OKRE connects the film, TV, and gaming industries with researchers and lived experience to create entertainment that sparks real social change
Case Study
CultureFilm

Black Dog

A journey into what it means to face trauma and find connection in the unlikeliest of places.
The film debut from writer/director George Jaques and his co-writer Jamie Flatters follows two London teens as they head to Scotland on a trip that’s as much about the journey of self-discovery as it is about the journey up north. With themes of mental health, grief and sexuality woven into its storyline, Black Dog delivers a raw and relatable portrayal of what it’s like to be on the cusp of adulthood.

How did OKRE support collaboration

By aiming to take on challenging coming-of-age topics with care and authenticity, the project aligned perfectly with OKRE’s mission to create entertainment that matters. The team displayed a genuine commitment to allowing themselves to grow as individuals outside of the production, and to truthfully represent difficult issues within the film. This made it clear that Black Dog wasn’t aiming only to entertain – it was looking to start conversations and change perspectives.

The film’s biggest praise goes to its well-portrayed manner of grief. Grief is such a universal human experience, and Jacques and Flatters’ writing doesn’t beat around the bush but deals with it in such a serious matter. When it is depicted as well as it is in Black Dog, it allows viewers who have faced different means of grief to see themself within the media they’re consuming

The Streamr
How collaboration improved authenticity

Young People’s Mental Health

  • The team built trust through regular in-person collaborations with experts at Childline and facilitated group discussions with those with lived experience of the topics explored.
  • They discussed topics like eating disorders, grief and the care system. Because of this, they were able to get much closer to the issues in the film, through genuine conversations with those who had first hand experiences.

OKRE Focus: Black Dog

The OKRE Summit 2024 panel discussion is available to watch back now

Read more

Meet the team

George Jaques

Actor/Director/Writer/Producer & Founder of Athenaeum Productions

Ken Petrie

Producer

Nominations

Sutherland Award 2023 Nominee

The film was nominated for the Sutherland Award at the BFI London Film Festival in 2023.

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