This film tells the stories of eight of these families attending the UK’s only residential weekend for children bereaved by murder or manslaughter.
A Killing in My Family
A Killing in My Family
Every day a child in England and Wales loses a family member through murder or manslaughter. Using a combination of multiple cameras and fixed rig, this documentary sees a group of sixteen children, some as young as four, along with their surviving parent or grandparents come together to face their pain, under the guidance of grief professionals, Winston’s Wish.
The key session is ‘telling your story’ where children are asked to draw and write about what happened prompting 6 year old Lilly to ask ‘is ‘killed’ with a curly c or kicking k?” Gemma (lead practitioner) explains the importance of children having ‘a clear and coherent narrative, otherwise what they imagine…will be worse than the actual event itself’.
The film also sees the adults, who are at a separate location, as they struggle to stop and, for many, for the first time have space to acknowledge their own loss.
These are the stories of children whose lives have changed overnight, and the team of people who are helping to rebuild them.
- Awards:
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New York Film Festivals Film and TV Awards
Gold World Medal - Winner2018