Broken English - The Marianne Faithfull Story
Following its Venice World Premiere (Official Selection Out-of-Competition), and ahead of its BFI London Film Festival bow, sales & finance outfit Global Constellation, a Vuelta company, has reported a first raft of sales on BROKEN ENGLISH, a never seen before career-spanning portrait of the late Marianne Faithfull directed by BAFTA nominees Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard (20,000 Days on Earth).
Eve Gabereau, Director of Distribution, Vue Lumière, said: “Broken English is a powerful and compelling film with standout performances and universal appeal. We’re proud to be bringing Marianne’s story told by such amazing talent to audiences across the UK and Ireland.”
Shot in the last years of Faithfull’s life, and featuring her last recorded performance,Broken English captures the legendary singer, poet, and icon in rare, unguarded moments as she reflects on art, survival, and legacy.
With a cast led by Tilda Swinton (The Room Next Door, Asteroid City) and George MacKay (Femme, 1917), the film follows the pair as they take on the roles of investigators within the framework of The Ministry of Not Forgetting, an undercover poetic construct committed to rescuing cultural memory from oblivion. Faithfull becomes its first "subject," rendered through a deeply intimate tapestry of interviews, archival footage, and soundscapes.
A lightning rod for fame, scandal, and reinvention, Marianne Faithfull was more than just a muse. She was the face of a generation, and the voice that cut through it. Vilified by the press, underestimated by the industry, she endured heartbreak and addiction, yet never lost her edge, or her truth, releasing over 35 albums while constantly reinventing herself. Made with her full involvement, Broken English is an intimate and unflinching exploration of a fractured yet unbreakable life shaped by fame, creative genius and relentless public scrutiny. A genre-defying portrait of resilience and rebellion, a final fearless declaration, Marianne Faithfull’s defiant swan song.
In addition to Marianne Faithfull’s final performance, Broken English showcases intimate contributions from her friends and longtime collaborators, including Nick Cave, Warren Ellis, Courtney Love, Suki Waterhouse, Beth Orton, and Jehnny Beth. Additional cast also include Zawe Ashton (The Marvels), Calvin Demba (Supacell), and Sophia Di Martino (Loki).
BROKEN ENGLISH is produced by Beth Earl of RUSTIC CANYON PICTURES. The film's executive producers include Thomas Benski, Marisa Clifford, Isabel Davies and Tim O’Shea for Magna Studios, Marc Robinson for Globe Originals, Julia Xu for Q&A Entertainment, and Victoria Steventon.
Cold Iron Pictures are on board with Miranda Bailey and Julia Stier co-executive producing. Oliver Hsu, Jennifer Lin, Cristina Ljungberg, Tien-Tsung Ma, Stuart Souter and Alvin Wang are co-executive producers. Liam Coutts and Laura Rees are co-producing. Kate Griffiths, Mike Griffiths and Tess McNally-Watson are the archive producers on the project.
