Charlotte Regan’s docufiction short Drug Runner follows a young boy whose life is quickly spiralling out of control, dealing drugs and getting arrested; this is a real-life tale highlighting how easily a few bad turns in your childhood could lead to a “life of crime”. Inspired by real interviews the director did with a friend (who the film is based upon), Regan admits she wasn’t interested in definitively changing opinions with Drug Runner, but instead she wanted to open her audiences eyes to a new perspective on a topic they may have already felt was black and white. Eager to tell this story in an approach that was new and original, whilst also keeping her audience captivated, Regan was keen to avoid the usual stereotypes associated with this kind of storyline. Shot over two days in a UK housing estate with a crew of around 10, Regan and DP Arran Green filmed mainly on an Alexa Mini, with a Blackmagic Pocket Camera for some B Cam stuff. Aiming to present a new perspective on an area often portrayed in cinema as gloomy and run-down, Regan and Green wanted to capture the estate just as their protagonist viewed it; “vibrant and full of life”.
