The Directors is a collaboration between artist Marcus Coates and five individuals in recovery from different lived experiences of psychosis. Positioned behind the camera, each of them directs Coates in a filmed restaging of particular episodes from their lives.

The five Directors are: Lucy Dempster, Anthony Donohoe, Marcus Gordon, Mark Banham, and Stephen Groves.

Following extensive research, working alongside Dr Isabel Valli and discussion, the five short films challenge cultural stigma through an attempt to understand different realities. Each director chose a location of personal significance where they filmed Coates embodying and performing their own experiences.

The five short films were screened across five locations in Pimlico, in and around the Churchill Gardens Estate, each within a short walking distance of the other. Anthony was shown at Pimlico Health at The Marven (Doctor's Surgery); Lucy in a 5th floor flat of Chaucer House, Churchill Gardens Estate; Marcus at Churchill Gardens Residents' Association; Mark in the antique shop, The Cave and Stephen in the closed restaurant, Pimlico Spice.

They were presented alongside a contextual programme of talks and workshops to encourage open public discussion around the nation’s mental health.

The five films now form part of the Artangel Collection, available to be shared across the UK and beyond.

An online resource and educational tool based on the five films is available: What's Going On?

The Directors, 2022
Churchill Gardens Estate, London
Commissioned and produced by Artangel

Producer — Michael Morris

Psychosis consultant — Dr Isabel Valli

Production team — Sam Collins, Marina Doritis, Elissavet Ntoulia 

Line producer, director of photography and editor — Tilly Shiner

Director of photography — Simon Eaves

Sound recordists and editors — House of Noise

Grading — Becan Rickard-Elliott

Floor runner — Georgie Joseph

The Directors is produced by Artangel and commissioned with Art Fund Support.

Supported by Artangel’s Guardian Angels.

With special thanks to the executive producers for their generosity: Andrew Abdulezer, Martine d’Anglejan-Chatillon, James Brett, Robert Devereux, Gerry Fox, Gabriela Galcerán Ball, Kate MacGarry, Gabrielle Rifkind & Jonathan Levy, The Sigrid Rausing Trust and those who wish to remain anonymous.