about

Was it Johnny Rotten or Scrappy Doo who defined the baby boomer generation? Will the month-old milk make a run for it when the fridge door is opened, and is a lack of carrier bags the only thing stopping Harry becoming a serial killer? Addy and Harry meet in a ward for "nut jobs" and discover they have something in common – voices in their heads. Harry’s vicious harpy tells him he’s a useless piece of crap, while Addy hears the voice of God telling her to jump off cliffs.

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When Addy persuades Harry to let her stay at his flat for the night, Harry finds himself faced with more than he’d bargained for, including dancing and some tricky decisions concerning responsibility, consent and doing the right thing as Addy becomes increasingly unwell without her medication.

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Mental illness and drug addiction are serious conditions that affect millions of people. They are also topics where stigma and ignorance are rampant, making it difficult for those affected to seek help or even talk about their experiences. We want to help change the conversation by making a film that addresses the issues in a light-hearted way. A lot of what we see on TV and in the movies depicts mental illness as something terrifying that “happens to other people.” Drug addiction is either glamorised or couched in the language of war and disease, rather than a matter of personal choice. But it doesn’t have to be like that.

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Fall to Pieces is a 35 minute animated drama written, produced, and directed by me, Ian Patterson, starring Michael Hodgson and Rosie Stancliffe. I wanted to make a film that was funny, smart, and entertaining while still having something important to say about choice, consent, and responsibility. I also wanted to make a stand against Scrappy Doo

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