Heart Of The Nation

Animated short commissioned by Migration Museum, London

This is a piece commissioned by the Migration Museum in London for their first digital exhibition 'Heart of the Nation' which was launched on 5th October 2020. The exhibition celebrates the role of migrants in the NHS, highlighting the unknown stories of those who transformed our nation’s health.

Directed and animated by: Tribambuka
Narrated by: Michael Rosen
Producer: Aditi Anand
Original Music: J. C. Wright, Aaron Cupples
Sound Design: Brigitte Hart
Photos and footage courtesy: Allyson Williams MBE, Raj Khanchandani, Mae Appleton, Muhayman Jamil, Nicole Henworth, Gulzar Waljee, Simon Fuchs, Chris Porsz, Royal College of Nursing Archives, Wellcome Collection, BFI

AWARDS:
FIFF London / Best Animation / 2020 UK
KinoLondon / Finalist / 2020 UK
Short To The Point / Semi-Finalist / 2020 Romania
Roma Short Film Festival / Award Winner / 2021 Italy
Red Movie Awards / Award Winner / 2021 France
Dumbo Film Festival / Semi-finalist /2021 USA
Communication Arts 62/ Award of Exellence / 2021 USA
3x3 Illustration Show / Merit Award / 2021 USA
Creativepool Annual / Bronze Award/ 2021 UK
DRUK International Festival / Award Winner 2021 / Bhutan
Indo-French International Film Festival / Award Winner / India
Japan International Film Festival / Award Winner 2022 / Japan
The People's Film Festival / Finalist / 2020 USA

OFFICIAL SELECTION:
London International Animataion Festival / 2021 UK
Feel The Reel International Film Festival / 2020 UK
London Arthouse Film Festival / 2020 UK
British Animation Film Festival / 2021 UK
UK Screen One International Film Festival / 2021 UK
Tri Rivers Film Festival / 2021 UK
Society Of Illustratiors Annual Competition 63 / 2020 USA
FlickFair Film Festival / 2021 USA
New York Tri-State International Film Festival / 2021 USA
Indie Filmmaker Showcase / 2021 UK

The animnation is narrated by the former children’s laureate Michael Rosen who, as well as being the descendant of Jewish immigrants, recently became one of those who would have lost their lives to Covid-19 without the care of the present-day NHS. The brief for the animation was to give a short preview of the exhibition, which tells stories of migrants throughout the years. “So often, NHS workers and migrants are presented as labels rather than as individuals,” says Aditi Anand, the curator of the show. “We were really keen to get a rounded sense of people’s lives, interests and passions at work and away from the workplace, too.”

We had quite limited resources and tight timeframes to get this project done, so I had to think of very simple but poignant solutions to pass the message, so I've chosen a mixed media collage as the canvas for the story, with some frame-by-frame highlights. Brilliant award-winning team behind music and sound design - J. C. Wright, Aaron Cupples and Brigitte Hart - definitely added emotional depth to the piece.

'The sentiment and message of this piece is incredibly strong, creating a very empathetic and heartfelt look at the people behind one of the UK's most loved institutions. The animation is wonderful, creating a sense of nostalgia with its 80s PSA-style execution; incredibly appropriate as the story unfolds from a historical point of view. The integration of archival footage and scratch film amidst the animation is well thought out and aesthetically pleasing. The sound design, voice recording, mixing, and music are all top notch, offering a warm and full sonic landscape. Overall, this is an apt celebration of the diversity of the NHS, raising awareness of its importance in the time of Covid-19.'

KinoLondon, People's Film Festival

My illustrations were used throughout the interactive exhibition beautifully design by 'Eight Arms' to mark the chapters too.

In December 2020 Migration Museum took over Picadilly Circus screens in London, every Thursday at 8PM, when 'Clap For Carers' was happening during the first 2020 lockdown, and the animation was projected there along with some images from the exhibition.

Press about the exhibition:
The Guardian
Calvert Journal