Our friends at Lesflicks are bringing you two new short films, Dancing Alone and Take Me Back, scheduled for release on 6th & 13th November 2020 respectively, adding to the company’s ever-expanding catalogue of exciting content for women who love women.
ABOUT DANCING ALONE
Jennifer (Jane Marlow), a woman struggling to overcome the loss of her partner, Tina (Karen Lawman), has shut herself in her home and become fixated on completing the Observer cryptic crossword. It was a part of Tina’s weekly routine and now completing the crossword has become Jennifer’s way of staying close to her partner and diverting her mind away from her loss.
When Jennifer finally completes the grid, it’s a breakthrough moment but to be in the running to win the prize, Jennifer needs to get her entry in the post by the end of the day. Hamstrung by her bereavement-induced agoraphobia and her need to complete this final homage to Tina, will Jennifer succeed in finally leaving her house and confronting her loss?
Dancing Alone is the directorial debut of Jane Marlow, an actress and experienced TV screenwriter. Her ambition to direct led her to pursue a creative collaboration with her old friend, Nick Swannell, whose own first short feature, Eating Jesus, had been released a year prior, in 2016.
A minimalistic production with a small cast and budget, Dancing Alone explores Marlow’s own experiences of grief and loss as well as themes of claustrophobia, resulting in a deeply personal and honest tale which pulses with emotion and from start to finish. Dancing Alone received praised from critics and award bodies, as Marlow was recognised by the Discover Film Awards where the film won ‘Best British Drama’ and Marlow won ‘Best Actress’ for her performance as Jennifer.
Marlow said: “Our story explores how changing the way we think can change the way we feel and the idea that it can be something mundane that unlocks that process. We chose to put Jennifer, a gay woman and mother, at the centre of this narrative because it was important for us to tell a story about a gay woman in which her sexuality is not her defining feature. Ultimately, we set out to make a film about the power of love and the moment when memories of the past become inspiring rather than inhibiting. The themes of isolation and loss are perhaps even more resonant today as we cope with life during a pandemic.”
ABOUT TAKE ME BACK
Take Me Back is an intense drama following Sophie (Jane Marlow) who undergoes hypnosis in an attempt to recall the identity of the person who mugged her. However, it quickly becomes apparent that the therapy becomes an opportunity for her to re-examine her struggling relationship with her girlfriend, Vanessa (Karen Lawman).
As Sophie finds herself engulfed in memories of Vanessa, their relationship, and their love, the nefarious mugger rampages through her memories, resulting in chilling consequences.
Made in 2018, Take Me Back builds on Marlow and Swannell’s prior collaboration with Dancing Alone the year before. By bringing on board Virginia Orr as producer, the team were able to up the ambition and scale of their storytelling. Centred around the fear of hypnosis and the potential capacity for memory manipulation, Take Me Back features a complex cinematographic palette, as colour saturation and creative editing drive home the chilling vision of the filmmakers. The result in an aesthetically dramatic and visually suspenseful film which has won awards for editing and cinematography.
The partnership between Marlow and Orr was so successful, they went on to form Donut Films in 2020 having produced TV pilot, They Them Us.
Virginia Orr said: “Donut Films’ vision is to create content that challenges stereotypes and cultural constructs around gender, identity and sexuality. By focussing on voices that disrupt the status quo and upholding their integrity in a mainstream environment we create unique stories that touch hearts and change minds. We are thrilled that our two award-winning short films will now be available to view on Lesflicks VOD.”
Naomi Bennett, Founder of Lesflicks said, “When I came across Donut Films I was immediately excited; as the only subscription platform in Europe focused on lesbian & bisexual stories specifically, I am always looking for local talent to accompany the vast selection of American content.
Having a catalogue that is as global and diverse as our audience is important to us. Donut Films are creating excellent, much-needed representation of both British and mature queer women and I’m delighted to give these films a home on Lesflicks VOD.”
Dancing Alone and Take Me Back will be the first of Donut Films projects to be featured on Lesflicks, and we have a great feeling that they will be the first of many! When released, these dramatic short films will be among a vast collection of queer women’s films which can be found on the Lesflicks VOD platform. Since its creation in 2019, the rapidly growing Lesflicks VOD has been ranked within the top 5 LGBT SVOD platforms in regard to the amount of lesbian and bisexual content available to rent, stream, and watch online across the globe. With each addition to the platform Lesflicks continues to strive toward increasing the knowledge of, and access to, wlw content worldwide.
Both Dancing Alone and Take Me Back will be available on subscription from Friday 6November and Friday 13 November 2020 respectively.
Trailers:
Dancing Alone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX1p4_qJOMs
Take Me Back https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iITEmDPntuo
Link to films:
Dancing Alone https://lesflicksvod.vhx.tv/dancing-alone
Take Me Back https://lesflicksvod.vhx.tv/take-me-back
[links to films will go live on the release date]
