BFF THELMA & LOUISE: TANYA & LUCY REVISIT 30 YEARS ON

In 1991 as a teenager in Telford, England the filmmaker and her best friend went to the cinema to watch Thelma & Louise. On the way home they were empowered and full of joy. But this feeling did not last as the reality of everyday sexual violence and harassment that Thelma and Louise faced in the film, penetrated their own lives.

Through the lens of a smartphone the film explores intimate memories of friendship and reflects on the cultural relevance and legacy of Thelma & Louise (Ridley Scott, 1991). The documentary was shot during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021 to mark the 30th anniversary of Thelma & Louise and was inspired by the Once Upon a Screen series of video essays produced in 2020 and the work of video essayist Kevin B. Lee.

The film has screened at prestigious festivals worldwide and is the winner of two international prizes. Best Mobile Film at Berlin Indie Short Film Festival and Best Producer - International at the African Smartphone International Film Festival.

The film had its European premier at the Venice Intercultural Film Festival in July 2021 where it received an Honourable Mention. It was then selected to screen at the prestigious Toronto Independent Film Festival in September, and at the Boston Women’s Film Festival in the USA in October - one of only five short documentaries to receive an official selection out of thousands of global submissions. Its South American premiere was in October 2021 at CineFem, the International Women's Film Festival in Punta del Este, Uruguay.

The film was made with the support of ACI Research and Enterprise and was inspired by a series of workshops led by filmmaker-in-residence, Professor Kevin B. Lee, organised by the Practice as Research Arts Group. It reflects on a formative teen-hood memory relating to Thelma & Louise (Ridley Scott, 1991) and combines mobile technology, and autoethnographic methods to explore memory and the wider cultural relevance and legacy of Thelma & Louise.

The film aims to spotlight underrepresented issues such as sexual harassment and violence against women which sadly are as pertinent today as they were 30 years ago when Thelma & Louise was released. Lucy hope's the film will empower other women and students to pick up their mobile phones and cameras and tell their own stories to drive social change.

Note the film is currently password protected while it completes its festival run

The trailer is available here https://vimeo.com/637131360