Some stories aren’t ours to tell. They belong to the people who lived them, and our job is to make sure they’re heard properly. That’s how we approached this charity film for The Joshua Tree, a UK charity supporting families affected by childhood cancer.

In the film Grace tells her story in her own words, honestly and with a lot more warmth than you might expect. It’s a story about getting through childhood cancer and about the people at The Joshua Tree who were there for her and her family along the way. We didn’t need to add drama. We just needed to listen.

At ABF we’re passionate about stories, and real ones are the most powerful of all. For Grace’s Story we combined a sit-down interview with observational footage filmed at The Joshua Tree’s support centre, where families take part in everything from creative sessions to wellbeing therapies. Grace’s own photos and phone footage from hospital sit alongside it all. Those personal clips are what make the film. Nothing we could stage would come close to that kind of honesty.

Tone was everything. A film about childhood cancer could easily feel heavy, but Grace’s story is full of light, and we wanted the edit, the grade and the music to reflect that. Warm sunshine, natural light and plenty of space for her to laugh. It’s a hopeful film, and it ends with the best news of all. Grace rang the bell in May 2025 and is now cancer free.

Charity video production carries a different kind of responsibility. You’re asking someone to share the hardest moments of their life on camera, so trust matters as much as craft. We’re grateful to Grace and her family for trusting us, and to The Joshua Tree for letting us show the difference their support makes. No family should face childhood cancer alone.

If you’re a charity with a story that deserves to be told well, we’d love to hear from you. We’re a film and TV production company based in Manchester and we bring the same care to every project.

To find out more visit The Joshua Tree