Ashort film capturing the emotional highs and lows of forces children has been premiered in Edinburgh. Forces Kids - This is my Life gives an insight into the lives of children in Scotland dealing with a parent’s deployment to a combat zone.
It features the real-life experiences of more than 30 primary and secondary children who have a parent or family members serving in the armed forces.
Funded by the Royal Caledonian Education Trust (RCET), the 26-minute film shows how the children cope with separation and loss, support each other during hard times, and find solace in speaking to friends, family and teachers.
It will be used to support the work of the trust in schools, highlighting the benefits in encouraging children to share their thoughts and feelings with their teachers and classmates.
Forces Kids - This is my Life was produced by award-winning social enterprise company Teeny Tiny Films, and premiered at a red-carpet event at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh last month.
“This film is about ordinary children who face extraordinary challenges from time to time. We learn how they cope with having a parent on deployment, often in areas where there is deep conflict, casualties and unrest,” said RCET chief executive James MacBain.
Carla Grant, 18, from Edinburgh, who was studying for her Advanced Highers in 2010 when her two brothers and her father were all deployed to Afghanistan, said: “Some days were very difficult for Mum and I, and on those days we just hugged a lot.”
The Royal Caledonian Education Trust is a charity providing educational grants and support to children of Scots who have served or are serving in the armed forces.
www.rcet.org.uk.
