For decades, undercover police officers infiltrated activist networks, with some forming romantic relationships with women in these groups, and even having children with them. In the new documentary We Did Not Consent, three women who were targeted by “spy cops” seek to take charge of their own stories by recreating and directing scenes from their pasts, while disguised by theatrical masks. It’s a powerful act of creativity that seeks to untangle years of personal trauma.

The “spy cops” scandal was widely reported and details of once-personal lives entered the public domain. Film-maker Dorothy Allen-Pickard has been immersed in this remarkable story of deception for years and she has worked collaboratively with some of the women who were targeted, seeking to understand the far-reaching impact. Her imaginative work straddles documentary and theatre, and here we see these disciplines come together to explore the emotional landscape of deep deception.

Here, Dorothy shares some thoughts on the film: 'I met the women while making a play about the “spy cops” scandal with [London-based] Breach theatre. We were in touch with Police Spies Out of Lives, a group of women who were spied on in relationships with undercover officers. They were very generous with speaking to us, sharing their stories and the impact that such calculated infiltration has had on their lives. They also spoke about the coming together of an unlikely motley crew, and the fact that their strength, humour and solidarity was often overlooked in media portrayals of their story. After making the play, we felt that we wanted to build on this collaboration and keep working on the subject, so we started to discuss how we might approach it as a short film.'

‍