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“I’m in pieces. It’s an astonishing piece of work. Every piece of it is perfect. The art, the animation, the technical accomplishments are beyond praise and the music is absolutely miraculous. But of course it’s the story in all its power, passion, tenderness and honesty. Simply magnificent. It tears at the soul.
Oscar has created something beautiful and important.”Sir Stephen Fry
“This film is a window into the world which Oscar has created, reflecting a state of mind which many people could recognise. It is both deeply moving and very touching.”
Robert Bathurst (Downtown Abbey, Cold Feet, Toast of London)
Join us for the world premiere of Small Hours: A Portrait of Alcoholism, a hauntingly beautiful, hand-painted short animation exploring the grip of addiction and the fragile hope of human connection. Narrated by acclaimed actor Robert Bathurst (Downton Abbey, Cold Feet, Toast of London), the film offers an intimate and unflinching look at the end stages of alcoholism.
Tickets include popcorn and a complimentary drink.
The screening will be followed by a live Q&A with the films’ Director, Oscar Wyndham Lewis, Andrew Gregory, Health Editor of The Guardian, under his production banner Brungerley, Dr. Andy Hardman (Senior Lecturer in Creative and Cultural Practices at The University of Manchester) and chaired by Dominic Pillai (Curator of Social Engagement at Portraits of Recovery).
Small Hours tells the story of a reclusive artist whose life has been hollowed out by addiction. In a rare moment of clarity, he reaches out to a long-lost childhood friend. What unfolds is a poignant meditation on the choices that shape our lives – the quiet, pivotal moments that steer us toward redemption or ruin. As the two men’s paths converge, the film asks: What drives someone to such despair? And can anyone truly reach them?
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About the Artist
Oscar Wyndham Lewis is an award-winning artist and animator based in Margate. A graduate of the Royal College of Art (2016), his debut hand-painted film The Waves won the Scottish Mental Health Arts Prize and was shortlisted for a BAFTA in 2017.
“A central theme of my work is mental health, having battled with it myself for many years. I find that reflecting negative experiences through my work helps to channel them and ultimately transform them into something positive.”
Don’t miss this premiere and the chance to hear directly from the creative minds behind the film.
An event for Portraits of Recovery’s Recoverist Month: Sept 2025 – placing lived experience at the heart of an annual, month-long arts programme that re-writes narratives on substance use and recovery.
Tickets are free, but a £2.50 booking fee is applied.