn’t have to be like that and I can, and want to, be part of it.”
I nearly bloody cried. This was everything. Personal compliments aside (which meant more than she knew) … this was touching on the bigger picture.
The big why.
10 years ago I was swiftly ejected from a workplace with no warning, care or due process for daring to speak out about harassment by one of the senior leadership team.
Prior to that, my efforts to learn, create and progress within the film industry were often thwarted by ‘back in your box’ attitudes, closed clubs and cryptic discouragement.
It’s tiring to be told ‘no’ all the time – literally or figuratively. To be made to feel that you don’t fit, don’t deserve, don’t have what it takes, that your voice doesn’t matter.
The Mill Road Collective is about taking a sledgehammer to that myth and opening the doors to a community who acknowledge that access, collaboration and representation are key ingredients to telling stories that move the world forward. No more exclusive clubs, no more subscribing to the notion that films can only be made by a select few. A strong, diverse community - harnessing the immense power of storytelling for the good of humanity.
So thank you to that individual. I’m so glad you felt this way. You’ve shown me I’m on the right track, and your words meant more than you could have ever imagined.