Broken English

When it comes to documentaries, no one is bending the art form quite like Jane Pollard and Iain Forsyth
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OFFICIAL TRAILER

Witty, provocative and playful, Broken English is sure to keep Faithfull’s indomitable spirit alive. Broken English hammers home the need to remember what will so very soon be lost if we aren’t watchful.
DEADLINE

A survivor, provocateur, and true original, Marianne has spent more than six decades defying expectations — 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, creativity and relentless public scrutiny.

The film unfolds within The Ministry of Not Forgetting — an imagined, cinematic institution where memory and mythology collide. Featuring a cast led by Tilda Swinton and George MacKay, alongside Sophia Di Martino, Zawe Ashton and Calvin Demba. With powerful, intimate performances from friends and collaborators including Nick Cave & Warren Ellis, Jehnny Beth, Courtney Love, Suki Waterhouse and Beth Orton.

Broken English is a genre-defying act of resilience and rebellion. Marianne Faithfull’s final fearless declaration — her defiant swan song.

BEHIND THE SCENES

Photography: Joseph Lynn and Dan Mckenzie Cossou

Suitably maverick and unconventional, Broken English is not just a documentary about Faithfull, it’s a film which is fully infused with her distinctive spirit—free, candid and rebellious to the core. A fitting and very affecting tribute.
SCREEN INTERNATIONAL

Details

: A RUSTIC CANYON and PHANTOSCOPIC production in association with Magna Studios, Globe Originals, Q&A Entertainment and Cold Iron Pictures
A film by: Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard
Produced by: Beth Earl
Written by: Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard with Ian Martin
Additional material: Will Maclean
The Overseer: Tilda Swinton
The Performances: Beth Orton with Warren Ellis
: Suki Waterhouse with Adrian Utley
: Courtney Love with Barry Reynolds and Thurston Moore, Debbie Googe, Adrian Utley, Rob Ellis, Ben Christophers
: Ed Harcourt
: Jehnny Beth with Johnny Hostile and choreographer Kate Coyne
: Marianne Faithfull with Nick Cave & Warren Ellis and David Courts
The Debate: Edith Bowman (The Moderator)
: Sophie Fiennes, Sophia Guillory, Katy Hessel, Natasha Khan, Harriet Vyner
The Engineer: Chris Deane
The Record Keeper: George MacKay
The Researcher: Sophia Di Martino
The Media Archivist: Zawe Ashton
The Replacement: Calvin Demba
The Narrator: Derek Jacobi
The Voice Artist: Kerry Shale
The Composer: Rob Ellis with Adrian Utley and Ben Christophers
Cinematography: Daniel Landin BSC
Additional Cinematography: Erik Alexander Wilson BSC and Derrick Peters
Production Design: Alison Dominitz
Costume Design: Jerry Stafford
Ministry Identity and Title Design: Barnbrook
Ministry Concept Design Renderings: Raj Patel and Andreea Felciuci
First Assistant Director: Simon Rooke
Editor: Luke Clayton Thompson
Sound Design: Martin Pavey
Music Supervisor: Lucy Bright
Production Sound Mixers: Adam Laschinger, Alan Mac Feely
Archive Producers: Kate Griffiths, Mike Griffiths, Tess McNally-Watson
Co-Producers: Liam Coutts, Laura Rees
Executive Producers: Thomas Benski, Marisa Clifford, Isabel Davis, Tim O'Shea, Marc Robinson, Victoria Steventon, Julia Xu
Co-Executive Producers: Miranda Bailey, Oliver Hsu, Jennifer Lin, Cristina Ljungberg, Tien-Tsung Ma, Stuart Souter, Julia Stier, Alvin Wang
Picture Post: Dirty Looks
Colourist: Gareth Bishop
Running time: 99 minutes