Drama produced by DMU academic praised by Ken Loach

A short film which shows a neurodivergent man struggling to find work and dealing with grief has been praised as “touching and important” by legendary filmmaker Ken Loach.

Ryan Can’t Read has been co-produced by Evolution Film, founded by De Montfort University (DMU) academic Professor Jason Lee.

The film, which stars neurodivergent actor Lewis Ian Bray, tells the story of a young man whose benefits are cut by the jobcentre. Facing eviction, Ryan meets Tyrone, a community worker who helps him to turn his life around. 

While the picture, directed by Rhys Chapman, is set to premier at a Tokyo Academy Award qualifying festival, a preview was given to veteran director Ken Loach, known for his hard-hitting dramas focusing on everyday life experiences such as Looking for Eric, Cathy Come Home, and I, Daniel Blake.

The filmmaker, 87, said the film was “very touching and an important story to tell”.

Ryan Can’t Read is one of the outputs from Evolution Film, founded as part of Prof. Lee’s British Academy Innovation Fellowship awarded in 2022, which seeks to improve the “shocking” levels of inequality faced by disabled people in the UK film industry.

Evolution Films creates opportunities in film and TV for people with disabilities and mental health problems, who are underrepresented in the industry both as performers and crew. It has attracted 700+ members from four continents, runs workshops and public events designed to raise awareness, and advances the position of those who have been marginalised through training and filmmaking.

Prof. Lee has spent years investigating these issues. “Disabled filmmakers received one per cent of British Film Institute development funding in 2019-20", he explains. “Only two per cent of the people working in film and TV declare a disability of any kind, compared to 20 per cent across other industries. Applicants for TV and film jobs have been encouraged not to declare any disability before the interview stage.”

As well as Ryan Can’t Read, made in collaboration with Oscar-winning company Slick Films, other productions by Evolution Films include Up and Down (Richard Elson, 2023), a short film about bipolar disorder, and Pawen (Richard Elson, 2023) an adaptation of English author W. W. Jacobs’ short story ‘The Monkey’s Paw” which focuses on themes of dysfunction, alienation, and disability which was selected for the Rome Internatinoal Film Festival.

In recent years, there has been a shift in attitudes towards disability and its on-screen representations, with soap operas and longer form series often taking the lead. For Prof. Lee, problems of representation and inclusion need to be overcome for the health of the industry, given equality is necessary and there is a skills shortage with many roles vacant.

“The idea that there cannot be representation without participation rings true,” he said.

“You need screenwriters or television writers who themselves are disabled. If you have a character in a wheelchair, obviously a writer who uses a wheelchair will be a good fit, because they’ll understand the life of the character that they’re writing about.”

Looking to the future, Prof. Lee said: “The reception to Ryan Can’t Read shows that inclusive filmmaking works. Evolution Film will continue to make impact and is growing by our unique way of fostering synergies between industry and education and supporting professionals.

“We have huge momentum; people know they are part of a community of creatives who want to bring about progress.  This is an optimistic place to be and bodes well for the future of the industry both in terms of equality and creativity.”