‘We’re not born to kill each other. I don’t think we’re that sort of species.’

We request your help in funding our short documentary ‘Spike’. Our film tells the story of Michael Pike, an ex-veteran of the British army who served in Belfast and subsequently suffered from severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of his experiences.

‘You become immune to it. One dies… mental! Two die… Jesus Christ. Three… four… five… it just becomes routine.’

A Glasgow native, Spike grew up in a climate of hostility between Catholic and Protestant communities, and was no stranger to sectarian violence as a young man. After a beating from a rival gang landed him in hospital for two weeks, he left Glasgow and headed to London, where he immediately became embroiled in the heroin culture of the 1980s. Seeking a way out, he followed the advice of a friend and joined the British Army as a member of the Scots Guard. Upon completion of his training he was immediately dispatched to the conflict in Northern Ireland.

‘Even the mention of the IRA would send me into a rage’.

Thrown into a politically charged environment with no understanding of the context of the dispute, Spike learned to hate Republicans and civilians alike. Subjected to fierce hostility from the local community, he reacted in kind, and participated in a culture of mutual antagonism and violent retribution.

For 10 months he dodged petrol bombs and watched his friend get maimed and killed. His experiences left him embittered and depressed. After leaving the army Spike struggled with a deep seated anger that he could not come to terms with. He held onto his hatred of Republicans as a way of justifying the rage he felt. Violence followed wherever he went, nearly landing him in prison on a number of occasions.

‘I kicked his door in and dragged him out of bed… but this time I didn’t have a gun, I had a hammer. Now where did I learn to do that?’

The turning point in his life came when he began to study Irish political history, and as he came to understand the grievances of his enemies, his hatred for the Republicans gradually eroded. He subsequently went on a tour of Belfast where he met several ex-IRA members, and through open and honest discussion was able to empathize entirely with the men he had once shot at.

At the same time he was encouraged by his anger management consultant to write his feelings down on paper, and inspired by his literary hero Siegfried Sassoon, Spike began to write poems about his experiences of war. He has subsequently published four books.

Spike is now an active campaigner for peace, preaching reconciliation through dialogue. He is living proof that hate cannot survive proximity, and that enemies can always find common ground through open and honest discussion.

'I can tell you that to listen to their stories reaffirmed for me how much we have in common. In fact, I would say that if I had found myself in the shoes of the Nationalist/Republican population there is a good chance I would have reacted with outrage and hostility towards the British state.'

We want to explore the legacy of violent conflict on a human level, particularly the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. PTSD is a condition that affects thousands of soldiers, sometimes lying dormant for fifteen years before it can be diagnosed. We aim to shine a light on the condition and raise awareness of a misunderstood and misrepresented illness. 

The conflict in Ireland has been absent from British newspapers for years, but those who fought in it still struggle to move on. Our film will interrogate how a human being is indoctrinated into a conflict, and the devastating long-term consequences it can have for them and their loved ones.

We have set a fairly modest goal of £1000. Ordinarily a film like this would cost thousands to make, however we are fortunate that the majority of our contributors are willing to work for free. We do however need to find money to pay key crew and hire equipment.

We sincerely appreciate your help in funding our small project.