You Are Here signs director Jesse Lewis-Reece
Jesse Lewis-Reece is scarcely out of film school, but already seems to be making a serious name for himself as a director of touching, gritty performance, with startling potential abounding.
Production company You Are Here’s latest signing, Jesse Lewis-Reece is scarcely out of film school, but already seems to be making a serious name for himself as a director of touching, gritty performance, with startling potential abounding.
Growing up in Brighton and later studying at the prestigious Bournemouth Film School (UAB) Jesse was increasingly drawn to deep-seated human stories of empathy, interconnectedness and self-overcoming. As a result his films are at once touching and bleak, speaking to a depth of human experience that we can all understand, addressing love, loss, isolation and longing, often championing marginalized, voiceless peoples.
His graduation film, BLEACH has won about as much as he could’ve hoped for, picking up at BFI Flare, The Iris Prize, The Smalls Film Festival, Norwich film festival, The Tide Film Fest, Cinecity Brighton and a record 4 Royal Television Society Awards. BLEACH is an absolute powerhouse, and it is a stretch to imagine it was written and directed by a student. The film follows a young girl, struggling with her gender identity and is driven by standout performances, from incredible Trans-Actor, Elijah W Harris and co-star Kru Lundy, closely echoing the work of Shane Meadows & Lynne Ramsay.
Jesse has recently finished another incredible short, EYELASH, in which Elijah also appears, post-transition. The short is a highly charged, intense filmic retelling of Neil Hiborns Viral poem, OCD. It follows the undulations of a love affair blighted by underlying mental health issues.
Jesse is currently preparing for the 2019 festival circuit and hoping EYELASH reaches the same heights as BLEACH.
As well as his narrative work, he recently directed a sleek promo film for Sky Sports & Harlem Eubank, his first taste of brand filmmaking. This prompted him to reach out to film production companies around London and we at You Are Here feel proud to have been given the opportunity to develop this young talent.