WRITTEN, produced and directed by 16-year-old Canford School student Richard Booth, Live for the Moment hits several tough issues... and hits them hard.

There's the drunk-driver doctor, David Fowler (Noel Fitzpatrick) who runs over and kills Rachel (Sasha Hermann), one of his patients who had suffered domestic abuse at the drunken hands of her husband Sean (Matthew Watkin).

Wracked with guilt, Fowler visits another of his patients, Miles (Nick Tatham) to tell him he won't be around to help him deal with the Tourette's Syndrome that has plagued him since birth. With the doctor's help Miles has reached a breakthrough having discovered music can help him control the symptoms.

Meanwhile, Sean is in an ugly mood and getting uglier... revenge is on his mind.

That the film exists at all is a major achievement. That it was made by a then 15-year-old schoolboy only makes it more so.

But there are problems. The professional actors are clearly not used to performing in front of a camera and easily slip into overly showy and unrestrained turns. The only non-actor is Nick Tatham, who has to live with Tourette's Syndrome, and easily produces the most believable performance.

Having been shot on video with minimal lighting, and hampered by a few dodgy edits, the film never quite conquers its home movie feel. More imaginative use of music may have helped.

But such criticism - churlish as it may seem - should not be seen to undermine the triumph of tenacity, ability and sheer bloody-mindedness it takes to get such a production from the page to the big screen. Live For the Moment may just be the birth of a considerable new talent.

Tivoli (Mon, Tues only)