Why We Made The Healer
The Healer is more than a short film – it’s a project born out of lived experience, creative collaboration, and a shared commitment to raising awareness around mental health. At its heart, it tells the story of Jake, a teenage boy navigating grief after the sudden death of his father, who discovers an unlikely path to healing through equine-assisted therapy.
While the film follows one boy’s journey, the themes it explores are universal. Loss, resilience, and the search for connection are experiences that touch all of us in some form. By grounding the story in truth and authenticity, the creative team behind The Healer wanted to highlight not only the struggles young people face today, but also the ways hope and healing can be found in unexpected places.
Teenage mental health has become one of the defining challenges of our time. Rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide – particularly among young men – are at an all-time high. Traditional support systems, while essential, are often overwhelmed, leaving families waiting for help that may come too late. This backdrop makes The Healer a deeply relevant story to tell now. It shines a light on alternative forms of therapy, like equine-assisted interventions, which have shown remarkable results but remain under-recognised in mainstream discussions.
From the Writer: Trudy Williams
Inspired by true events, Trudy set out to explore the story of a teenage boy who finds an unexpected source of healing in equine-assisted therapy after the death of his father.
Trudy’s research took her to equine therapy centres, where she discovered just how many teenagers seek support through this unique form of intervention. She was struck by the fact that while traditional therapy is often slow to access, equine therapy offers an immediate connection – one rooted in the horse’s ability to mirror human emotion.
For Williams, the story became a way to highlight both the growing mental health crisis among young people, particularly boys, and the untapped potential of equine therapy. Though inspired by personal experiences, The Healer ultimately aims to show that even in the darkest moments, there can be hope, connection, and healing.
From the Producer: Lee Mancini, Agility Films
When the script was first pitched to Agility Films, producer Lee Mancini felt an immediate connection to the project. With a background in creating films around mental health awareness and social issues, as well as extensive experience working within the horseracing industry, the story resonated on multiple levels.
Lee believed The Healer was not only a powerful narrative but also a timely and important one. Its themes of grief, resilience, and unconventional pathways to healing aligned closely with Agility Films’ ethos of telling authentic, purpose-led stories. From the outset, he saw the film as a meaningful way to spark conversations about both teenage mental health and the incredible healing powers of horses.
From the Director: Will Jewell
Director Will Jewell was first introduced to The Healer at the early script stage, working alongside Trudy as a script editor to shape and develop the idea. Coming from a city background and initially unfamiliar with horses, Will connected strongly to the themes of a teenager suppressing grief, railing against the world, and searching for identity.
He recognised the urgency of the film’s subject matter: the growing gap between the rising need for mental health support and the availability of those resources. The story of a desperate mother seeking alternative help through equine therapy offered a fresh and compelling way to explore this issue.
As a filmmaker, Will was also drawn to the creative challenges of the project. The film demanded working with horses, directing a teenage lead, and tackling a social realist genre that was new territory for him. Rather than shy away, he embraced these challenges as an opportunity to push himself as a director and to bring authenticity and emotional depth to the screen.
Why This Story Matters
The Healer is not only a film but also a conversation starter. It is rooted in the reality that young people face today: an overburdened healthcare system, rising levels of mental distress, and families struggling to find timely support. By focusing on equine therapy, it highlights an alternative path that is holistic, intuitive, and deeply human. Horses, with their ability to mirror human emotions, create a space for healing that traditional therapies sometimes cannot reach.
Beyond raising awareness, the film also aims to encourage dialogue. It asks audiences to consider the many different ways healing can occur and challenges the stigma that still surrounds conversations about mental health. By telling Jake’s story, The Healer becomes a reflection of countless other young people’s struggles, and their resilience.
Looking Ahead
While The Healer stands on its own as a short film, it is also part of a larger vision. Writer Trudy Williams is developing a feature-length version of the script, expanding the story and its impact. For producer Lee Mancini and Agility Films, this project continues a line of purpose-led storytelling, following other work with charities and organisations focused on mental health and social issues.
Ultimately, The Healer was made to shine a light where it’s needed most. By blending authentic storytelling with social purpose, the creative team hopes the film not only resonates with audiences but also makes a tangible contribution to awareness, understanding, and compassion in the field of teenage mental health.
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