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Real stories… Raw honesty… And some very stubborn hope.
NHS England approached us to create two films about Personalised Care. But not the typical polished policy promo. They wanted something that felt real… Human... Story-driven…
We pitched two separate films. Different in tone, style, and form - but united in their commitment to truth-telling.
One film would follow Lucy, a woman who went through a harrowing medical experience and defied the odds.
The other would centre Maresa, a non-verbal poet, using her own words to show what care means in her world.
Both films needed to be emotionally moving and visually memorable - while also clearly explaining what Personalised Care actually is.
Lucy’s Story
Lucy was left temporarily paralysed after childbirth, and later diagnosed with cancer of the spinal cord. She was told she’d never walk again.
Nope, she didn’t accept that.
To tell her story, we reconstructed key moments from her recovery - with Lucy herself directing the action on-set. Literally. She stood in to play herself. She called the shots. She chose the lighting. This wasn’t really a dramatisation ‘about her’ - it was authored by her.
We shot on-location in a Nottingham hospital, sourced the exact medical kit she’d used, and created visuals which mirrored the fluorescent, claustrophobic feel of long-term hospital stays. A split diopter lens helped us tap into the surreal, dreamlike stretches of recovery.
Then, for the ending, we broke free… following Lucy as she rode horseback through Sherwood Forest, big wide open shots capturing the scale of her comeback.
Maresa’s Story
Maresa is a poet. She’s non-verbal, and receives round-the-clock personalised care. She’s also a right riot… smart, warm, creative, and full of presence.
We worked with Maresa and her team to bring her story to life through a day-in-the-life format - visiting her favourite places: a local library, a nearby nature reserve, and her home, where she spent time with her carer and mum.
The poem she wrote was voiced by an actor and became the spine of the film. Visually, we leaned into a more ethereal style… soft lensing, gliding motion, and a Malick-esque tone (Tree of Life was a big reference this end) which echoed her lyrical way of seeing the world.
The Results
