STORY
Lost and alone, a young girl forms an unlikely alliance with a lonely homeless man as she struggles to get a message to her family in time for Christmas.
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Forget Me Not is a tender, complex and compassionate exploration of the power and nature of hope, encompassing themes of homelessness, peace and the importance of helping others.
NICHOLAS GOULDEN
WRITER / DIRECTOR STATEMENT
This story is ultimately about hope and the importance of giving hope to others.
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I feel very strongly that without a sense of purpose in life it is not possible to have hope, and without hope, we have nothing. As such, the film explores how we gain purpose in our own lives through our connections with other people. As long as we have a purpose, we can endure anything, but when we lose our purpose, we can become lost and lose hope.
Alongside hope, a key theme of the story is that of homelessness, a growing problem throughout the UK. When we see Isobel, we wonder why no-one sees her, and why she is alone. After all, we’d help a little girl who wandered the streets, lost and alone, wouldn’t we? But we are less quick to question Benedict, the homeless man. Somehow, he belongs there, and Isobel doesn’t. In this way, the film looks at homelessness and our reaction to it.
But it is hope, or the lack of, that guides the actions of all the characters. Jack, an ordinary man determinedly carrying on, clings to it. Despite the loss of his daughter and the problems with his son, he carries on, still bringing coffee to the unappreciative homeless man. For the sake of his family he cannot give up, however tempting that may be.
Benedict has lost all hope. He is alone and without a purpose, drifting from day to day. He must discover a new purpose, and with it, hope, before he can help Isobel.
And finally Isobel, who is full of youthful hope. It is her inner hope and sense of purpose which keeps her believing that she can find a solution to her seemingly impossible situation.
However, while the exploration of these themes was the fundamental motive for making the film, my challenge was simply to tell a story as well as possible. This is a film that will hopefully remind us that we are all connected, and all need a sense of purpose beyond ourselves.
ANGELA GODFREY
WRITER / PRODUCER STATEMENT
Forget Me Not is a story which so many of us can relate to and even though it is in places quite fantastical, it is a story which reminds us of thinking about others and doing good for people who are in need.
I hope we can bring attention to the issue of homelessness and people who are going through mentally tough times. Everyone needs support, and most of us can give it - even with small acts of kindness like 'Jack' (John Heffernan), who is the film’s integral bridge between Isobel (Ruby Royle) and Benedict (James Cosmo).
A large percentage of homeless people have been unable to overcome something tragic in their lives which has lead to them living on the streets, lacking support and losing hope.
We wanted to hit the audience with a film full of emotion, that gets them thinking and want to get out there and be nice to each other.