UK film premiere for BU graduates

7 March 2008

An international award-winning film directed and produced by two BU graduates, is released in UK cinemas today.

‘We are Together’, a global award-winning movie about AIDS orphans in South Africa and directed by our graduates, is making its UK cinema debut.

Made on a budget of only £8,000, director Paul Taylor and Teddy Leifer developed the idea while studying BA (Hons) Television Production at the renowned Media School.

Filmed over three years, 'We Are Together' tells the remarkable and moving story of a group of children who use music to overcome hardship and loss.

It features the young people and their teachers as they prepare to travel to London for a series of concerts.

Paul worked as a volunteer in the Agape Orphanage in South Africa during his degree and was inspired by the children he met, their messages of hope and their love of singing.

He then went on to make the micro-budget movie about the Orphanage choir with his business partner Teddy, through their production company RISE films.

Described by U2’s Bono as “an incredible piece of work”, We Are Together has won many prestigious international awards the world over for its inspirational and moving story.

During 2007 it won a host of awards at the Edinburgh Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival and Amnesty International Film Festival, among others.

Paul and Teddy, who graduated in 2005, have also set up a trust fund, the RISE Foundation, which receives all proceeds of the film for the children of Agape and other HIV/AIDS projects.

‘‘We’ve been supporting the kids from Agape for a year and a half to go to a much better school,’’ explains Paul.

‘‘Our goal is to raise £500,000, put in an education fund which will enable us to send many children to school and help pay their school fees forever.’’

A special BU screening will take place in the coming months and the film will feature on Channel 4/Film4 later this year.