The Directors: Anthony

The Directors: Marcus

The Directors: Mark

The Directors: Lucy

The Directors: Stephen

The Directors...

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The Directors: Lucy by Marcus Coates (2022). 

Commissioned by Artangel.

Find out more at https://www.artangel.org.uk/project/the-directors

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What's Going On? Lucy

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Preview of film

I had a pretty normal upbringing with no major problems. Looking back now I’ve come to understand the warning signs that may have been apparent. I began experiencing very low moods at the time of starting secondary school and regularly self-harmed.

It wasn’t until my parents were away on holiday one year that I experienced my first hallucination. Little did I know that it was there to stay. I vividly remember telling a friend about the shadow creature that was following me. My friend urged me to talk. When my parents returned I was terrified they would think I was crazy. When they realised that nothing I said was a joke, they took me to see a doctor. That’s where the long journey of attempting to ‘fix me’ began. 

It really felt as if there was no light at the end of the tunnel. My auditory and visual hallucinations tortured me for 4years, on and off. They discovered the darkest corners of my mind and exposed them. I lost a lot of friends and eventually my sense of hope.  I attempted to take my own life at the age of 14. Nothing ever felt easy from the very first time I saw that lurking shadow but that doesn’t mean recovering is impossible. 

Recovery certainly isn’t linear but It is worth every circuitous step. I now have a full- time job at a high-end London hairdressing salon and although things are far from a walk in the park, with the right support and love around me I know now that anything is possible. 

As weird as it may sound, I am so grateful for my experience. It has entirely shifted my perspective and massively opened my mind in a way nothing else could.

Lucy's story

The Directors is a collaboration between artist Marcus Coates and five individuals in recovery from different lived experiences of psychosis.

Artangel's Associate Director Michael Morris interviewed each Director on set. These audio files record their thoughts and feelings about the process of production.

The Directors Interview: Lucy by Artangel

After the film was shot, Michael Morris interviewed Lucy on set, capturing the director's thoughts and feelings on the process of production

Audio interview

Michael Morris interviewing Marcus Coates on the set of the film The Directors: Lucy (2022).

Commissioned by Artangel.

Find out more at artangel.org.uk/project/the-directors

Marcus Coates on the set of The Directors: Lucy

After the film was shot, Michael Morris interviewed Marcus Coates on set, capturing the artist's immediate reflections on his experience