At the end of 2021, I sat in front of a blank page and started writing the screenplay for a short film idea. The film, A Moment Ago, started life as a poem, made to process a difficult time in life. With men’s mental health not being spoken about anywhere nearly as much as it should, I felt the need to make this into something, share my voice and experiences so that perhaps other people will feel a little easier to share their own troubles.

Turning the poem into something visual on screen was partly about simply liking to make films and tell stories, but it was also so much to do with giving myself a chance to process and move on from that time. It was then when I realised just how important creative outlets are to us. Whether you do it professionally or not, it doesn’t matter, it’s about doing something that taps into raw emotions and thoughts, tapping into what makes us so human but doing something that is intrinsically human – to create.

Originally the poem was to be the inspiration for the film, however, as I was writing, I knew I wanted the poem to be the voice of the character, his inner thoughts and reflections as he goes through his journey. I think, without realising it, I had made a decision that would end up making this film so much more cathartic.

This is a project I am immensely proud of when I screened a premiere for it in the spring of 2022, and now it’s complete I am released from it and give it to others to connect with and hopefully gain from.

MW