“At first I meant for the film to be about OCD as I felt a need to illustrate how it feels. I wanted people with the condition to feel represented and understood, and I wanted others to see that it is not something we can simply let go of and that we are not just being overly sensitive and dramatic. Gradually I realized that the film was about fear and emotional distress in more ways than one. Whether it is OCD, anxiety, stress, or something else, we share both symptoms as well as a surrounding taboo and stigma,” director Jenny Amdi Sørensen said of her new film, this is how it feels to me.
A trained photographer and graduate of the Danish School of Media and Journalism, Sørensen has ventured into the world of film via a position as a visual researcher at Scandinavian production company Bacon. Her debut was a contribution to Bacon’s 30-film collaboration with Norwegian electronic legends Röyksopp, the Nowness-featured Cutting Cords. Now she is ready to follow up with her very personal and visceral sophomore project this is how it feels to me.
“How come physical pain is deemed acceptable to talk about, but emotional pain is not? We are completely fine telling someone we have a headache while it is much harder to share that we are sad. I think this is because most of us haven’t learned to handle ‘negative’ feelings and thus they become nearly impossible to handle in both ourselves and others,” the 28-year-old director said, adding, “Perhaps we are afraid that if we let the feeling in, it will stay. But in actuality, we create a vicious spiral by pushing feelings away. I think that acknowledging and accepting this as well as talking about it is the first step towards understanding and healing.”
Once again created in close collaboration with Bacon, the film contains both footage from two days of shooting with a dedicated team in Denmark including DP Stephanie Stål as well as personal shots from Jenny’s archives.
CreditsProduction Company Bacon Jenny Amdi Sørensen, director; Mette Jermiin, exec producer; Camilla Hannani, producer; Stephanie Stål, DP; Freja Gelbjerg-Hansen, production manager; Louise Ryge, post producer; Jenny Amdi Sørensen, editor; Adam Nielsen, edit consultant. Cast Sara Dhimitri Music/Sound Design Anne Gry Friis Kristensen, composer & sound designer; Koch Middelhart, sound designer. Postproduction BaconX Lasse Selvli, colorist; Camilla Strandskov, exec post producer; Sophie Reynolds, color coordinator; Oliver Wozny, conform artist; Livia Fagone, online. Special Thanks to: Storyline, FilmGEAR, Adam Nielsen & Lasse Cato
NHS England, M&C Saatchi UK, Director Tom Tagholm Team On PSA Highlighting The Overlooked Signs Of A Stroke
National Health Service (NHS) England has unveiled a multichannel campaign, “Act FAST,” to raise awareness of the individual signs of a stroke and get people to call 999 as soon as they suspect they may be experiencing any one symptom. The push, which is part of the ongoing “Help Us, Help You” campaign, was developed in partnership with M&C Saatchi UK.
The campaign depicts everyday situations where everything might seem relatively normal, but where there’s the sign of someone experiencing a stroke.
A key component of the campaign is this :30--directed by Tom Tagholm of Various Films--which sets up the idea that initially, a stroke might not seem like much, highlighting key symptoms: from struggling to use a paint roller, to not being able to smile when watching TV, to slurring your speech when reading a story to your grandchild. The PSA emphasizes that time is critical, ending with the line: “Face or arm or speech, at the first sign, it’s time to call 999.”
Jo Bacon, Group CEO, M&C Saatchi UK, said, “We want to ensure people take action on the first symptom, rather than waiting for more conclusive signs. To help them understand that even when everything seems normal, something serious might be happening.”
Matt Lee, executive creative director, M&C Saatchi UK, commented: “This is important work. We wanted to explore that precise moment when your world shifts, quietly yet powerfully, off its axis during a stroke. We highlight how a tiny external moment can actually be seismic—an extraordinary gear change, framed in a really ordinary way.”
Director Tagholm shared, “My Dad suffered a stroke a few years ago and was saved from the worst by acting quickly, and by the work of the NHS. So there’s... Read More