LONDON – Following a critically-acclaimed inaugural series of Body Language short films, BBC Three commissioned Prettybird LA filmmaker Sindha Agha to direct another series, which launches on the channel’s YouTube on 18th April with a the first of four shorts exploring Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Using the films as a canvas to bring emotional and physical pain to life, the new series of Body Language uses a vibrant mix of painting, photography, collage and stop motion to illustrate individual experiences of ADHD, Depression, Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Across the four episodes, the series hears from a young woman struggling with Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder after sexual assault, a woman who was wrongly diagnosed and medicated for bipolar throughout the majority of her childhood and early adult life, a woman so in the grips of Body Dysmorphic Disorder that she felt she had to quarantine herself indoors for the benefit of other people, and a young man trying to navigate his education under the shadow of depression.
Sindha Agha commented: “We’ve grooved pathways in our public discourse for talking about mental health without risking social acceptance. These kinds of comfortable conversations leave us feeling unseen, unheard and even further isolated. This series abandons that generic, familiar language about mental health in favour of conversations that are far more unapologetic and truthful. Each subject tells stories they’ve never shared publicly before, offering up both their tears and laughter with an unprecedented level of candor.”
Release dates of the four episodes;
1. ADHD – 18th April
2. Depression – 25th April
3. BDD – May 2nd
4. PTSD – May 9th
CREDITS
Body Language Series 2
Client: BBC Three
Production Company: PRETTYBIRD
BBC:
Head of Social, BBC Three: Navi Lamba Commissioning Editor, Short Form: Nasfim Haque BBC Learning Producer: Ashley Kennedy
PRETTYBIRD:
Director & Photographer: Sindha Agha Producer: Paulette Caletti
Executive Producer: Juliette Larthe Head of Production: Hannah May
Illustrator: Avalon Nuovo
Animator: Louise Miller
Animation Unit: Matthew Day
Animation Assistant: George Warren Additional painting: Matty Mancey-Jones Casting Director: Maxine Lankitus Sound Engineer: Charlie Cooper
Sound Assistant: Simone Beun Stampell Sound Producer: Beth Morson
Sound Studio: Clearcut Sound Studios Studio: Clapham Road Studios
Archive Stills: BBC Photo Library
TALENT:
Featuring:
ADHD: Laura Frances Allen Depression: Prasanna Sellathurai BDD: Hannah Lewis
PTSD: Saijal Reahal
Models:
Cleo Chung
Jace Casey
Matty Crawford
ABOUT SINDHA AGHA
Sindha Agha is a Los Angeles and London-based filmmaker who has quickly made a name for herself by creating viral digital pieces with distinct & vibrant visuals. Sindha kicked off her career by writing & directing “Birth Control Your Own Adventure,” a tragicomic short acquired by The New York Times. “Birth Control” quickly reached 12.5 million organic Facebook views, making it the New York Times most popular Op-Doc. The film went on to be accepted into Tribeca and Palm Springs Film Festivals as a part of their official selection.
Following the success of her first film, Sindha was awarded two separate Sundance fellowships—the prestigious Ignite Fellowship for Emerging Filmmakers, a career- launching fellowship awarded to only 15 filmmakers internationally, and the New Voices Fellowship for her series “Exit the Body,” to be developed in partnership with YouTube. Sindha has directed two seasons of her original series “Body Language” for BBC Three, with the second to be released in April 2019. The series received the “Ad of the Day” distinction from AdWeek, and has gained over 2M views on YouTube. The first episode of Body Language was also acquired by The Atlantic for U.S. distribution.
With a keen understanding of creating for digital platforms, Sindha works fluidly between mediums—including penning a homepage Op-Ed for The New York Times and contributing a segment to the popular podcast Radiolab which garnered 8M downloads. Her short film “Room on Fire” is currently a finalist for the Society of Publication Designer’s “Video of the Year,” alongside industry veterans such as National Geographic and The New York Times.
ABOUT PRETTYBIRD
Prettybird is a creative think tank that provides clients with distinct visionary work across an ever-evolving entertainment and branding landscape. From TV to interactive; live and experiential, Prettybird focuses on bringing the most talented people into the mix to create engaging, memorable work.
