Shed Your Tears and Walk Away

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01/09/2012 Honest, gripping portrayal of addiction and its effects. Heart-breaking scenes of recovery and relapse. Indirectly questions whether there's a down-side to the gentrification of economically depressed towns. See more 04/25/2011 Jez Lewis grew up in Hebden Bridge and was aware that an extremely large number of young people were dying of drink, drugs and suicide. He tracked down his oldest friend, Cass, an alcoholic who had been given two years to live. The film is very moving, exploring the lives and motivations of some of the town's drug addicts and alcoholics, and looking at the effects on their lives and families without being voyeuristic or unduly intrusive. The affection felt by Jez Lewis for those he filmed is very apparent and I urge anyone who watches the film to watch the accompanying discussion with Nick Broomfield which tells us a little more about unfilmed events which occurred during the time the film was made, and the fate of some of those shown. See more 02/12/2011 It's like iv always said about the countryside... Good, honest, wholesome London I say... See more 01/30/2011 Everybody should watch this, a truly great documentary about a town with a drug, alcohol and suicide problem overlooked by a majority of its residents - very shocking and sad yet also very touching how much the film maker cares for the people he films - just an amazing piece of filmmaking See more 08/19/2010 18th August Sad documentary about drug additction, alcoholism, death and suicide in Hebden Bridge - interesting focus on the personal stories but could have explorated why this happening more fully... See more Mike M 06/13/2010 Utterly raw and personal. Lewis tries to keep himself behind the camera, but (like the viewer) can't help but feel an urgent need to intervene: a hug here, a consoling pat on the shoulder or sobering phone call there. He uses the camera not as a way of keeping his distance, but to connect himself with his past and his audience to a stratum of society they might not have noticed (or chosen not to look at); finally, as a way of keeping his friends alive... "Shed Your Tears" is undeniably grim - I couldn't blame you, in this instance, if you chose to walk on by - and Lewis can't, finally, give us the closure both we and his friends and subjects so badly need, but he keeps the film honest and, above all else, humane. Here but for the grace of God, and a just society, goes every last one of us. See more Read all reviews

Shed Your Tears and Walk Away

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