Wow – it’s bloody brilliant.
Kiki Kendrick, producer, Liberated Theatre, London
Perfectly pitched between tender and tragic, yet always, always hopeful. An elegant, artful film
Kevin Sampson, novelist (Awaydays, Powder, Stars are Stars, The Killing Pool, The House On The Hill), Liverpool
‘My memory fails me, just as you did.’ Ouch! The words and images of this film meshed perfectly, and drew me in, while the dizzying pace and imagery kept me tightly focused. It’s really a wonderful piece.
David Collins-Rivera, radio producer, Cavalcade Audio Productions, New York
There are so many aspects of shots, lines and images in 5 Women About Love that I love, but to pick five: The first is that John Park and Sarita Plowman had the brilliant idea to conjure up the idea and then actually make this film. I love that the women are not all actresses and that they have written it themselves. It was totally them, nothing seemed imposed. If I had to pick one favourite shot it would be of Josephine Arden climbing barefoot up the steps in a black taffeta dress. A whole other film could be inspired from this one shot. If I had to pick one piece of text that resonated and was beautiful, clever and subtle, it would be the play on the word, atonement, spoken as ‘at one ment’. Finally I loved the overall simplicity and brevity; it shows how much can be conveyed, felt and seen in such a short space of time. Quite remarkable.
Emma Taylor, artistic director Canal Café Theatre London, producer NewsRevue
Beautifully shot and subtly edited, it rewards repeated viewings.
John Fleming, producer (Killer Bitch, Malcolm Hardee 25 Years In Showbiz )
Tremendously moving. I watched it several times. Cutting from one scene to another was very effective – just as I was reacting to one quite provoking thought the film spilled to another which left me, at the end, with a swirl of impressions and questions: ‘What do I feel? What has love been to me?’
Audrey Nicholson
What beautiful women they are, all 5. I have watched it many times now and it moves me.
Elina Akhmetova, dancer, Munich
It’s like an extended poem. You are taken deep into each woman’s eyes.
Imogen Lewis, producer, London
Everyone looks and sounds so glorious. It really captures the individual quirks and personality of all five women and the views of London are stunning. The film is fantastic – I am off to watch it again.
Mariele Runacre Temple artistic director & producer Wireless Theatre Company
Beautiful and disturbing (MW). / We both really enjoyed it and decided to stay for the second showing immediately the first one finished because neither of us thought we had caught everything. We were right. There was such a lot packed into the short time and then one had to rethink it all again on reading each woman’s complete set of statements. I identified more with some than others (DH).
I wanted to interrupt and ask the characters ‘Why was that? Tell me more. Who was he/she? What’s happening now?’ There was a surprising amount of water, on screen and suggested. Please repeat this with 5 Men (A). / It’s beautiful (SW, actress). / I really like it and what an interesting subject. It’s dreamy and thought-provoking and interesting to see different perceptions of love, which raises more questions (VI, singer).
Dug the film. Congrats. Very ethereal (LH, playwright, US). / Great. I want to ask all sorts of questions (FA, journalist). / Very beautiful (EA). / Wow, I like it (SR). / Working with the women must have been fun (JJ, singer). / Fantastic film (SS, Oman). / Arresting idea and original images. I might have made some different artistic choices, but every artist would (AG, Brighton). / Beautiful (ER, actress, US). / Loved it (JV, film maker). / Particularly liked the one in… Oh, but I’m married – sorry I forgot! (VR, agent, US).
I loved the film. Beautifully shot and performed. Great work (GW, actress). / I really liked the film. I’ve watched it 3 times now and have found it fascinating (DV, restaurateur). / Fantastic. They all have their say in such an unfiltered way and with such different perspectives, to a point where the medium can hardly sustain holding their ideas. It feels more could be said but we’re bound by the medium’s limitations. (KI, film maker). / I am speechless after watching the film. It is artistically, simply beautiful. It has magic (DF).
5 Women About Love 