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‘Broken English’ Directors Explain Why Marianne Faithfull Matters as Venice Film Debuts First Clip: ‘She Stayed True to Herself’ (EXCLUSIVE)

The hybrid documentary "Broken English" premieres in the Out of Competition section at the Venice Film Festival, offering a fresh and vibrant portrayal of singer-songwriter and actress Marianne Faithfull. Directed by Jane Pollard and Iain Forsyth, the project follows their BAFTA-nominated work on "20,000 Days on Earth." Variety has shared an exclusive first-look clip and an interview with the filmmakers, who drew inspiration from Samuel Beckett’s "Krapp’s Last Tape," a play about an older man revisiting recordings from his youth. Pollard notes their long-standing interest in capturing someone reflecting on their life as it nears its end, finding Faithfull an ideal subject—honest, self-aware, and open about her vulnerabilities. The film weaves together extensive archival footage with a roundtable discussion where commentators explore Faithfull’s life. It also features new interpretations of her songs by artists like Courtney Love, Suki Waterhouse, Jehnny Beth, and Beth Orton, alongside Faithfull’s final performance, supported by longtime collaborators Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. Cave was the central figure in the directors’ earlier film. Structured around unscripted interviews filmed in a TV studio, the setting represents the fictional Ministry of Not Forgetting, described in production notes as a place where memory and legend intersect. Tilda Swinton serves as the Overseer and narrator, while George MacKay plays the Record Keeper, an archivist and psychoanalyst piecing together Faithfull’s fragmented history. Faithfull, known for her 1964 hit "As Tears Go By" and her relationship with Mick Jagger, overcame heroin addiction in the 1970s and revitalized her career with the Grammy-nominated album "Broken English." She passed away in January at age 78. The directors emphasized that their approach was guided by what truly matters in telling someone’s story. For Faithfull, Pollard reflects, it was her creative output and the profound friendships she cultivated, which included figures like Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs, David Bowie, Brian Eno, and Lou Reed. The documentary doesn’t avoid addressing Faithfull’s flaws. Forsyth observes that she often undermined her own opportunities but remained authentic throughout her life. Another key aspect is her reliance on collaboration; she excelled with lyrics and melody but needed partners for musical composition. The Ministry of Not Forgetting provided a creative framework for exploring her life, mirroring the filmmakers’ own process of discovery. For instance, they surprised Faithfull with a rediscovered rehearsal tape from Kurt Weill’s "The Seven Deadly Sins," capturing her genuine reaction. Coming from a visual arts background, Pollard and Forsyth strive to balance creative ambition with accessibility, steering clear of any pretentiousness. They use inventive structures, like the Ministry, as a "Trojan Horse" to convey deeper truths. Influenced by Beckett, they focused on the impact of watching Faithfull engage with her past selves, believing these moments reveal more than words alone. Forsyth adds that their goal isn’t to deliver a conventional biography but to create a portrait that captures a person’s essence without detailing every event. "Broken English" is produced by Beth Earl of Rustic Canyon Pictures, with a script by Forsyth, Pollard, and Ian Martin. The crew includes cinematographer Daniel Landin, production designer Alison Dominitz, editor Luke Clayton Thompson, and costume designer Jerry Stafford. It is a co-production by Rustic Canyon and Phantoscopic, in association with Magna, Globe Originals, Q&A Entertainment, and Cold Iron Pictures, with worldwide sales handled by Global Constellation.

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