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Shed Your Tears and Walk Away (2009)

Director: Jez Lewis

Time Out rating

Average user rating

11 reviews

Synopsis

Filmmaker Lewis's personal portrait of his home town, Hebden Bridge.

Movie review

From Time Out London

‘A drug town with a tourist problem’, jokes one of Jez Lewis’s interviewees about Hebden Bridge, the picturesque West Yorkshire town where Lewis grew up and an alarming number of friends and acquaintances have killed themselves or dedicated their lives to drink and drugs. Lewis is a producer who worked with Nick Broomfield on ‘Ghosts’, and his first film as a director is a personal work – painful for him; distressing for us – for which the 42 year old, prompted by the overdose of a friend, revisits Hebden over a year and films pals new and old as they go about their lives. We spend time with Cass, an alcoholic and one of Lewis’s oldest friends; Silly, an ex-soldier and also an alcoholic; and Liam, a scaffolder and heroin user who lives with his mum and lost a younger brother to drink a few months earlier.

Nobody seems to care when Lewis films them drinking their days away. If there were quibbles over his presence, Lewis omits them, just as he wisely leaves out any scenes of hard drug use. This is the sort of sympathetic yet not entirely forgiving film only a friend could make: Lewis wants answers but cares too much about his subjects to denigrate them with platitudes. The tragedy of Lewis’s sensitive and sensible film is that most of its subjects are as aware as us of the rut in which they are stuck. Most don’t deny that they could be next to die. Some even seem to will it.

Author: Dave Calhoun

Time Out London Issue 2077: June 10 – 16, 2010

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User reviews of this film

Neil Farnworth said...

Posted on Oct 11 2010 11:38 The subject of this film is important and the devastating affect of drugs and alcohol on individuals is harrowing. However this is not a documentary in the true sense. It is poorly constructed and fails to address the wider community or use any balance in the reporting of the isues. Several comments are made by 2 of the mothers and one sister who have lost their sons through drink and drugs which are not followed up but would have made very interesting contributions to the film. The points made in this personal observation caould have been achieved in 20 minutes.

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kelly said...

Posted on Jul 04 2010 13:22 where is this film showing in west yorkshire as i am desperate so see it

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Matt said...

Posted on Oct 22 2009 17:01 With ‘Shed your tears…’ Jez Lewis shines a sharp light on a group of people in Hebden Bridge – the capital town of Guardian Letters writers - who rarely get a chance for their voices to be heard. Rather than focus on the picturesque, liberal view of the town, or succumb to the temptation to impose his own prejudices, Jez uses his camera to give Cass, Phil and others their own voice.
And they use it to good effect. “Hebden Bridge is a Druggy town with a tourist problem” was one particularly insightful comment of many that helped build a concesus answer to Jez’s central question: Why do so many people there seem to die so young?
As the film was being made, more deaths went unremarked by the local paper, we’re told. It is a very moving account. Unpolished for sure, but the story told by Cass and his friends are compelling enough to make you first forgive, then ignore, then appreciate the erratic acoustics. It’s 90 minutes well spent at any price.

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jillg said...

Posted on Oct 22 2009 11:33 This acomplished film by first time director Jez Lewis is funny, compassionate and moving. Lewis asks questions of the casual acceptance of addiction and death within Hebden Bridge. The very personal film he creates is one in which stereotypes are challenged and a voice is given to those people who are usually overlooked by society. There are no simple answers and Lewis has created a complex film that directly engages with issues that are relevant to the whole of our society yet avoids generalisation and blame. He introduces us to his intelligent, stoic, amusing and often tragic friends who struggle with addiction. This is an understated yet powerful film that deserves to be widely seen.

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KR said...

Posted on Oct 21 2009 23:55 A deeply moving and powerful documentary that raises serious questions why there is such a rapid loss of young lives in the incredibly beautiful town of Hebden Bridge. The film follows some of director Jez's old childhood friends who are bright, articulate young men but who are hell bent on self destruction. Why are the youth so full of despair and why has the problem been ignored up until now? Jez Lewis goes back to his childhood home to investigate and a sensitive, personal, painful journey ensues.

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Danny Thompson said...

Posted on Oct 21 2009 22:24 Shed Your Tears and Walk Away is a funny, moving and sometimes bleak documentary about the fashionable northern town of Hebden Bridge - described by one of the participants as '... a drug town with a tourist problem ...'.
Jez Lewis portrays his former classmates with compassion and humanity, allowing them to speak for themselves in describing the problems that have had to cope with, or have brought upon themselves.
He also depicts the other subject of his film - the town itself - with the same openness and honesty. In doing so he challenges the orthodox view of it as a trendy, open and accepting bohemian enclave.
There is however no polemic. As death after early death occurs; from addiction, suicide or accident - we are left to ponder for ourselves whether Hebden Bridge is an 'Anytown, UK', or if it has its own unique, darker properties. Whatever the answer, uncomfortable questions are raised for all of us.
This is a hugely thought-provoking documentary which deserves to be widely viewed.

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simeon spencer said...

Posted on Oct 21 2009 19:04 Jez has captured a dark and distrubing underbelly of my picturesque home town that will and should challenge the chocolate box image portrayed by the media and tourist industry. Whilst upsetting (especially for those, like me, who grew up in Hebden) someone needed to say it, and Jez should be applauded for doing so. A real emotional wake up. Well done my friend.

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Good said...

Posted on Oct 21 2009 18:03 A brilliant and moving film, I reccomend anyone, whether they are from Hebden Bridge or not, to watch it.

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AM said...

Posted on Oct 21 2009 15:24 a document of time and place - Jez does his subjects and himself proud...

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KM said...

Posted on Oct 21 2009 14:59 Fantastic documentry by first time director Jez Lewis. A very moving film. A must see.

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andy kimpton-nye said...

Posted on Oct 21 2009 14:50 Shed Your Tears... is personal film-making at its most moving.

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