Publish date: 8 December 2022
A new short film premiered at the British Film Institute (BFI) Stephen Street cinema on Wednesday 7 December.
The one-off screening of Nexus - a film about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on young people's mental health, eating-related coping strategies and the power of social connection - was attended by young people who helped create the film, the actors who starred in the film and representatives from Beat Eating Disorder charity and the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
The project is a collaboration between West London NHS Trust, Imperial College London and Inner Eye Productions.
It comes after Dr Lindsay Dewa, a researcher who works as part of Imperial College London’s Institute of Global Health Innovation, was approached by Inner Eye Productions in December 2020 to make a film based on her research.
The research examined the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown on the mental health of young people, which revealed an increase in the prevalence of eating disorders.
Funding for the short film project was provided by the Burdett Trust and West London NHS Trust and young people with lived experience were selected to help co-produce the project.
Their experiences helped shape the production from beginning to end, including shooting, editing and distribution. It's a unique process of filmmaking but has ensured young people's voices are at the heart of the project.
The BFI has also agreed to archive the film, which means people will be watching it in years to come to better understand the pandemic.
Following the screening the audience was then given the chance to pick the brains of those involved during an exclusive Q&A, which included director Chris Godwin, Lindsay, and the actors.
Thank you to everyone who attended and we will be bringing you more news about the availability of the short film in due course.
You can see more pictures from the event here.
