Rob Munday

Billed as a ‘life-sized’ animated short, Bexie Bush’s Mend and Make Do is a film big on scale and big on heart. The charming story of Lyn Schofield, a widowed OAP with a lifetime of tales, Bush’s 9-minute animated doc perfectly captures the warmth of its sentimental subject with its magical, immersive production. 

Meeting the “star” of her film, Lyn, whilst working at a hair saloon, Bush reveals she was instantly impressed with the then 83yr-olds “optimism in life” and ability to always make her laugh.

Wanting to commit Lyn’s story to screen and find a way to really capture the emotive element to her voice-over, the director decided to employ a mix of animation techniques to bring her subject’s tale to life. Using real-life objects, including Lyn’s own personal belongings, in her production, Bush injects her film with a real tangible sense that makes you feel like you aren’t just listening to these personal recollections – but experiencing them with her, all over again.

Made with a team of 10 NFTS students, with the aim of creating everything ‘in-camera’, there’s a certain “classical” vibe to the production that feels perfectly in-sync with its evocative storyline. And though its themes of nostalgia and old-age might already feel well-explored in filmmaking, what Mend and Make Do lacks in originality conceptually, it more than makes up for with its lively aesthetic approach. 

Now working with miniature sets on her new short film The Rumour Mill, if you like Bexie’s approach to filmmaking, be sure to go support her new project over on Indiegogo