Saturday 14 April 2012

Dreams of a life

A couple of months ago, I heard a brief mention on the radio about a documentary film that investigated the death of a woman in London.  Her body had lain in her bedsit for three years before being found.  I didn't note the film title and was pleased that Pete had read a review and put Dreams Of A Life on the Lovefilm list.
  
In cases like this where a person dies without anyone noticing, you can make many assumptions: perhaps she was a loner, she dropped out of society, had society let her down? Had her friends and family let her down?  Joyce Vincent was just 40 years old and her story is fascinating and a little harrowing.
  
It is mainly documentary with a little dramatisation and is extremely well made. It took journalists and the film maker years to track down friends and any information about Joyce as there was so little in her bedsit to give any clues to her life. In fact, you learn that Joyce had many friends, but shared only some of her life with them.
  
After watching the interviews and the drama for a while, you soon realise that your assumptions are wrong. This film shows how life can be complicated and people follow very different paths. I wont spoil it for you, so all I will say is that it's a very sad story but she was loved.
  
It's one of those films that makes you think and stays with you for days and I would certainly recommend this movie.

There is an excellent review of the film here.

3 comments:

  1. Yes, the circumstances of the case when it appeared on the news were simultaneously upsetting, disturbing and scary. Love to have seen the film - it actually came to Brighton's Duke of York's for a single evening showing not long ago, but I couldn't attend. But your posting here is a strong recommendation to chase it up.

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  2. Watched it two weekends ago and I told my Aunt & Uncle about it today and showed them the flat...

    ahoj

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