New film Sunny Dancer explores teenage cancer and friendship

A new film called Sunny Dancer is out today, telling the story of 17 year old Ivy, who is in remission from cancer and desperate to get back to her normal life. When her parents send her to a summer camp for teenagers with cancer, she finds friendship, humour and a different way of coping. The film stars Bella Ramsey, known for Game of Thrones and The Last of Us, alongside actors Finn Talkington and Olivia Isaacs, both of whom have personal experience of cancer.

The film's writer and director, George Jaques, said he wanted to make a comedy about cancer, something he admitted is a hard thing to do. He was inspired by his own mother's diagnosis when he was 15, and wanted to bring back the ensemble films of the 80s and 90s, like The Breakfast Club. The idea for setting it at a summer camp came from his editor, Caitlin Spiller, who had attended such a camp as a young person affected by cancer. Jaques then started working with the Teenage Cancer Trust and became an ambassador.

Bella Ramsey said the low budget independent British film, shot in Glasgow over seven weeks, was exactly the kind of project she wanted to do. She said the script really blew her away, and she loved how funny and natural it was, with an emotional core. Ramsey also admitted that watching a clip of herself crying on screen was awkward, and that the film was a learning curve for her, as she had no direct experience of cancer.

Olivia Isaacs, who is 21 and still in treatment for stage 4 cancer, said she could relate to the script because she and Finn Talkington had lived that life. She explained that in one scene, they play a group of kids without cancer who hurl abuse at the cancer survivors, which felt strange given their own experiences. Isaacs said humour was a huge coping mechanism for her, and it gave her a sense of control over her own narrative. She also spoke about the taboo around cancer and how people often do not know how to react.

The film also features a strong supporting cast, including James Norton, Jessica Gunning from Baby Reindeer, Neil Patrick Harris, and a cameo from James Blunt, who plays himself and sings You're Beautiful. Jaques, who is only 26, said he was good at begging people to join the project, and that having Neil Patrick Harris turn up in Glasgow for not much money was special. The film is described as a joyful celebration of being a young person, even after a traumatic experience like cancer, and it aims to show that cancer is not the most interesting thing about these young people.