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The Boy Whose Skin Fell Off (2004)
In September 2003 36-year-old Jonny Kennedy died. He had a terrible genetic condition called Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) - which meant that his skin literally fell off at the slightest touch, leaving his body covered in agonising sores and leading to a final fight against skin cancer.
In his last months Jonny decided to work with filmmaker Patrick Collerton to document his life and death, and the result was a film, first broadcast in March, that was an uplifting, confounding and provocatively humorous story of a singular man. Not shying away from the grim reality of EB, the film was also a celebration of a life lived to the full.
Produced and directed by Patrick Collerton and first shown in March 2004 The Boy Whose Skin Fell Off has become the most talked about documentary of that year
It attracted nearly five million viewers and after the screening the public donated over half a million pounds to Jonny’s charity, DEBRA. A Jonny Kennedy Memorial Fund has been set up to raise another half a million with the aim of ensuring that Jonny Kennedy left a one million pound legacy.
It has also been nominated, and subsequently won many national and international awards notably the International Emmy for Documentary in 2004.
Full list of awards and nominations
- Winner International Emmy for Documentary 2004
- Winner, Best Factual Director at BAFTA Craft Awards 2005
- Winner, Best Factual Editing at BAFTA Craft Awards 2005
- Winner, Indie Awards for Single Documentary 2004
- Winner Best Newcomer National Royal Television Society Awards 2004
- Winner Best Newcomer Grierson Documentary Awards 2004
- Winner Best of Festival Picture This Film Festival, Calgary Canada 2005
- Winner Best Documentary Picture This Film Festival, Calgary Canada 2005
- Winner Royal Television Society NE Award, Best Network Production 2004
- Winner Royal Television Society NE Award, Best Independent Production 2004
- Winner Broadcasting Press Guild, Best Documentary 2004
- Winner Bulldog Award for Best Documentary 2004
- Winner Inaugural C4 Creative Cities Award
- Nominated for the Flaherty SIngle Documentary BAFTA 2005
- Nominated Best Sound BAFTA Craft Awards 2005
- Nominated Educational Impact in the Primetime Schedule RTS Education Awards 2004
- Highly Recommended Single Documentary Broadcast Awards 2004
- Special mention Hors Concours BANFF Television Festival, Canada 2004
- Nominated Best Single Documentary Director’s Guild Of Great Britain Awards 2004
- Nominated Best Documentary Royal Television Society Awards 2004
- Nominated Best Factual Moment, BBC 1 Television Moments 2004
- Nominated RADAR People of The Year Awards 2004
- Shortlisted Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue, Grierson Awards 2004
- In Competition Chicago International Documentary Festival, Short Documentary
The Boy Whose Skin Fell Off has been sold to more than over sixty countries, making it one of Channel 4’s most successful documentaries of recent years. It is represented by C4i.
