Joel Wisdom-Peters & Pariah: Misfits & Miscommunication

I'm a filmmaker from Northampton, currently based in Bristol. I've always been around films since I was a child as my Dad always used to buy loads of DVDs - maybe too many. However, I didn't truly appreciate this art until I recognised how powerful stories can be.

Growing up, I used to listen to lots of conscious hip-hop artists. They would often rap from the perspective of a fictional character, but they were still someone you could relate to. By the end of the song, you would've learnt from their mistakes, and gained some wisdom from it.

These were the kind of stories I wanted to tell through film-making. Regardless of how risky trying to become a professional filmmaker can be, I’m hooked and I know this is something worth pursuing. It’s the perfect way to put my skills, interests and personality traits to good use.

I met the RnB singer/songwriter, Pariah, at a gig in Bristol. Ironically, I went to that gig to meet another artist that I was a fan of but, while I was there, I met Pariah and asked her about her name.

I thought it was really cool. In fact, she told me that Pariah actually means misfit - something which I deeply relate to. So after we spoke, I was hoping to do a photoshoot to promote her brand, but then I had a better idea. I thought about making a documentary about her artist name, as a way for her to explain who she is on a deeper level and connect more with her fans.

I listened to various artists who were also open about feeling like a misfit. They gave me a lot of support, so I wanted to give other people the same thing through Pariah. She has a really healthy and wise way of dealing with feeling like she does, and I think we can all learn from her.

It's fascinating to be able to share this project because I've wanted to share something that people can relate to and learn from for a long time.

Pariah got the idea of the music video, and I was drawn to it because I thought it was a really symbolic way to show the absurdity of miscommunication and a great visual reminder of how important communication actually is.

I don't know about you, but even when I'm face-to-face with someone, I feel I won't be genuinely connected with them until I take the time to listen accurately and understand them. So I always communicate my feelings, allowing them to know me. Also, what I particularly love about this video is that reading about the negatives of miscommunication is one thing, but the visual metaphor used makes the message stick in your mind in a way that speech alone can’t.

I hope to work with more artists in the future who have something worth to say and help them articulate that clearly and memorably.