The Venice Film Festival revisits the life and career of British singer-songwriter Marianne Faithfull in Broken English, a film blending documentary and fiction to correct her often misrepresented public image.
“Marianne was truly an artist’s artist, but her public image had become stagnant. If left to AI, flawed data would remain flawed,” said Jane Pollard, who co-directed the film with Iain Forsyth.
Though often remembered as Mick Jagger’s former partner, Faithfull released over 30 albums of her own. The film portrays her through interviews conducted before her death at 78 last January.
“When Marianne passed, many obituaries led with Mick Jagger’s ex-girlfriend dies. Imagine being defined by a brief youthful relationship,” Forsyth remarked.
Set in the fictional Ministry of Not Forgetting, the film uses extensive archive material, focusing on Faithfull’s creative work rather than her rock-and-roll lifestyle and drug addiction in London’s 60s.
“Why a Ministry of Not Forgetting? Many artists’ legacies would be misrepresented by AI algorithms,” Pollard said before the premiere.
“I hope our film sparks a conversation about reevaluating Marianne as an artist and how we view female artists in the media, which hasn’t changed much in 50 years,” added Forsyth.
Named after Faithfull’s 1979 comeback album, Broken English stars Tilda Swinton as the ministry’s overseer and George MacKay as a record keeper and interviewer.
In her final musical performance, Faithfull, who battled severe Covid-19, sings Misunderstanding from her 2018 album Negative Capability with Nick Cave and Warren Ellis.
“Performing despite Covid’s toll on her body and needing oxygen to sing was incredibly moving,” MacKay shared.
Faithfull passed during production, but the directors affirm the film reflects 99 per cent of their vision.
Broken English screens out of competition at Venice, meaning it won’t contend for the Golden Lion award on September 6.
