Forsyth and Pollard worked on the film for four years, during which time they met with the British singer at least every other month.
We spent a lot of time with her and became close. So when she died, it felt like losing a friend.
“Broken English” is a film about a woman who was thrown into a whirlwind of men, drugs and gossip at a very young age, but who managed to survive. The film is structured as an archival investigation of her life, with Tilda Swinton as a guide.
Breathing with oxygen
Loads of clips are interspersed with an interview with Marianne Faithfull, who breathes with the help of an oxygen machine. She is elderly and at times tormented, but still close to laughing, and her voice remains the same unmistakably raspy one heard in classic songs like “Broken English” and “The Ballad of Lucy Jordan.”
When Faithfull died, they were almost finished with the film.
But we had to think about what we had and what we wanted to do with it. She was gone, and the film had to acknowledge that, and it couldn't be some kind of standard thing with different dates. That would feel foreign in a film that lived on her humor and artistry and her brilliance, courage and attitude.
No "tombstone"
The most important thing for them was not to turn the film into a "tombstone" for Marianne Faithfull.
It couldn't be an obituary. It was important to say that, yes, she has passed away, but that we did it in a way that wasn't exaggerated.
How did Marianne Faithfull agree to participate?
Marianne had met a lot of people who didn't treat her nicely and became very, very good at reading people quickly. And she understood that we weren't hostile, we weren't looking to dig up shit, we wanted to make a film where her creativity met our creativity.
Jane Pollard herself thinks that what is most touching in “Broken English” are the scenes where Faithfull watches old clips.
"The most revealing thing in the film is the older Marianne's eyes when she sees clips of the young Marianne. It's touching. In a way, they merge. We go from face to face and see the same eyes, the same smile, we see the same willingness to be open-hearted and to tell stories," she says.
Facts: Marianne Faithfull
Born: 1946.
Death: 2025.
Background: Made her debut in 1964 with "As Tears Go By," written by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham. Her debut album, "Marianne Faithfull," was also a huge success. She had a much-discussed relationship with Mick Jagger for many years.
During the 1970s, her career was hampered by drug abuse. In 1979, Faithfull made a comeback with the album "Broken English", which was followed by "Dangerous Acquaintances" and "A Child's Adventure".
In 1994, the autobiography "Faithfull" was published.
Current: The film "Broken English" has its Swedish cinema premiere on Friday, May 15.
Source: National Encyclopedia
