Since its inception in 1774, The Royal Humane Society has been guided by its motto ‘Lateat scintilla forsan’ which translates to ‘Perhaps a spark lies hidden’. It arches over the work that the organisation has done during the last 250 years to encourage, celebrate and honour those who have strived to save the lives of others. In his Bidding, the Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral points out that it confirms ‘the singular, irrefutable truth: that individuals matter’.

The director of the film, Akim Mogaji, captures that ‘spark of life’ through his choice of shots in the edit. We see a jet of light breaking through, as the vast humbling doors of St Paul’s Cathedral shut out the last of the evening sun. In this way the mood of the film helps to land the core theme of the service, with the light of day evoking the light of life.

The Service of Thanksgiving ran to just over an hour. Too long for most modern audiences wanting highlights after the event, so we focused our energy on a 6 minute edit, while also creating two shorter one minute cut downs. One that introduces the service, and another that focuses on the awarding of medals. These and the film of the full service join the Royal Humane Society’s fascinating archive. We are grateful to have played a part in a historic occasion celebrating human life and the admirable quality of saving another.