Lights, Camera, Encephalitis Awareness!

Encephalitis International Deputy CEO, Phillippa Chapman and supporter of the non-profit Macy had the privilege to go to the World premiere of Bridget Jones diary 4: Mad about the Boy on Wednesday 29th January at Leicester Square Odeon Theatre. It was a star studded affair with sightings of all the cast including Bridget Jones herself – Renee Zellweger and of course the infamous Daniel Cleaver aka Hugh Grant. We walked the red carpet and took pictures in front of the branding before Phillippa and Macy were ushered to their seats (where a lot of goodies were located). The lucky duo listened to speeches by the producer and director before the full cast were brought on stage. What followed was a full screening of the film in all it’s beauty – a wonderful heartwarming, funny, and at times sad, story. In the film Bridget is a mum of two small children navigating the grief and future without her love Mark Darcey (Colin Firth).
You might be wondering why we had the honour of going to such a cool event? Well our wonderful Encephalitis International Ambassador Abi Morgan – an incredibly kind and talented person gifted us two tickets to the event. Abi Morgan (also known for The Split and Eric) is one of the main screenwriters for Bridget Jones Diary 4, and we were thrilled to share in her amazing success. You could tell from the film that she brought real human emotion into the script, especially in navigating the complexities of grief. As many of you know Abi wrote the book This is Not a Pity Memoir (an excellent read and highly recommended!) about her husband’s experience of encephalitis. Although her husband is very much still alive, Abi’s life experience most certainly feels like it informed how Bridget learns to cope with, and respond to, all the advice she is given by loved ones in managing such complex emotions.
Ultimately Bridget Jones 4: Mad About the Boy is an uplifting tale of learning to live with grief and also achieving happiness again – an important message for us all and perhaps no more so than for those affected by encephalitis.
Thank you Abi for this opportunity and all the support.