New film offers crucial knife crime warning

Oscar Couchie, aged 15, from Crawley and Chichester College student Iliria Krasniqi (17), from East Grinstead, are respectively Felix and Sasha in the short film Ripple which is now going out to film festivals.

The hope is also to take it into schools. It might also be available at some point on streaming platforms.

At its heart is a storyline is rooted in the real everyday experiences of children and teenagers in schools today.

Created and written by Carol Wilson, a talent agent, acting coach and TV and film producer, the project draws on her background as a former police officer and detective dealing with serious crime. Carol has first-hand experience of how a single impulsive decision can change the course of a young person’s life forever, a risk dramatically intensified by the carrying of knives or blades.

The result is a powerful and hard-hitting story told through the voices of the children and teens themselves, shining a light on a frightening and growing epidemic.

Oscar said: “It is about school kids and there is a prom coming up and someone makes a bad decision about carrying a knife. They think they're carrying a knife to protect themselves and they end up using the knife.”

As Iliria says: “The person using the knife feels very overwhelmed and dismissed throughout the film” – and that proves a factor in what happens. Felix is wary of the knife but trusts his friend not yet to use it. Wrongly, as it turns out.

Iliria added: “I play Sasha. She is a very kind-hearted girl but a rejection of the boy who carries a knife is part of what creates the problem where he uses the knife. She rejects him and that causes him to lash out.

“I don't think it was a difficult role to play and I really enjoyed playing it but it was quite difficult to get across her vulnerability and to show that she was bullied.

“I think the film is trying to show awareness of the social issues around carrying a knife and that people should not feel the need to meet social media expectations. There are TV shows and films that show people carrying knives, and because of this one impulsive decision, it changes everything and affects all the children that were at the prom.”

Oscar and Iliria were delighted to attend a Covent Garden screening of the film in February, Ripple now has its first official selection for Manchester Lift Off film festival for Best Ensemble Cast. The hope is to get film played in schools to raise awareness of the issue of knife crime.

Oscar, a former PQA Crawley student, now studies with LeBlanc School of Acting and is represented by Talent Agency Rotten Orphans. Oscar has dreamt about being an actor from a young age. After a successful audition, he has an offer to study stage and screen acting at BN1 Arts in September. His long-term goal is to gain a place at drama school and pursue acting as a career.

Iliria trains with Stages, Performing Arts School and is represented by LSI Talent. Having already written and directed her first film, Iliria is currently studying for a T-level in media, production and broadcast at Chichester College. She is also an active member of the Chichester Filmmakers. Her dream is to work in the film-making industry, whether in front of or behind the camera.

The film comes from Camera Ready Events, a global events company based in television and film. It offers an educational events programme coupled with a lot of fun – a place where actors bond and make friends from around the world.