Fujifilm / Bi-Polar UK
Down not out
Celebrated cinematographer and director Jake Polonsky was invited by Fujifilm to showcase the capabilities of a new camera. Rather than create a conventional product demo, he used the opportunity to tell a powerful story about mental health, raising awareness of bipolar disorder.
Into the fold helped to extend the project's creative scope
Jake approached Into The Fold to help expand the project’s creative scope and social impact. Drawing on Into The Fold’s close relationship with the boxing community and their experience working on intervention projects, the collaboration felt like a natural fit. Together, we developed a concept that would explore the lived experience of bipolar through the metaphor and intensity of the boxing ring.
A female boxer who lives with bipolar
At the heart of the film is Lesley Sackey, a female boxer and someone who lives with bipolar. In a visceral, single-bout sequence, she faces a series of different opponents each representing the shifting mental and emotional states that come with the condition. The result is a bold, symbolic and emotionally charged portrait of resilience and inner conflict.
Working in collaboration with Bipolar UK and Fujifilm
Into The Fold supported the development and production of what became an award-winning short film. Co-directed by Jake Polonsky and Into the Fold’s Creative Director Caswell Coggins, Down Not Out delivers a cinematic and socially conscious piece that has gone on to resonate globally.