“Plastic Surgery”
By: Victoria Stevens
New York, NY (The Hollywood Times) 12/04/2025 – According to ConsumerReports.Org, researchers have cataloged over thousands of chemicals found in plastics each year. Many of these chemicals have been linked to health hazards, according to Tracy Woodruff, PhD, a professor of reproductive sciences at the University of California, San Franciso, School of Medicine. With these statistics growing rapidly around health concerns, UK Filmmaker Guy Trevellyan decided to create a short film to give the viewer a better understanding of what these health concerns could mean to them. His short film, Plastic Surgery, takes the viewer on an eye-opening encounter through an emergency room where plastics become the cause of patients’ conditions.
“I have a sister who works for the OSA agency, and I felt that I needed to create a film that would help enlighten the viewers around this major issue that is affecting our daily lives. It became a passion project for me since 2020 when COVID was running rapid. I had shelved it until I could get my resources together to create a film that really showcased what was occurring and hopefully create an awareness around the problem,” explained Trevellyan.
Many films are turning towards the use of AI, however Trevellyan believed that using practicals would enhance realism and lead to audience engagement. With the help of medical advisor, Lizzie Dyer, Trevellyan authentically created surgeries that showed the graphic nature of what plastics are doing to our bodies and how they are affecting our health.
“Making the hospital feel as real as possible was the biggest obstacle I had to face,” explained Trevellyan. “The first three surgeries that the audience encountered, represented what types of plastics were affecting our health. I used an inflatable bladder that allowed the bottle to come out of the stomach and with the right camera angles it really came a- crossed effectively. Lizzie Dyer was a huge asset, because I wanted to nail down the right terminology that you would normally hear in an emergency room, and make sure that we were using the right codes for the right emergency.”
This metaphorical short was based around the main character, Dr. Terra, played by Anna Popplewell, who represented Mother Nature and how she was being affected by humanity. Anna’s performance was very authentic and grounded. The depth in which Anna took the character helped drive home the importance of the message behind the story.
“I had my heart set on having Anna play the main character, Dr. Terra. When Anna called me after our initial visit and told me that she was pregnant, I knew that this element would add to the story even more and help the audience understand how serious our situation really was,” expressed Trevellyan.
Raising awareness has become the number one mission of this short film. It won best thriller at the Holly Shorts Film Festival and has been selected for multiple film festivals all over the world. It has partnered with local charities such as the Surfers against Sewage and Greenpeace where Trevellyan hopes will lead to an increase in advocates and a heightened awareness of our next generation of children.
“We screened our short at a festival in Portugal where many school groups attended. The amount of positive feedback that came from those students was astonishing. I had students raise their hands after the film and ask what they should be telling their parents so that they can help the environment and their overall health. They were being very proactive in wanting to change what was happening and stop the use of plastics at home,” explained Trevellyan.
For more information, please follow Plastic Surgery on Instagram @plasticsurgery_film.
