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The Story

Bill, a troubled young man, seeks refuge in the tranquillity of an ancient woodland. But he is interrupted by a girl with problems of her own.

Ella, 13, is oddly oblivious to Bill’s wish to be alone, and he cannot shake her off however hard he tries.

To protect his privacy, Bill pretends he is a birdwatcher or ‘twitcher’. But gradually he finds himself warming to Ella. As he does so his life, and the film, shift gear. This bizarre encounter between two broken souls blossoms into a friendship.

But will Ella’s family understand? And will Bill’s demons triumph, leaving Ella more alone than ever?

Studded with plot twists and laughter, Twitcher takes audiences on a journey deep into the dark and back up to the light.

Director's Notes

"Twitcher is character-led, and its power and impact comes from the central relationship between Bill and Ella. No quick cuts, flashy filters or overbearing music. I will shoot this film in a clean, simple way, allowing the story and characters to shine through."

Leanne Welham, writer and director


Twitcher tells how friendship from the most unlikely of sources can inspire and prevail over depression, suicide and vulnerability in childhood.

There will be no cliches, no stereotypical imagery of sadness and suffering. Rather, these themes will be explored visually, subtly - it will be through the details, the heartbreaking minutiae of the characters' lives, that the audience will understand their emotions.

The woodland itself will become almost like a third character in the film, changing and evolving, just like Bill and Ella. And so Twitcher will also be a celebration of the British countryside.