The road to recovery is a tiring and tough one when undergoing chemotherapy treatment. The impact of a cancer diagnosis on a patient and their loved ones a life altering event. Supported by the Create Health Foundation, founded by Professor Geeta Nargund, with the purpose of empowering women of all ages about their health, writer Mark Oxtoby and director Mika Simmons crafts short film My Week With Maisy – a tale about Maisy, a young girl and Mrs Foster, an elder women both undergoing chemotherapy and the affect this has on them both.
Roughly 20 minutes in length, the film endearingly establishes the toll of therapy and the connection formed between both patients. Joanna Lumley‘s stoic Mrs Foster the perfect foil to Ellie-Mae Siame‘s optimistic Maisy, Oxtoby’s and Simmons’ cultivation of a mellow environment contrasted with an undercurrent of an understandably anxiety inducing experience a reality captured well – that needing to put on a mask and make it seem as if all is well something I’m sure many can relate to.
Maisy’s seeking of validation from Mrs Foster beautifully draws on a need to gain acceptance from others, viewed upon as a grandmother-like figure, Mrs Foster’s evasive manner at first is a joy to very slowly witness erode – both shine in their own ways and clearly go on life altering journeys that impact themselves and those around them. Cinematographer Emma Dalesman able to brilliantly capture words not said and offer a vibrant aesthetic. A film filled with subtle comedic moments, plenty of heart and honesty, My Week With Maisy demystifies the chemotherapy process, bravely bringing to light a facet of our existence that can be painful to many to explore – but acts as a form of catharsis.
Written by Lucy Basaba.
To find out out more about My Week With Maisy, visit here…
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