Scripted and shot cinematically as fiction, Melanie Manchot's film is shaped by the raw and moving energy of one young man’s quest to transform his early life of violence and addiction. Stephen is centred around Stephen Giddings, who, growing up on the Quarry Green Estate in Kirkby, Liverpool, was confronted with addiction from an early age – both in the lives of those around him, and eventually in his own. What follows is an intimate journey as Stephen auditions for and takes on a role in a movie, questioning whether he can fulfil his ambitions and realise one of his big dreams: to become an actor.

Visually striking, Stephen is a startling reminder of how dextrous the documentary form can be.

“The blend of factual and fictionalised footage works on an intellectual level demonstrating the compulsive and self-destructive nature of gambling” - Sheffield Doc Fest