"Birthday"

25 September 2025

30s

The party's over.

This Irish commercial looks and sounds like the darkest episode of 'Here We Go' to date. For those unfamiliar with the show, it's a BBC sitcom shot from a handheld camera's point-of-view. So is this ad for the Health Service Executive (HSE), but the way it's used by director Zak Razvi could not be more different in tone or intent.

It's Sinead's tenth birthday, so Dad records wife Sarah and the birthday cake. As the sound of 'Happy Birthday' fills the room, it's a real delight to watch family and friends celebrate. Then Sarah goes silent—to everyone's horror, half her face has drooped. Now Dad must keep his daughter calm and tend to his wife in an instant.

There's a hint of found footage horror as the camera's dropped and the screen cuts to black. This is not the 'end', however, not if viewers follows the dad's example. He knows that "the second you suspect a stroke is the second you dial 999 or 112".

Ireland

Public Information Films