Claire Norowzian has directed a new short film for Mind Food charity and Media Trust, titled ‘Bud’, telling the story of a young man named Joe who finds some balance in the middle of a mental health struggle, through the power of plants and gardening.
Kept to himself in his bedroom and consumed by only his own company, Joe is startled by a talking plant that calls out to him and grabs his attention. Soon he is taken on a journey of discovery about the possibilities available to him in regards to addressing his mental health. The film is humorous and absurd, yet also very reassuring and calming as Joe gets to meet other individuals who are on similar journeys of introducing themselves to nature therapy.
Claire, who also co-wrote the film explained how it all began: “I was invited by the organisation Media Trust, who partner film makers with local charities, to create volunteer films. I was partnered with the brilliant, nature therapy charity in Ealing, mindfood.org.uk. My writing partner Phil Ball and I have both personally experienced issues with mental health in our families, so we were incredibly keen to get involved.”
Claire then went on to explain how these personal experiences helped to shape a narrative a bit differently from what’s normally shown when addressing mental health. “Mental health advertising tends to have a particular tone,” she said. “But we came up with the idea of a disruptive black comedy that speaks to a young, male audience through the medium of a streetwise, sassy pot plant! As we live through a continuing global pandemic, everyone’s lives have been thrown upside down and our mental health has taken a major hit. Frustrated that humans don’t take the benefits of the natural world seriously enough, nature is fighting back to help save our emotional well-being.”
Credits
Joe - Keenan Munn-Francis
Flower - Raphael Bushay
Daisy - Jenny O'leary
Lucy as Herself
Mindfooders As Themselves
Director - Claire Norowzian
Written By Phil Ball & Claire Norowzian
Producer - Luwina Lo
Director’s Agent - The Visionaries
DOP - Bruce Jackson
Music - Nightingale Part 1 & 2 By Cosmo Sheldrake
Camera Operator - Chris Stevens
Camera Operator - Alex Byng
1st AC - Tom Eames
1st AC - Joe Hallgate
2nd AC - Eddie Caldas
Camera Trainees - Curtis Jackson and Ellie Brooks-shorland
Sound Operator - Hugh Griffis
Sound Operator - Gérard Abeille
Art Directors - Richard Ward And Paula West
Art Department Assistant - Alize Speed
Catering - Valy Norowzian
Hair & Makeup - Anya Mcdevitt And Nicola Svensen
Wardrobe - Jenny Svantesson
Runner - June Jackson
Casting Director - Anna Kennedy
Edit House - Stitch
Editor - Ben Corfield
Post Producer - Angela Hart
Post Assistant - Maud Barry
Post Assistant - Laura Reyes
VFX House - Grizzle
VFX Supervisor - Tom Carpenter & Freddie Littlewood
VFX Artist - Curtis ‘superstar’ Hartley
Post House - Lucky Cat
Post Producer - Lauren Skelton
Online Editor - Jon Myers
Post House - Halo
Post Producer - Shannon Turner
Colourist - Duncan Russell In Association With Strings & Tins
Sound Design - Joe Wilkinson & Will Cohen
Audio Post Producer - Eimear Ni Ghuaire
Foley Artist - Caoimhe Doyle
Foley Recording Mixer - Ciara Mahon
Mindfood Director - Lucy Clark
Media Trust - Michaela Lowe
Media Trust - Wendy Pearce, Jason Heritage & Procam Take 2
Special Thanks To Mark Puffet & Ice Film
