Annual Report 2016

Behind the scenes

Simon Waller, FIlmMaker www.simonwaller.co.uk

It’s been a real privilege to meet the brave and inspiring people who feature in these nine short films, and to get a glimpse of the challenges they face every day living with rare blood disorders.

It’s also been a pleasure; as family after family, from country to country, welcomed me with open arms and were so generous in sharing their stories. This is the kind of filmmaking I love to do, following real lives and events as they happen, with no agenda pushing the narrative along.

To make this series of films I had to travel around the UK, Germany and the Americas. It was an adventure, sorting out the timings and logistics, carrying heavy equipment between locations and adapting to each new environment. I was going from temperatures of -35 in Canada to a balmy 35 degrees in Brazil in a matter of days.

It was only on returning home that I realised what an emotional journey I had been on; connecting with so many amazing people, some of whom I'm still in touch with. More than ever I’m in awe of the resilience of the human spirit when faced with adversity.

It’s also been a pleasure; as family after family, from country to country, welcomed me with open arms and were so generous in sharing their stories. This is the kind of filmmaking I love to do, following real lives and events as they happen, with no agenda pushing the narrative along.

To make this series of films I had to travel around the UK, Germany and the Americas. It was an adventure, sorting out the timings and logistics, carrying heavy equipment between locations and adapting to each new environment. I was going from temperatures of -35 in Canada to a balmy 35 degrees in Brazil in a matter of days.

It was only on returning home that I realised what an emotional journey I had been on; connecting with so many amazing people, some of whom I'm still in touch with. More than ever I’m in awe of the resilience of the human spirit when faced with adversity.