Cosmopolitan

THE GIRL BEHIND THE LENS She’s Britain’s up and coming filmmaker, documenting the lives of the LGBT community to raise awareness of their lives, whilst juggling a relationship and part time job. But we want to find out about Rachel Jane Meredith the girl behind the lens and what she has planned for the future.

Words Rebecca Thompson

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I just want to help people understand that they are perfectly lovely people

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NEW TALENT

s I arrive at York train station a wide hazel eyed, bubbly, Rachel Jane Meredith (20) greets me with a hug. We then head to Rachel’s boyfriend Kieran’s (19) house where Rachel shows me around then relaxes and offers me a cup of tea before starting the interview. Rachel and Kieran met at university, after going through a bad breakup with his girlfriend Kieran was ready to move on. “He started flirting with other people, I kind of thought I fancy you a little bit (laughing).” (I make a note to ask who made the first move.)

“The first time I met him as well he offered me some pineapple juice cause he thought I was pretty.” “We went to a house party once and he just kissed me.” Rachel spoke about their future together and there’s consideration of >

“We went to a house party once and he just kissed me” C O S M O P O L I TA N

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NEW TALENT moving in together within the next year as things get serious between the yearlong couple.

Things aren’t just going places in Rachel’s relationship but in her career too.

Rachel is using her skills as a filmmaker to create a documentary about the LGBT community to show awareness for the issues they have to deal with day by day. “I thought it would be really interesting to explore more LGBT people.” Rachel will be interviewing four people and taking a look into their lives and finding out about their struggles and personalities. “If any of my participants have got any stories to tell, like stuff that they want to share stuff like that I just want to put their point across.” “They just need to be who they are.”

She explains. The aim of the documentary is to target people are unaware of the community.

“I want to get across especially to the older generation like I know they were brought up in a different time but they kind of need to understand that these people are just people, they’re not doing anything wrong.”

Rachel is also in the process of planning an Internet series with a group of friends called ‘Evening Everyone’, it comes after she successfully produced a TV show called ‘Turn It Up’ aimed at students focusing on saving money, bursaries and new musicians. After producing the show she realised where she wanted to take her filmmaking afterwards.

“I’m much more suited to production design or directing.”

Rachel is already thinking about where to go next when it comes to filmmaking.

“I would quite like to get into politics… it’s really important.”

“These people are just people, they’re not doing anything wrong”

Rachel is well known for her sense of fashion and with her success growing she knows her sense of style is important too. Rachel’s enthusiasm filled the room as outfits were planned for the shoot, putting ideas forward and

talking about what she liked as she searched through piles of clothes.

“I’m a little bit grungy… I always have messy hair and stuff but I’m quite 90’s… and I’m a little bit shabby with that boho kind of feel.”

Having grown up with an older sister (Laura) Rachel wasn’t inspired by her style but she says whilst laughing “she’s (Laura) not very stylish, I think I kind of inspire her a little bit. ” With her success growing with filmmaking she’ll inspire more than just her sister in years to come… w

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