Fifteen

‘Fifteen' is a short film about the recollection of memory, a fifteen-year-old boy's trauma over an accident that happened when his older brother was nineteen. I chose to add some photographs to reflect upon, after viewing the film. Sadness, humour, family resilience, and living with the after-effects of a severe spinal injury are all evoked by the nonlinear narrative. The viewer gets involved on a deeper level and sees how the healing process develops, lifestyles have had to alter but the trauma of the accident affects the subjects every day.
My film is about how the accident affected the youngest brother's feelings and mental state. He could not make sense of what had happened, suffering periods of depression, anger, and loneliness. The film aims to convey a true depiction of this story as much as possible and show the way they have progressed in their lives. Life would never be the same again, things would be different and time shared would develop in new ways. My interest lies in documenting real events, to gain a deeper understanding of the topic. My mission is to tell stories about people that would otherwise be kept secret and unknown. Artists such as Francesca Woodman, Tom Hunter, Sally Waterman, and Lizzie Thynne have influenced my photography and filmmaking processes. The film and photographs delve into the depths of the mind and soul, evoking the most powerful feelings in the viewer. A difficult to contemplate situation is at the core of this work; my passion is the ability to capture emotional bonds and visually reflect them.
I consider myself fortunate that I can interact with anyone; finding common ground with the subject comes naturally to me, I can reflect that and engage the audience with the many human emotional responses that we have.