New brief movie highlights the unpredictability of life with epilepsy
To mark the launch of the new #ALifeInterrupted campaign, Epilepsy Research UK has released a short film highlighting the difficult realities of people with the disease, which according to a charity in the UK affects around 600,000 people.
The film is set in Thurso, a remote coastal town and unexpected surfing paradise on the northern tip of mainland Scotland. It tells the story of a local surfer who shares his experience of small town life and his activities in water sports.
The film captures the excitement that surfing can bring, especially in an isolated setting: footage showing the quieter side of life and the elderly population in Thurso is contrasted with action sequences and breathtaking aerial shots of rugged coastlines.
By talking to his father, we learn more about the surfer Doug and the passion he has had since he was a child. However, by the end of the film, it was revealed that he had epilepsy when pulled out of the water as a result of a seizure at sea.
The short was written and directed by Luke Davies of Academy Films, who received an open contract from the charity. The only high-level request was to show how "scary and unpredictable" epilepsy is for people, he tells CR.
"Epilepsy Research UK wanted to make a film that showed how disruptive this condition is to the people who are forced to live with it," says Davies. “It wasn't long before I came to the conclusion that open letters are actually a lot harder to write. I spent a few days browsing internet forums and message boards, examining how people had been affected by the disease. “He finally came across the story of a Thurso surfer and the idea for the film was born.
“Whatever you think of when you think of a surf town – Thurso isn't. But it just happens that Thurso is three months of the year – unfortunately for local surfers, it's the three coldest winter months – at the receiving end of the best right-breaking wave in Europe, "explains Davies." It's like a wave machine, these perfect waves keep coming and nobody seems to know about them. There might be five or six surfers on a busy day. "
Davies felt like he was seeing "two stories in one," he says. “The story of this hidden surfing mecca disguised as a sleepy Scottish seaside town. And then the story of a man who has to risk his life every time he goes into the water to do what he loves. "
His approach to film contradicts what we often see in charity campaigns and instead highlights the character at the center of the narrative and his passion in a stylish documentary. "Charity ads usually use a pretty common format for shock tactics," says Davies. “Highlight the problem. Illustrate the suffering, harm, and pain inflicted on victims of this problem. And repeat. In as many different ways as possible, before you deal with a cry for help and a call to action. "
"I don't pretend to understand the psychology of altruism, but I do understand stories. And just from a storytelling perspective, I don't think this traditional approach is the most effective. The first narrative chord you strike cannot be sympathetic. We have to earn our audience's compassion, and the way we deserve it is through curiosity, through history, ”Davies adds.
“The key word we kept coming back to was disruption. How could we trick people into a story and then pull the rug out from under them? Not just to be smart or surprising, but to illustrate how unpredictable this condition can be. Unsurprisingly, my somewhat biased opinion as a filmmaker is that storytelling is the best tool to help people deal with problems. "
Credits:
Director, Writer: Luke Davies
Production company: Academy Films
Producer: Tom Cartwright
DOP: Kishan Patel