Falmouth lecturer builds awareness for Parkinson’s with release of short film Hand

Associate lecturer in film Brett Harvey has released Hand, a reflective essay on living with early onset Parkinson’s disease.

Releasing the film in tandem with Parkinson’s Awareness Week, Brett has been amazed by the reception his work has received.

“The response has been genuinely overwhelming. I had no expectations set for the film – I thought that if a few people saw it and shared it, then that would be great. If it helped one person, then that would be fantastic.”

But the film has gained momentum in a way that Brett could never have anticipated; Hand has now been viewed over 3,000 times on YouTube and reached an even larger audience via social media. His film has gathered momentum to the point that Parkinson’s UK have shared Hand to their Facebook page, increasing the film’s viewing figures by over 7,000.

As Brett reflects, “It’s helping people have conversations about Parkinson’s. One person said that they hadn’t told their family about their diagnosis yet, and that they were going to show them the film... it was wonderful to hear that the film is helping people in that way.”