Harbouring Illness

"Harbouring Illness" is a portrait of three women living with long-term health conditions in an East London neighbourhood. Through their stories, the film offers insight into the everyday challenges of living with chronic illness amidst an overstretched and underfunded healthcare system. It delves into the effects of social isolation and the struggles that come with maintaining a healthy life in the face of substandard living conditions. Through close-up shots that trace the outlines of the women's bodies and their surroundings, the film offers an immersive experience of these stories, where social exclusion, illness, and inequality intersect. But "Harbouring Illness" is more than just a window into the lives of these women. It invites the viewer to contemplate new possibilities for living a flourishing life beyond the confines of conventional medical understandings of health and well-being.