Nottingham-based filmmaker Derry Shillitto has taken on 40 first-time actors to star in his upcoming film The Correction Unit.
What happens to the young people left behind in education with no support? Detention follows exclusions and then it becomes permanent – perhaps academia is not their thing.
They may not do well in a classroom setting but find their passion performing on stage. Nottingham filmmaker Derry Shillitto has casted 10 young people from the Stone Soup Academy alternative provision school to star in his latest feature film, The Correction Unit.
“These kids are able to thrive off an opportunity – they just haven’t had the right one,” he told Platform Magazine. Written and produced by Derry, the film is set in a dystopian and broken Britain where AI is rapidly evolving whilst civilians live in a world of crime and poverty.
The error in human ways is used as a scapegoat for rising crime rates and delinquency among youths. This sci-fi-thriller takes the best elements from A Clockwork Orange (1972) Black Mirror (2011) and Attack the Block (2011) to explore the dark side of AI and human nature.
The film highlights the disconnect between those who are privileged and powerless. The Correction Unit is produced by Foyle River Films and distributed by Visions Films, set to debut in the US later this year. Thanks to partnerships in the US, the film could be released on big streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime for a global audience to enjoy.
Derry is planning to host a premiere of the film at Nottingham’s own Broadway Cinema in Hockley. The Correction Unit itself (J. Manuel) opens its doors on enrolment day to a group of 30 young violent offenders who are deemed unfit for society.
Over the course of three months, inmates must participate in a futuristic AI educational institution to rectify their criminal tendencies. We find our lead character Shawn, played by Sonny Middleton, caught up in a cycle of crime caused by the chaos of the inner city.
“Society doesn’t have a place for him, so where does he end up,” Derry continues, referencing the character of Shawn. Raised in Luton, the filmmaker says his own experience in education was far from easy.
He studied media at NTU’s own Confetti College and grew a connection to the city, praising what he describes as the “Nottingham way of life”. After graduating in filmmaking at De Monfort University in Leicester, Derry returned to the rebel city to pursue a career in film.
He eventually found himself assisting award-winning filmmaker Ben Wheatley (of High Rise fame) on the set of Sleaford Mods’ Mork + Mindy music video. was a pivotal moment in Derry’s career. Derry describes this as a pivotal point in his career.
“I changed my outlet on how to direct actors – Ben used the language of permission and was pragmatic in his approach,” Derry added. “He asked actors how they wanted to use their character to perform a scene and was open to new ideas.”
Forty people aged between 15 to 19 auditioned for inmate roles for The Correction Unit. These were made up of amateur actors chosen from street casting and TV workshops at Nottingham College. Derry said this made the performances more authentic, referencing Zak Hopkinson, who plays Jacob in the film: “The young people bring serenity and truth.
“They can tap into their characters easier than trained young actors. [Zak] enters tense and emotional scenes with ease and I realised early on he was able to act instinctively and excitingly – it was refreshing. He was able to thrive from this opportunity – he just hasn’t been given the right one”.
According to Derry, it was only a year ago Zak struggled to read and memorise lines in rehearsals. Now, he arrives onset with a playbook, reading lines in-between shoots ready for the next job.
Ellesse, who plays Tish, was scouted at a dance show at Nottingham College. She is currently in the
process of signing to an agent in the hopes of pursuing an acting career. Meanwhile Sonny Middleton, who plays Shawn in the film, became excellent at stunt work as he was trained by an on-set stunt coordinator, Derry adds.
Derry recalls how the young people set the precedent from day one, adding: “They really committed – screaming, shouting, throwing chairs. They were some of the funniest, naughtiest kids I’ve ever met, they wreaked havoc”.
Foyer River Films are building a media infrastructure here in Nottingham longing to springboard future jobs for the cast and crew members. Derry hopes The Correction Unit will be repurposed into a TV series that delves deeper into the storyline of each character.
“It’s by far the biggest project I have ever worked on,” Derry adds. “More pressure, more money than before”. Persevering through trials and tribulations – from blowing the 150k budget in the early stages to being head over heels in crowd-funders and using his own savings to finish the movie – he reflects “the risk is ultimately the reward”.
Image: Submitted by Derry