Cover Photo of Jill by Alex Bainbridge

In December 2013, I was invited to attend the conference of Resistance, the youth wing of the Socialist Alliance. Our comrades from Australia kindly arranged a three-day film workshop for me.

At that time, I had made two short films and was already helping with some of my party’s media and video work. But I had never received any formal training in filmmaking. Everything I knew came from self-learning and trial and error, and I often found myself struggling or running into dead ends.

Our party had been deeply rooted in grassroots work for many years, yet we were often criticized for not being able to promote ourselves effectively. Both inside and outside the party, there were growing calls to strengthen our publicity efforts — to better communicate our work and our ideals.

Meanwhile, the Socialist Alliance had a long-running weekly publication and an active YouTube channel. Many of us admired their ability to engage with the public. So when I had the chance to learn from them, I truly treasured it. My instructor for the workshop was Jill Hickson.

Jill was a long-time member of the Socialist Alliance and, earlier, the Democratic Socialist Party (DSP). She and her partner John Reynolds ran Art Resistance Studio, a collective that produced videos and films for community groups and NGOs, while also volunteering their time to document Socialist Alliance’s activities — filming protests, reporting on social issues, and producing discussion programs.

In a media landscape dominated by mainstream narratives, finding ways to break through the monopoly of information and spread alternative perspectives is vital for leftist movements. Jill and her team embodied that struggle.

During the three-day workshop, Jill gave me and another friend intensive training. She covered everything — from planning and scripting to production flow, filming, lighting, sound, and editing.
At their studio in the Addison Road Community Centre, I learned how to use a green screen for the first time, how to read from a teleprompter, and even recorded my first on-camera presentation in English.

It was nerve-racking. I stumbled over words, trying to sound fluent and confident. I worried about slowing down the shoot, but Jill kept reassuring me not to stress about my accent. “The audience will understand,” she said. “They’ll adapt to your way of speaking.” With her patience and encouragement, I managed to complete the task.

The three days went by quickly. Outside of class, I didn’t get to interact with Jill much — she was constantly busy managing other filming projects and the studio’s ongoing work.
Later, I went on to handle many of my party’s video projects, and what I learned from Jill became an invaluable foundation. But what stayed with me most from that trip to Australia wasn’t just the technical knowledge — it was witnessing the spirit of activism, solidarity, and internationalism that animated the movement there.

Editor’s note: here is the video the author made with Jill

I met many people who had devoted most of their lives to the cause — creating resources out of scarcity and persisting under difficult conditions. Jill balanced her studio work and her commitment to the party, yet still reached out to help a comrade from afar. Her generosity was not only personal — it reflected the humanity and internationalist spirit that lie at the heart of the left.

Jill, rest in power. We will continue to hold the red flag high.

Soh Sook Hwa
Treasurer
Parti Sosialis Malaysia