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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Tim Jonze

‘It’s ethically dubious – but that’s love’: The young man with a brain tumour filming his family’s reaction

‘Kit, can’t we just talk without the camera?’ … the film-maker in Red Herring.
‘Kit, can’t we just talk without the camera?’ … the film-maker in Red Herring. Photograph: Linda Nylind/The Guardian

‘I’m like the grim reaper,” says Kit Vincent at the start of Red Herring. He is filming himself in a mirror, appearing ominously behind his girlfriend Isobel’s back. “No one ever wants to talk about death, but I guess that’s what I remind them of.”

Kit is 24 and has recently been diagnosed with a brain tumour. The prognosis is not great: four to eight years, say the doctors. This means some difficult, emotionally raw conversations need to be had with his family. Hard enough in any situation, but especially tough for Kit’s loved ones because he insists on filming them throughout. Whether it’s questions about end-of-life care, discussions of sperm freezing, or live footage capturing him struggling with seizures, no private moment is spared the glare of Kit’s camera, often to the clear discomfort of those closest to him.

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