The Extraordinary Miss Flower

A spellbinding biographical performance film, directed by Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard (20,000 Days on Earth) and starring Emiliana Torrini alongside Caroline Catz.

The Extraordinary Miss Flower brings to life the remarkable story of Geraldine Flower and the discovery of a suitcase full of passionate, heartfelt letters of love sent to her in the 60s and 70s that inspired acclaimed Icelandic singer/songwriter Emilíana Torrini to return to the studio and record an entire album of new songs, Miss Flower (Grönland Records).

Part film, part theatre, part fever dream, the film takes the form of a series of specially designed performances by Emilíana and her band, combined with dramatic scenes and readings from the letters by well-known actors and musicians. It is a collaborative and captivating creative response to an incredible story.

As well as performing ten songs, Emilíana Torrini acts for the first time — alongside Caroline Catz (Delia Derbyshire: The Myths and Legendary Tapes) as ‘Miss Flower’. The film also features Nick Cave, Richard Ayoade, Alice Lowe, Siggi Baldursson, Mark Monero, Niall Murphy and Angus Sampson in supporting roles, plus the voice of singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor. Choreographer Kate Coyne (formally Michael Clark company) performs alongside Viva Seifert and Saeed Esmaeli. The band is Simon Byrt, Mara Carlyle, Liam Hutton, Ian Kellett and Lovisa Sigrunardottir.

The project started with a discovery made by Emilíana and her friends, Zoe Flower and her husband Simon. Following the passing of Zoe's mother, they found a case of treasured letters, telexes and photographs. Delving through the case they uncovered traces of an extraordinary life full of secrets and lifelong friendships, tales of travel, adventure, and love. With her imagination fuelled by these intoxicating fragments, Emilíana embarked on a creative odyssey. Working with her long-time musical collaborator, Simon Byrt, these letters blossomed into a suite of new songs. Miss Flower is Emilíana’s first solo record for ten years, and a stunning evocation of a woman’s life, reimagined with love and artistic license by one of the most innovative artists of this era. Emilíana is a magical and magnetic storyteller, her warmth and talent are compelling. She is the central figure in this film and acts as a spellbinding theatrical embodiment of this creative endeavour.

Directors Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard have worked collaboratively as artists and filmmakers since meeting at Goldsmiths in the mid-nineties. Their BAFTA-nominated debut feature, 20,000 Days on Earth, is a creative documentary about Nick Cave. It premiered at Sundance in 2014, winning Directing and Editing awards. The same year, they won the Douglas Hickox Award for Best Debut Director at the British Independent Film Awards.