Private Project

Hurt People... Hurt People

Suffering anxiety and isolation, Gabby falls victim to the merciless bully, Scarlet. Gabby is certain that reporting the situation will only make it worse. When the bullying continues, Gabby tries to fight back, only to discover that Scarlet is the victim of abuse at home. Shocked, Gabby discovers empathy for her tormentor and resolves to bridge the traumatic gulf that separates them.

  • Isla Millie Ward
    Director
  • Joseph J.U. Taylor
    Director
    The Whip Fighters of Waerebo (2025) (Arte/ZDF TV documentary) - Director, Producer, Writer, Indonesia's Best Ever Destinations (2021) (TV Special) - Director, Producer, Writer; Indonesia's Best Ever Eats (2021) (TV Special) - Director, Producer, Writer; Promoter in Paradise (2019) (Short) - Director, Producer, Writer; Dark Waters (2018) (Short) - Producer, Writer; Whale Watching (2018) (Short) - Director, Producer, Writer.
  • Isla Ward
    Writer
  • Joseph J.U. Taylor
    Producer
    The Whip Fighters of Waerebo (2025) (Arte/ZDF TV documentary) - Director, Producer, Writer; Das Traumschiff (2024) (TV Series) - Producer; Lost in Paradise: Luchsinger and the Gods (2022)- Producer; Indonesia's Best Ever Destinations (2021)(TV Special) - Director, Producer; Indonesia's Best Ever Eats (2021) (TV Special) - Director, Producer; Benefited (2019) - Associate Producer; Promoter in Paradise (2019) (Short) - Director, Producer; Dark Waters (2018) (TV Episode) - Producer; Whale Watching (2018) (Short) - Director, Producer; Tina Arena: Reset Live - The Concert Film (2016) Unit Producer; Sport (2015) (Short)- Producer; 3000 Hands (2013) (Short) - Co-Director, Producer.
  • Tala Sahami
    Key Cast
    "Gabby"
  • Amarins Rozendal
    Key Cast
    "Scarlet"
  • Caio Ramalho Casagrande
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Young Adult, Drama
  • Runtime:
    7 minutes 16 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 30, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Indonesia
  • Country of Filming:
    Indonesia
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2:40:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Green School Bali
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • San Diego International Kids Film Festival
    San Diego
    United States
    August 23, 2025
    North America
    Winner - Best Kid's Made Film
Director Biography - Isla Millie Ward, Joseph J.U. Taylor

British-born Isla, at only thirteen, has lived in several countries around the world and now calls Bali, Indonesia, home.

Isla's passion for the performing arts (she currently studies acting remotely with the prestigious London Academy of Dramatic Arts), storytelling and her strong sense of social justice have culminated in "Hurt People... Hurt People", her directorial debut.

"Hurt People... Hurt People" was Isla's major project for Quest at Green School Bali, where she studies, and her dream is to continue creating stories and films. Given her age, Isla's career will be one to watch.

Joseph’s life is like an adventure movie. Born in New Zealand, he spent over twenty-five years as a Biologist in the most remote islands of Indonesia. He married a Balinese warrior princess and then changed tack, sailing to Australia to launch a career in film. After seven years of living on the boat and making movies, he returned to Southeast Asia to tell stories that matter, with a cross-cultural focus, and is now a permanent resident of Indonesia.

As an actor, he has worked in Australia, the USA, Indonesia and Malaysia with credits on “Home and Away” (7 Network), “The Singapore Grip” (ITV), “Strike Back” (HBO), the award winning feature “One Less God (Umbrella), Dev Patel’s directorial debut “Monkey Man” (Universal), “Murder Below Deck” (Lifetime), "New Life", "Bandit" and "The Ghost and The Gun". Joseph is an acting coach and former Australian Performing Arts Conservatory teacher.

Joseph is one of only a handful of registered foreign Film Directors in Indonesia and directed, wrote, and produced the television pilot “Soulbeats” and two television specials, “Indonesia’s Best Ever”, for the Discovery Network. He was a producer for the Swiss feature “Luchsinger and the Gods”, “Das Traumschiff Nusantara” (ZDF) and “Cali Kid” (Amazon). Two of his feature screenplays ("Kandula" & "Rider") have been developed with the support of the New Zealand Film Commission. He recently directed & wrote “The Whip Fighters of Indonesia” for (ZDF - Arte) and “The Wall”, a documentary on Karmila Purba – the Wall of Death princess from Sumatra.

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Director Statement

We step into the world of schoolyards not to judge, but to witness. Behind every shove, every cruel whisper, there’s a story, often unheard, often silenced. This is the space we wanted to explore: the charged moment where pain passes from one child to another. Where the bullied shrink and the bullies grow louder, both trapped in roles no one chooses but everyone feels.

Why do bullies bully? That question haunted us. It followed us into classrooms, homes, and memories. And it refused simple answers.

As directors, we don’t look away. We confront the rawness, the shame, the bravado, the fear masked as power. We trace the ripple from one act of violence to another, from the bruises you can see to the ones you can't. In doing so, we reveal a cycle, not a villain.

This film does not offer redemption in a neat arc. Instead, it listens, closely, painfully, to the voices we’re often too quick to label or dismiss. It captures the micro-moments: a glance, a hesitation, a smirk hiding hurt. It builds empathy not through explanation, but through immersion.

We believe cinema can hold contradictions. It can show a bully’s violence and still ask you to care. It can follow a victim’s fear without turning them into a symbol. And it can remind us that before their stories become characters, they are children, longing to be seen, to be safe, to belong.

This film is for them.