This is not a small world. If it were then we would accost all the people we’ve never met with the phrase “I don’t know who you are and I’ve never thought about you, what an amazingly big world it is”. We don’t do this because the world is big and we’d get nothing done.

10 years ago Chris Blaine, Adam Brown and I screened a short film in our mobile cinema called “The Orange Tree” by Simon Kent. It remains one of my all time favourites and is built around a lovely performance by Justin Edwards as a lonely man whose life is changed when he buys a small fruit tree.

At one point he’s eating a microwaved lasagne meal and casually does a thoughtful reflexive hand gesture as he chews. It’s an odd thing to fixate on but all three of us separately remarked upon it as a beautiful piece of observation. It’s a throwaway gesture but somehow really speaks of his loneliness and need to share.

I’ve noticed it’s a gesture I’ve often copied when eating on my own, something I was reminded of as I found my fingers flexing whilst I stood at London Bridge tube station eating a donut on the last Saturday before Christmas. I hadn’t thought about Simon’s film for some time and suddenly this tiny gem came back to me and despite the raging shoving torrent of christmas shoppers and the ache of my cracked rib I realised I was extraordinarily happy.

Minutes later, heading for the exit at Bond Street, I noticed that stood in front of me on the escalator was the actor Justin Edwards. He had headphones on it seemed rude and confusing to disturb him with this small but delightful piece of coincidence. So I thought I’d disturb you with it instead.

This is not a small world and that’s what makes brief random moments like this all the more delightful. More importantly, retelling this story reminds me that whatever you are creating, however short your film, however small your audience, however shoved to the back of a drawer the notes are, never under estimate the power of your art to echo into the lives of strangers and bring joy to people you don’t see.

The Orange Tree from The Blatant Creation of Art on Vimeo.