I was honoured to be asked to film with NTW for their film about 'hope.'
Both
versions of the films can be viewed at www.ntw.nhs.uk/hope
The
trust employs 36 peer support workers who, using their own lived experience of
mental illness work with others to support those using mental health services
to help people work out how to best manage their recovery. Peer support workers
help support aspects of a person’s life that give meaning, hope, value and
purpose.
The
peer support workers were keen to get messages on film that are regularly
shared and it is hoped by using a film, this will be as accessible and as
easily shared as possible. By making a film it means that the resource is always
there, 24/7 for anyone, anywhere in the world that needs it.
To
produce the film, a number of experts by experience, who were carers, service
users and peer support workers were asked three main questions in a semi
structured and filmed interview, which offered the basis for a conversation
around hope. The three questions being: Can you remember a time when you had no
hope or struggled to see hope? Can you remember a time when you found hope?
Knowing now, what you know, what would you tell yourself at that time of no
hope? The producers were aiming to demonstrate real people at times of despair
so people struggling to find or engage with hope could connect with the people
and then see how hope effected people’s lives from there.
As
the film was always about the participants, the narratives the participants
gave directed the film and thus, the film directed itself. Participants were
not actually involved in the production process for this film however that
might change for any future films.
By Paul Nicol
Both
versions of the films can be viewed at www.ntw.nhs.uk/hope