Longer Tables
A short Doc about community action and mutual aid.
A story of hope, told through the lens of those people providing and accessing community-run food distribution centres.
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Any government worth its salt should be judged by how it treats its most vulnerable, it's now clear that after over a decade of austerity, squeezed wages and torn social fabric - this government has made large swathes of the population poorer, sicker and more insecure.
Director Jacob Bishop-Ponte drew on the lived experience of his contributors to provide context for the issue of food insecurity in Britain, the importance of mutual aid, and the challenges regular Britons face on a daily basis.
Jacob and his team took a dignified approach to holding the mirror towards real life, winning trust and participating in communities. He carefully balanced creative intent with contributor care, and worked with my highly skilled creative team to create a cinematic documentary look with soft, pastel, hopeful yellow hues as a motif throughout the film.
He wanted to avoid the 'washed out & grey' look and feel that most documentaries about poverty and food insecurity tend to lean into. Tired, unfaithful, and bleak - this wasn't the way he wished to portray the lives of people from lower economic backgrounds.
Jake has been actively involved in community action since 2015. A few years have passed since then, but Jake remains a passionate campaigner and advocate for state responsibility. He continues to shine a light on social issues within the UK, with more films to come very soon.
Longer Tables is now to stream FOR FREE on WaterBear Network
