Who’s Counting?
Following multiple pregnancy losses, we decided to channel our own experience of recurrent miscarriage into something positive with a short film that we hoped could bring about change. We partnered with pregnancy charity Tommy’s on ‘Who’s Counting?’, an advocacy drama telling the story of a couple who have to endure the emotional and physical trauma of successive losses before they can receive support.
We built our team for this project - from cast and crew through to partners in post production - out of people closely and/or directly affected by the subject matter, be that miscarriage or the wider topic of baby loss. This helped generate an outpouring of love and support for the film that carried us through conception through to delivery of the project.
The film has led to Tommy’s creating the ‘Record of Loss’, where parents who have experienced miscarriage are being encouraged to add their names to the database and be part of the very first attempt to count the number of miscarriages in the UK.
During its campaign run, the film and our story featured on Sky News, The Independent, The Express, Yahoo News, The Huffington Post, Directors Notes, Beyond the Short and numerous podcasts and websites in the baby and pregnancy loss space. As a result of the publicity surrounding ‘Who’s Counting?’, Tommy’s was able to lobby for policy change to have losses before the gestation stage of 24 weeks formally recognised.
Credits
Written & Directed by Ben Lankester
Creative Producer - Bophanie Lun
Producers - Lauren Tyson-Hole & Kate Miller
DP - Thomas Tyson-Hole
Art Director -David Dickinson
Casting - Emma Garrett
Editor - Eve Ashwell
Sound - James Cobbold
Music - Grieflines
Colourist - Matt Turner
1st AD - Jonathan Sidwell
Production Manager - Heeva Hamed
Production Assistants - Millie Sumpter & Rebecca Morgan
Focus Puller - Ondrej Rybar
Loader - Riccardo Angei
Grip - Joshua Bull
Gaffers - Krunal Saadrani & Dan Holloway
Lighting Trainee - Leon Springer
Sound Recordist - Bahar Dopran
Assistant Art Director - Lucy Ashmore
Costume Designer - Joseph Crone
Wardrobe Supervisor - Georgia Howes
Hair & Make Up - Kate O’Shea & Francesca Ingram
Special Effects Supervisor - Bob Smoke
Edit House - The Assembly Rooms
Head of Production - Daniel Breheny
Sound House - 750mph
Audio Producer & VO Casting - Kirsten Troy
Music Mix Engineer - Lee Smith @ Greenmount Studios
Post Production - Absolute Post
VFX Artist - Antonio Jimenez
Producer - Hannah Whitehill
Executive Producer - Jenna Le Noury
Storyboard Artist - Chris Sebestik
Designer - Shannon Thomas
Photographer - Hansof Waller
Camera - Panavision
Lighting - SHL Film Lighting
Film - Kodak
Processing - Cinelab
Thanks to Sam Ashwell, Dr Justin Chu, Sam Clark,
Lou Hake, Charlie Hippisley, Aarti Mahtani, Maggie O’Farrell,
Ian Ray and George Rumsey.
A special thanks to Sands London United Football Club,
Neil & Monica from Location Live, the staff and students at
St Marylebone School and to BPAS Richmond for the use
of their location and Unit Manager, Matthew Richards.
For Luan. For Boramei.
Festivals & Awards
Winner - Best Video Campaign & the Chair Award
The Drum Awards for Social Purpose 2022
Winner - Silver
Ciclope International Festival of Craft 2022
Winner - Best Drama
Performance Short Film Competition 2022
Winner - Best Short Film
London Independent Film Awards 2022
Winner - Best Short Film
Manchester Lift-Off Festival 2022
Winner - Best International Film & Best Actress
What Will They Think of Next Film Festival 2022
Nominated - Best Editing
The British Short Film Awards 2022
Semi Finalist
SHORT to the Point 2022
Semi Finalist
Berlin Shorts Award 2022
Honourable Mention
Purbeck Film Festival 2022
Official Selection 2022 - Aesthetica Short Film Festival, Wimbledon International Film Festival, CINECITY Brighton, Beeston Film Festival, Derby Film Festival, Oxford International Film Festival, Sunderland Shorts Film Festival, Southampton Film Week, From the Silver Screen Presents: Film on Film, London Lift-Off Film Festival, Boundless Film Festival, I Will Tell International Film Festival, London Arthouse Film Festival.