TALKING TO GRANDMA

4 years ago I directed a documentary short called ‘Enduring motor neurone disease’ and until recently it was the piece of work I was most proud of. It was the first time I had witnessed people being emotionally affected by my work. It was such a wonderful feeling and was something I really felt compelled to pursue. The documentary was about Steve Evans, his loving family and it gave an insight into the daily struggles of the horrific disease. It had a subject, but it also had a message. People often worry about life and the things they don't have. That film highlights how lucky you are just to be healthy. That theme was something I really wanted to carry across onto my next Documentary. The theme of not taking the things that you have in your life for granted, and making the most out of what we do have. This is what lead me to my latest documentary ‘Talking to Grandma’. How many of you have family gatherings and when you do you usually have similar conversations each time: ‘How's work?’ ‘What have you been up to?’ ‘Been on any good Holidays?’ ‘How's the family?’ I was guilty of it, especially with my grandmother. Don’t get me wrong I made an effort, but I knew I could be better. So I called her and said ‘Nanny, I’d like to sit down with you, talk to you about your life’ her reply ‘Are you sure dear? it's pretty boring’. The end result couldn’t be further from the truth. I think there’s a misconception that old people are boring, they aren't. They have lived a lifetime, and if you ask the right questions you’ll hear some amazing stories. I think as a society we focus too much of our energy on materialistic goals and forget to appreciate the things that are right in front of us, like our 'Health" and 'The people in our life'. To see the film please click on the link below: https://www.itsbernard.com/documentary-content