‘It’s okay to get help, and just be proud of who you are. With all your broken bits as well.’
We are incredibly proud to announce that Nacoa volunteer Ceri has won the Recovery Street Film Festival 2018 with her wonderful film, ‘Understanding Me’.
Her haunting film takes the form of a spoken poem over video of Ceri and her family, recollecting childhood trauma and reflecting on breaking the cycle as a young mother. It is such a poignant piece about finding steps to feel better after losing a mum to alcoholism, filled with love, dignity and care.
Ceri’s film follows up on her first Recovery Street Film Festival 2015 winning short called ‘Understanding Mum’, a love-filled but emotionally raw film remembering the devastating feelings of losing her mother to addiction.
With glints of light and shade, Ceri’s films uncannily capture the conflicting emotions of children and adult children of alcohol dependants—not sure who or what to believe, hoping against hope that the addiction will let go of their parents.
Speaking recently to Drink and Drugs News, Ceri said that ‘It was only after getting involved in Nacoa that I realised that being a child of an alcoholic is a “thing”. I had been trying to change myself for so many years, but now I know that it’s ok. All the time I was hearing about cycles. I needed to hear that I didn’t have to repeat them, and could be confident in my parenting.’
Through her films, she says she wants ‘to show people that it’s okay to talk about things. It’s okay to talk about your difficulties as a child, and that actually still affect you as an adult, and it’s okay to get help, and just be proud of who you are. With all your broken bits as well.’
‘I share my films with Nacoa, because I do a lot of volunteering with them, and they are such a big part of my recovery, because that’s who they help—the families of alcoholics.’
With incredible pride, we present these breath-taking films here. Please like them and share them online. If you’re affected by your parent’s drinking, you aren’t alone!
