The short documentary Your Next Breath was made over the course of two years following the Covid-19 pandemic. After a year on the festival circuit, the multi-nominated film, which has screened at BAFTA and BIFA-qualifying festivals, is being released today, marking the five year anniversary of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The eponymous four-figure bronze sculpture depicts National Health Service workers removing their PPE after a long shift. What started as a documentation of the sculpture-making process became a profound consideration of collectivity—collective trauma, collective responsibility, collective identity—seen through the eyes of National Health Service workers and the artist capturing their experiences. The film offers a poignant nod to the camaraderie and resilience of frontline healthcare workers during the pandemic which, in our eagerness to move on from that time, we must never forget. The bronze sculptures can be found in the courtyard of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh for public viewing.
Professor Rowan Parks, President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, on speaking of this work said:
"The pandemic required the significant skill and efforts of our healthcare workforce – doctors, nurses and all members of the multi-professional team. Many sacrificed so much and put themselves in harm’s way. Unfortunately for some, that cost them their lives. Approximately 1000 healthcare workers died in the UK, and that is multiplied when we think globally."
"Each of the characters represents emotions, such as exhaustion, resilience, compassion, and an attitude of reflection."
"They are a reminder of the commitment and sacrifice of so many surgical, medical, nursing and other staff who led the response to COVID-19."
Our heartfelt thanks go out to the filmmakers, Foundry Films, artist Kenny Hunter and Powderhall Bronze, and the clinicians who supported the film including RCSEd Vice-President, Dr Clare McNaught, RCSEd Council Members, Ms Anna Paisley and Profesor Nirmal Kumar, and former RCSEd President, Professor Mike Griffin OBE.
A message from filmmakers, Foundry Films: Thank you for taking the time to watch our film. It has shaped us as filmmakers and as people, and we are so looking forward to sharing it with the world.
Watch here.
