MCC Media have been commissioned by CBBC to produce a NEW CBBC documentary about two girls with a rare skin condition. The 30 minute documentary is for the Bafta and Emmy award winning My Life Series. My Life Into The Sun is set to broadcast on Monday March 25th at 5:30pm on CBBC.
The Sunderland-based TV production company has travelled extensively starting in the UK, then travelling overseas to South Africa and finishing in Norway documenting two incredibly moving stories.
The team followed the extraordinary lives of two young girls living with an incurable, life-threatening sensitivity to sunlight. Both girls suffer from the same rare genetic skin condition called Xeroderma Pigmentosum (XP) which prevents them both from doing simple, everyday things that many of us take for granted without being fully protected.
Alice, 13, from Carlisle introduces us to her life in a British climate living with XP. Here the team explore her journey and the extreme measures she has had to take to protect herself from UV rays.
We then meet Thapelo, a girl from South Africa where we find out what it’s like having this condition in soaring temperatures all year round. Both Alice and Thapelo are brought together by an XP charity, The Teddington Trust, to conduct some experiments in Norway.
This documentary raises awareness on the extreme and often overlooked rare skin condition whilst celebrating the overcoming power of human relationships and the importance of facing our struggles together.
Producer Paul McCoy said, “It’s truly been a privilege to be able to come directly alongside these unique girls and tell their story. The girl’s approach to life was beyond inspiring and our team worked extremely hard to capture the essence of their struggles and give the viewer a real insight on what life is like living with such a limiting condition.”
Director David Mordey explained, “It was such a humbling experience working on this documentary. Seeing what these girls have to go through, just to step outside of their own front door was incredible. Going out during the day is something we all take for granted, but it is genuinely life-threatening for them if they don’t take the necessary precautions.”
Mr Mordey continues, “As a director, I had to reverse my thinking in many situations. Getting a well-lit shot wasn’t a priority anymore. Keeping the girls safe was top of the list. We had to do UV tests on all of our equipment and locations to make sure nobody was put at risk. It was a very challenging story to tell.”
Commissioned by Kez Margrie with Executive Producer Alison Gregory for CBBC.
Kez Margrie, CBBC’s Executive Producer for the My Life films, says; “The power of documentary storytelling is as strong as ever in this new series of My Life films. All the children featured have great stories to tell and we’re privileged to have been given a window on their world. I’m sure our viewers will love them!”
MCC Media are building on this success with many exciting new projects currently in development.
For more information contact: jemma@mccmedia.co.uk or tel: 0191 592 0003.
