For independent entertainment business Room 113, a dedicated team of individuals have come together to bring the world of cinema an educative yet entertaining documentary film about Sickle Cell. Sickle Cell disease is an illness that effects the blood cells and seems to be very common upon black people, due to the lack of blood donations. His Sickled Journey, inspired by the blog ‘Her Sickled Journey’ by Tito Oye, had many private screenings around London in order to introduce the film, and PWR joined in on one of the screenings with the cast, crew, and friends.
In order to understand the hardships, the crew faced within the pre-production of the film, the screening started with a short BTS type video to showcase the highs and lows. Upon arrival at the screening, I thought I would have just gone in to watch the film, then listen and engage with the panel at the end before leaving; however, the behind the scenes of the process really had me appreciate the efforts and passion that went into making this short film.
Besides the educational aspects, the humour and real time relevance of the movie made it very engaging, with my only negative of the documentary being that it needed to be longer! I was hooked and didn’t want it to end. It was also very warming to see local businesses show their support to the cause, allowing the crew to film in their spaces, and what made this even more special to see was how happy the producers and directors were to work with these brands - brands such as Pret A Manger, Vapianos, and the NHS.
The overall story of the film was a romance between the two main characters, one who had sickle cell and the other who hadn’t. The film had showcased how having sickle cell can add pressures to a relationship. It showed the audience that having a partner with a clear understanding of the disease, as well as a supportive partner is key when dealing with a disease that can make you fall ill at any time. If you enjoy short films that are comedic, emotional and have a little romantic flare to it; I would highly recommend watching His Sickled Journey.
David Ajayi – Writer and Actor in His Sickled Journey said
“It wasn’t hard making the film entertaining; however, it was important that we scaled it back and made it informative. A balance needed to be found.”
His Sickled Journey will be available to watch on YouTube from February 2022.
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