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Dreams of a Life

PG
Carol Morley, 90 mins, UK, 2011, Digital Betacam. Source: Madman Entertainment. Courtesy: Madman Entertainment.

Dreams of a Life

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Award-winning filmmaker Carol Morley (The Alcohol Years) returns with one of the year's most captivating and unforgettable films.

In 2006, the British press reported on a woman discovered in a north London council flat some three years after she had died. With the television and heater still on, she was surrounded by Christmas presents wrapped and ready to share. The discovery begged the question of how someone can just get lost in a world where we are seemingly bombarded with surveillance and technological connectivity.

Intrigued by the story, Carol Morley set about uncovering the mystery woman, posting advertisements in local papers and on the side of black cabs asking for anyone who knew 38 year old Joyce Vincent. Over time an eclectic group of people emerged and through their personal stories and recollections, they helped to resurrect an enigmatic beauty, who was equal parts vivacious party girl and recluse.

Morley drew influence from Agnes Varda's 1985 film Vagabond to craft a multi-layered film that unfurls with each new interviewee adding another piece to this fascinating jigsaw. The resulting film is not only a compelling examination of an individual life but also a vibrant portrait of London and its inhabitants.