Civil Society Media hosted the inaugural screening of After Daniel, a documentary film in tribute to our founder Daniel Phelan.
It was on a cold November evening at the BAFTA Piccadilly that the inaugural screening of After Daniel, a documentary film by Peter Bach, took place. The event brought together a vibrant group of people from different walks of life: artists including the Turner Prize winning Mark Wallinger, leading lights in television and media such as Lorraine Heggessey and eminent figures from across the voluntary sector.
In the Princess Anne theatre we watched a moving and heartfelt portrayal of an artist using her creativity to cope with the death of her husband. The artist in question is Cathy Phelan-Watkins, whose late husband Daniel was charity champion and founder of Civil Society Media. The film follows Cathy at work in her studio over a six week period during which she speaks frankly and gracefully about her experience of terminal illness and loss, and how she finds comfort and healing through art.
After the screening, guests returned to the David Lean bar where the piece of art which forms the subject of the film was revealed. The eclectic nature of the crowd gathered seemed to be a reflection of the content of the film, a subject which will touch every life without exception. The photographs which follow are a fitting tribute to an evening which felt like a celebration of all life and a recognition of our common humanity.
