Nectar

Loving the life you have lived

Written and directed by Liz Crow
Produced by Abigail Davies
2005 16 minute drama
High definition transferred to Beta, VHS and DVD
With audio description, captioning and BSL interpretation

Working class Walter Kendall has lived all his 91 years in the same city. After his beloved wife Gloria dies, he is overtaken with memories of the day he discovered what he really wanted from life.

It's 1931 and Walter is a young deaf swimmer bound for glory. But on the eve of selection for the Olympic squad, Walter knows with sudden clarity that the dream he is following is not his own. Can he find the courage to turn from the expectations of others towards a life and language of his own? Trusting his instincts, Walter finds that simplicity can make for the sweetest of lives.

"A beautifully directed, warm and entertaining drama with great performances and an evocative period atmosphere. Nectar is surprising, thought provoking and memorable"
Peter Cattaneo, Director, The Full Monty

"The jewel of the festival... an exceptional achievement."
Disability Now

"A beautifully directed, evocative, well-crafted period set piece."
Paul Trijbits, UK Film Council New Cinema Fund

"A wonderful story that draws you in and takes you away. I couldn't bear to blink. The film is shot with the detailed attention of a word perfect poet and takes the use of words in films to a new level. When the credits start rolling the viewer is left thinking. I can't stop thinking about it, I like thinking films. I have heard of nectars that must be tasted, this Nectar has to be seen."
Benjamin Zephaniah, poet

"Liz Crow's Nectar is a beautifully crafted, classy piece of quality, mainstream drama that enchants, intrigues and delights the viewer."
Mat Fraser, actor, presenter and musician

"Nectar made me cry like a big girl. I think it's great. Great performances, looks amazing, great sound design. Ah hell, it's fantastic."
Ben Blaine, Mobile Cinema

"A sweet uplifting film about making your own choice. A simple story, yet very moving, showing different kinds of courage and consequential emotions portrayed so well by actors Jacob Casselden and Ian Chandler. I can predict a deaf audience cheering when they see what Walter does with his hearing aid."
Caroline Parker, Deaf performer

"Nectar is up there with the likes of Notting Hill and Love Actually."
Evening Post

"...a poignant love story....a gem"
Superfest

"A highly professional, must-see film. It is a simple but poignant love story that subtly intertwines with complex Deaf cultural, sign language, disability and access issues. Once seen, this film will not be forgotten."
Forest Books

"With glorious cinematography and exquisite attention to detail, established British director Liz Crow creates a cinematic jewel."
University of Mary Washington

Screenings of Nectar include:

• Premiere at Arnolfini, Bristol
• Trailer screened at VisionSign event, Watershed, with QA session with director
• Trailer screened at HD event at Cube Cinema, Bristol
• Disability Film Festival, London
• Picture This Film Festival, Canada
• Bird's Eye View Film Festival
• South West Disability Film Festival, Exeter.
• Bodies of Work, Chicago
• Superfest, Berkeley, USA
• Filmstock, Luton
• Disability Rights Commission
• International Disability Film Showcase, San Fransisco
• Plymouth International Film Festival, Massachusetts, USA
• Mimosa Festival, The Sage, Gateshead
• International Cinema and Video Festival of the Deaf, Milan
• Moscow International Disability Film Festival
• Plymouth Exchange, UK
• Danish Disability Film Festival
• DaDaFest
• British Deaf Association's Deaf Arts and Film Festival
• British Deaf Association BSL Recognition Day
• Deaf Rochester Film Festival, New York
• Borderlines Film Festival, Hereford
• Purbeck Film Festival
• Skylight Cinema, Devon
• The Great Create, Devon
• Abilityfest, Chennai, India
• Deaf in the Picture, Amsterdam
• Projections Film Festival, Toronto
• Retour d'Image, Paris
• Disability Arts and Culture, Oregon
• Deaf Studies Today Film Festival
• University of Mary Washington
• Utah Valley State College
• Outside Centre Disability Film Festival, Wolverhampton
• Bird's Eye View international touring programme
• Propellor TV (forthcoming)

Merit Award, Superfest 2006
Governor of California's Media Access Award 2006
DVD of the Month, One in Seven magazine
Best Male Actor, Best Director, Best Short Film, International Cinema and Video Festival of the Deaf, Milan, 2006
Honorable Mention, Projections Film Festival 2007

Writer-Director	Liz Crow
Producer	Abigail Davies
Director of Photography	Terry Flaxton
Production Designer	Simon Hicks
Editor	Bim Ajadi
Composer	Barnaby Taylor
Co-Producer	Rachel Drummond-Hay
Assistant Producer	Sue Fairbanks
Deaf Consultant	Lorna Allsop
Audio Description Consultant	Raina Haig
Production Assistant	Martin Elston
Main Cast	Jacob Casselden Ian Chandler Joe Hall Poppy Roberts
Production	Roaring Girl Productions in association with DA2

 

This production included a traineeship for a deaf production team member, funded by ITV West.

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This page last modified: 28 Jun 2008