A Caroline Springs filmmaker is pulling no punches as she addresses bullying in her latest work.
Director Giovanna Mercuri is halfway through the filming of her latest movie, The Target, which examines the effect that bullying has on individuals, families and communities.
Mercuri said the full feature drama is about different types of bullying.
“It’s based on true stories,” she said.
“We’re using local places and local stories from around Melton and Brimbank.
“The Target demonstrates the negative and positive ways people deal with bullying.
“It’s aimed at everyone. It’s about how some people handle bullying … and the detrimental effects that bullying has on people.”
Mercuri said she hoped the film would educate people.
“In my work as a counsellor, I come across a lot of people experiencing bullying and the biggest thing for them was the lack of action from managers or teachers who tried to sweep bullying under the carpet,” she said.
“Some people choose to fight back, other people might choose to self harm, some stay quiet and others fall into various states of mental illness.
“I hope that viewers walk away more educated on how they can get help. If they are the bully, I hope that they can get help and find other ways to deal with whatever they are going through.”
Mercuri started her own film production company because she wanted to make movies about social issues.
“I felt like I needed to do more … I wanted to do something that promotes early intervention in these types of situations.”
The Target will be released in 2018.
