A Nottingham film director has announced plans for a short film that will tackle the difficult subject of grief as he seeks to help people open up and discuss this very sensitive topic.
The film has been given the green light after raising over £12,000 in a crowdfunding campaign, with Beeston based stillbirth and child bereavement charity Forever Stars investing major funding into the project.
The hard-hitting 15-minute film, which will feature local star Vicky McClure, is the idea of Rob Sharp, who writes and produces as “Sirloin Films”. It follows four women who have lost their child and gives an insight into their grieving process, their understanding of what grief is and why it has to hurt so much.
Rob explains; “There is a big chance you will know someone who has suffered such a loss, or unfortunately this may be something that has happened to you. It is far more common than any of us can imagine and yet it is a subject that we do not talk about.
“Our film hopes to help start these conversations and that is why I am so pleased to have Forever Stars on board as both a backer and such a great resource in terms of the experiences that so many people have been through.”
Jo Sharp, Fundraising Manager of Forever Stars which will shortly be opening its Serenity Garden at Highfields Park said; “One of our biggest messages is simply ‘talk about them’ but of course, this is a hugely difficult and emotive subject to talk about. When we heard about Rob’s film we were firstly just so excited that someone of his calibre and talent wanted to shine a light on the subject.
“Then when we discovered we could help to make the project come alive we were very keen to get involved and we are delighted to be able to invest some of our funds into backing it. If we can help anyone who has been affected this could make a huge difference, not just in terms of child loss but also with the impact of Covid it can be a powerful message of hope for so many people.”
The script was written from Rob’s own experiences of grief and from those of his family and friends, explains Rob;
“The first draft had none of the usual research and planning, I just poured my thoughts onto the page late one night. Then from conversations and connections with people and bereavement charities who kindly shared their experiences, the script has evolved to incorporate their stories and their brutal honesty.”
On Vicky McClure joining the cast, Rob couldn’t be prouder, “To have such an amazingly talented actor involved in this project means so much to all of us. The fact that Vicky believes in the script and wanted to be a part of this film is testament to what we are trying to achieve. I can’t thank her enough for her involvement and we’re so excited to be working with her.”
The film will begin pre-production in early Spring (restrictions permitting) and is scheduled to premiere in Nottingham on the annual “Wave of Light Night” on 15th October which is the culmination of Baby Loss Awareness Week.