A FORMER gangster has written, directed and produced a film based on his own life.

Clarke Tribe is a 38-year-old reformed gangster who has turned his life around after a series of prison sentences for various violent crimes.

Clarke, from Crawley, has now created a film called The Drugs Game based on his own experience of the criminal underworld.

From the age of 15, Clarke became heavily involved with the illegal drugs trade and acted as a debt collector and hired muscle for firms in London.

He was first imprisoned at the age of 19 for ABH and has since completed nine prison sentences of up to eight years for a variety of crimes such as firearm offences and attempted murder.

During his last prison stay he decided he wanted to change his life and steer away from his violent and illegal past.

He said: "Something just clicked in my brain, I don't know if it was the age or what, but I just knew this was enough, I was done.

"I started realising the consequences of my actions and the ripple effect they were having on society. I then enrolled in a programme called 'keep out', a crime diversion scheme."

Troubled young offenders were brought into the prison once a week and inmates like Clarke would tell them their stories and try to deter them from a criminal path.

The Argus: Clarke Tribe wrote, produced, directed and starred in his new independent gangster film based on his life.

"I got lucky, you know I could have easily been killed or got myself a life sentence for the stuff I did. I wanted kids to know there was more to life than money and status.

"When we were in the cells in the evening we would write our presentations for the kids, telling our stories. The response I was getting from the kids, officers, and other inmates blew my mind.

"They were all saying 'you've got to write a book mate you've got such a story to tell'.

"So, that's what I did."

With ten months left on his sentence, he set his sights on filmmaking and turned his book into a movie script, hoping that when he left prison he would be able to create it himself.

"I could visualise it, I could see this film as I was writing it. I kept thinking of these twists and turns in the plot," he said.

After leaving prison in 2016, Clarke finished his "crime diversion" book, which is set to be published in the new year, he also began to create his film.

He soon realised that he would need around half a million pounds in order to make it the way he had envisioned.

The Argus: Still from at The Drugs Game, an indepedent gangster film shot in Sussex.

"I looked into different funding and schemes but I just kept hitting dead ends," he said.

"So, I did a lot of networking and I ended up doing it all myself."

Over the next few years Clarke purchased all the equipment including lighting rigs, cameras, recording devices himself and sourced a team of cameramen and crew members.

He also carried out his own casting which includes established actors such as "Big" Joe Egan, and Matt Lapinskas and Tony Discipline from Eastenders.

"I basically did it through reaching out to people I made contacts with before, giving them a breakdown of the script and they all said they loved it and wanted to be involved.

"I offered them a deferred payment, so they get a percentage of equity which saved me a lot of money really," he said.

In total, Clarke has spent over £64,000 of his own money in the making of his film, some of which was earned from his job as a machinery driver.

However, most is from the sales of his own possessions such as his jet skis, cars and motor bikes.

The Argus: Behind the scenes of The Drugs Game, an indepedent gangster film shot in Sussex.

"They're all things I had before I went away, I just don't need them anymore," he said.

"But, yeah, I've put everything into this and it's definitely a huge gamble."

Much of the filming took place at well known locations across Sussex and he used extras from those locations as well.

Brighton, Shoreham, Eastbourne and Horsham are among the places that were used.

It has taken nearly three years to shoot, edit and finish the film due to lockdown delays.

It is premiering this Thursday, September 2, at Tulleys drive in cinema in Crawley.

Clarke has largely created the film by himself, writing, directing, producing and taking on the lead role.

"It's come out so well, I'm so proud of it and we've already has a lot of interest from people," he added.

"I think it'll be a success, it's not like an amateur production."

The film follows its main character Charlie as he leaves prison and finds his criminal empire has been taken over.

He and his crew then embark on a mission to get it back.

Clarke said: "Something I really need to express is that I am not proud of the things I've done and the work I did, I really have tried to turn it around and I hope this film will show that.

"I want to show how dark and dangerous it can be living that kind of lifestyle. When I moved back to Crawley in January to start my new life I needed to bring something positive and unique with me to my home town."

The Argus: Behind the scenes of The Drugs Game, an indepedent gangster film shot in Sussex.

Clarke has two daughters, aged 18 and seven, and has now settled down with a partner who has a son.

He said he is grateful that he is now free to see his children grow up.

"I've served nearly a third of my life behind bars and it is such a massive waste," Clarke said.

"Every time I'm sat with my family eating or whatever I feel guilty for how many meals I missed."

Clarke is looking to set up a boxing gym and centre for young people who "need help staying on the straight and narrow".

He said his focus now is to be a productive member of society and get his own experience out there in his book.

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Clarke said: "This is just the beginning. We're working on a documentary at the minute which is also centred around crime diversion.

"I don't want that kind of lifestyle to be glamourised whatsoever and I hope through the book and the doc that will be achieved."

Since he was a child, Clarke had wanted to be an actor and had previously starred in a few films and TV shows.

However, he said he was always drawn back to the fast money that came with criminal dealings.

Clarke added: "What I've got now, sitting with my family in our home, not alone in a cell, walking around a park, not an exercise yard - that's what I call rich.

"I've got what I wanted since I was a kid. Change is possible."

The Drugs Game is premiering on Thursday September 2 at 19.30 at Tulleys drive in cinema in Crawley.

Tickets are available at www.tulleysdrivein.digitickets.co.uk.

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