THE FILM

This one-hour documentary provides a thoughtful insight into the harsh reality of life with Parkinson's. Witnessed first hand through Guy's own story, this film also reveals the cruelty of Parkinson's for countless other sufferers in Africa, many of whom are shunned by their families and communities who believe the illness to be either a contagious disease or the work of black magic. 

The film joins Guy in Freetown, Sierra Leone, and follows him on his extraordinary solo journey, driving overland in a VW camper van, down the west coast of Africa to Cape Town. Set against a backdrop of ever-changing landscapes, shifts in weather, different people and varied language, the journey showcases the rich palate of sound and colour that is the African continent.

Travelling alone, Guy engages fully with the individuals and communities he meets along the way. He rarely feels unsafe and experiences moments of extraordinary kindness and generosity. Moving from country to country, the film focuses on Guy connecting with other Parkinson's sufferers, while also meeting the doctors and clinicians in Africa who are working tirelessly to combat this disease and improve access to medication where currently little or none is available. Guy can also be seen talking to village chiefs and to a local witch doctor about this debilitating condition; he enjoys a little 'jiggle jiggle' at a local Parkinson's rally; and throughout the journey he makes it his business to seek out local and national radio and TV opportunities to open up the dialogue across Africa as to what Parkinson's is and how those with the condition can best be helped. 

Guy's own physical limitations and frustrations are only too apparent. He has good days and bad days. But beyond the difficulties of day-to-day routine activities, the film also casts a light on the, often unspoken, mental journey that Parkinson's sets in motion. In Guy's case, with moments of soaring highs and the bleakest lows.

Short of a cure, Guy's future is not bright. But, this does not divert him from his mission to create better understanding and support for Parkinson's across the African continent. Guy's African odyssey is an inspiring story that one that needs to be told. The documentary will be launched in early 2024 and will be distributed globally.