Andrea Galer’s Henry VIII customised film is an emotive and educational documentary tackling some distressing and highly relevant issues both past and present. As costume designer on the prestigious Channel 4 series of Henry VIII, Andrea recognised the parallels between the world of King Henry VIII and to that of Sri Lanka in 2004 in the aftermath of the devastating tsunami.  Protecting crafts, people and their need to retain their culture and earn a living is sincerely important to Andrea. Speaking emotionally in this documentary she discusses the plight of native women and her concerns about dying crafts skills.

The documentary opens with the character of Henry VIII posing for the camera. This was a time of prosperity and opulence much to the exploitation of the poor. During the reign of King Henry the government were keen to address the issues of humanitarianism and fairness in relation to trade and employment. This is not too dissimilar from the world we live in today. Socially conscious consumers are aware and are usually sensitive to fair trade and ethical issues. However there is a complex dichotomy in our modern world; while wanting the best of traditional crafts we are, as a society, unknowingly destroying them with our obsession for cheap mass-produced goods or buying products made by the hands of child or ‘slave’ labour.

It’s worth mentioning that the similarities do not stop there. In the 16th century, Henry’s first wife Catherine of Aragon spent a significant amount of her time making bobbin lace and taught the craft to villagers. The techniques were similar to those used in Sri Lanka today. Education and learning were deemed essential in alleviating the exploitation of the poor and were therefore high on the King’s agenda. Andrea hoped this documentary would highlight the importance of education and the necessity to pass on such skills through the generations. She was determined to use the same crew that worked on Channel 4’s prestigious series, utilising their wealth of experience and deep commitment to quality to ensure that viewers will enjoy the journey through the ages and across international boarders as we tackle provoking issues such as ethics in fashion past and present.