The world premiere of a BBC film documenting a brain tumour patient’s journey with cancer, comic books and long-distance love took place yesterday.
Gordon Shaw, a 41-year-old comic book artist and brain tumour patient, is the subject of Long Live My Happy Head. The film, which premiered at the BFI Flare Festival, documents Gordon’s journey with a glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), but it is also about his long-distance relationship with Shawn, an American man he met in June 2017.
Gordon was diagnosed with a low-grade brain tumour at the age of 32, after first being told he had probably suffered a stroke. The tumour progressed to a grade 3 astrocytoma but in December 2021, Gordon was told his tumour was now highly aggressive and he had just months to live.
He used his own experiences to create a series of comic books to help others understand what it is like to be diagnosed with cancer and to be given a terminal prognosis.
Gordon said: “When I heard the tumour had become a GBM my dearest wish was to survive to be able to see the film premiere of Long Live My Happy Head which highlights the most difficult time of my life. It looks like I am going to make it!”
Long Live My Happy Head will be available to watch on the iPlayer from 29th March 2022.
A limited number of complimentary tickets are available for the following screenings with Q&A:
20th March @ 16:45 - Komedia Picturehouse, Brighton
22nd March @ 18:10 - City Screen Picturehouse, York
23rd March @ 19:45 - Highland Cinema, Fort William
24th March @ 18:10 - Cameo Picturehouse, Edinburgh
25th March @ Belmont Filmhouse, Aberdeen
25th March @ 18:30 - Picturehouse At FACT, Liverpool
27th March @ 18:30 - Sands International Film Festival, St Andrews
For a chance to see the film free-of-charge, please email hullo@longlivemyhappyhead.com stating your preferred venue.
Related reading:
If you found this story interesting or helpful, sign up to our weekly e-news and keep up to date with all the latest from Brain Tumour Research.