‘It is a raw, positive and life-affirming film, and Rhys’s attitude to life is really moving. This is a brave and original commission for S4C’
Wildflame Productions for S4C
Wildflame Productions’ film tackles the taboo of talking about sex and disability with refreshing honesty and warmth.
Presenter Rhys Bowler, who has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), opens up about his own experiences of love, sex and relationships, and confronts the questions that people are often too scared to ask, including his experience of using sex workers. He is joined by a cast of other people with disabilities, including his love interest, Sam.
The judges praised Bowler as the driving force behind the film’s success, with his openness and dry sense of humour, as well as his strength in the face of the daily battles he experiences as a result of his degenerating condition.
“It is a raw, positive and life-affirming film, and Rhys’s attitude to life is really moving,” said one judge. “This is a brave and original commission for S4C.”
“It gives a totally different insight into disability and sex on a personal level,” said another, praising Bowler’s ability to connect with the audience. “Although disability plays an important part, you connect with him more.”
Another said the doc is a “fantastic, natural narrative vehicle to meet a bunch of super-compelling characters”, praising the way it shares intimate insights into a topic that is rarely discussed on TV.
SHORTLISTED
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Boom for Dave
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Brickies
Button Down for BBC
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Lifted Entertainment & Motion Content Group for ITV2
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Firecrest Films for BBC Scotland
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Darlun for S4C
This six-part series was filmed at a state school in one of the most socially deprived areas of Wales, with most of the Covid lockdown restrictions still in place. Despite the challenges, it became the most popular factual TV series viewed online in S4C’s history.
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