The animated short Intensive by Oliver Pratt, has taken first prize at the Health for All Film Festival, in the ‘Health Emergencies’ category. The festival is a World Health Organisation initiative.
Oliver’s film was selected by participating WHO staff from all over the globe.
Intensive was one of 1027 submissions, from 110 countries. Living Words is overjoyed and proud of Oliver’s success. All of the nominated works were beautiful and moving, and our meeting to watch the ceremony was quite fun. Friends, family, and supporters met at Screen South‘s new Hi3 Network Digital Hub for the live stream of the event, and Oliver and our Artistic Director at Living Words, Susanna Howard, made an appearance via weblink to speak with the presenters at the festival.
Intensive is a self-made short by UK based animation student Oliver Pratt. The piece depicts Oliver’s experience of contracting Covid-19, and developing Kawasaki Syndrome. The illness caused the otherwise fit and healthy 20 year old’s organs to shut down, rendering him comatose, and near the brink of death at St Thomas’ Hospital, London. His dreamlike recollections are humorous, harrowing, and yet often life-affirming.
The voice-over for Intensive was drawn from words Oliver Pratt spoke during the Living Warriors: Covid project; one of many created by the UK arts charity Living Words, utilising their homegrown ‘Listen Out Loud‘ method. Along with 8 other people, Oliver told his story of survival, and living beyond Covid-19. All those taking part put together and published a book sharing their experiences.
Living Words extends the warmest congratulations to Oliver, and we are grateful and proud that his work in the Living Warriors: Covid project has received the recognition it so richly deserves.