Experiencing Interruptions?

The Fruit Fix

Hope, has a life changing piano audition coming up, nerve wracking at the best of times.
Unfortunately, as a sufferer of social anxiety, it’s going to take extraordinary courage to seek the help needed to pursue her dream.

Help can come from a strange place. Can a Banana and a piece of string really put her on the road to recovery? The Fruit Fix is a nuanced look at a little talked about mental health issue, with a surprising story based on a real therapy.

  • Philip Connolly
    Director
    Agent X (sitcom pilot), Fishing, Chloe
  • Philip Connolly
    Writer
    Agent X (sitcom pilot), Fishing, Chloe
  • Tamira Draz
    Producer
    Chloe, Fishing
  • Jamie Lee O'Donnell
    Key Cast
    "Hope"
    Derry Girls, Redeeming Love, 6 Degrees I told my my I was going on an RE trip,
  • Mark Benton
    Key Cast
    "Doug"
    Doctor Who, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators, Early Doors
  • Adnan Mustafa
    Key Cast
    "Ben"
    Yardie
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    12 minutes 2 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 14, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    4,000 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital 4K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.39:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Philip Connolly

Philip Connolly is an NFTS trained writer and director. Short film credits include, Chloe (2014), Fishing (2012) and NFTS TV Pilot “Agent X” (2010). His most recent film The Fruit Fix (2020), focuses on mental health issues, specifically social anxiety. The script was based on personal experiences and research into the topic.

Philip has directed several music videos for a diverse ranges of artists including two collaborations with Beatie Wolfe for “Never Ever” and “Lied”. He was a finalist on the Channel 4 LMFAO music video competition.

Philip co-wrote (with Lance Dann) the Wellcome Trust funded radio series “Blood Culture” for Resonance FM. A 10-part dark thriller about the red markets and the way the unscrupulous profit from the bio-medicine and the way the human body can be turned into a commodity. It was nominated for a Radio Academy award (ARIA 2017), won Gold Best in the Audio Production Awards (2017) and Silver in the British Podcast Awards (2018).
Other writing credits include 3 episodes of the BBC Worldwide documentary series "Deadly Disasters"

Philip currently teaches film production at Brighton University, while being a parent to one child and two dogs.

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Director Statement

Not long after I first moved to London, I once saw a person walking a banana on a piece of string. It certainly intrigued me at the time as I wasn’t sure if it was a “London Thing” or not. Like everyone else in the vicinity I studiously ignored the banana walker and went on about my business.

Having forgotten the banana incident, until several years later I was surprised watching a C4 TV documentary about mental health an anxiety issues. I was surprised to discover the “Banana walk” was an actual treatment and that’s what I must have seen years before. The story resonated with me, partially because I’d puzzled about it and also, I’ve had my own anxiety battles. I wondered how terrifying it might be for a real social anxiety sufferer person to attempt the “banana walk” and risk ridicule. It’s like climbing a personal Everest, but doing it under radar. You literally have someone doing what is to them a hugely daunting task, overcoming huge fears, while those around are making a conscious effort to ignore it.

I always felt this would be a compelling short film, because it’s a classic hero’s journey, bravely facing and overcoming what is to the protagonist great adversary. I like that is a different form of bravery and unconventional personal heroism. The story could be as compelling and human and ultimately uplifting as any film that shows the triumph over such a difficult situation.

It’s a film I wanted to make because many people have suffered from anxiety (myself included) but it’s not talked about much. I suffered in silence unaware help was available. That’s why I felt it’s important to focus on the theory sessions to show a way in which a person can get help.

I want the film to show the world from Hope’s perspective and understand how the illness affects her. It’s important the audience can empathise with the situation, this can be done in a cinematic way with POV camerawork and chaotic sound design. I wanted it to be dramatic film, it starts on a mystery and then allows the Jeopardy to build. So by the end the audience is routing for Hope to give it a try.

This film features Beachy Head, a location steeped in loss. In our case it’s going to be used as place of inspiration.