Drawn from his own family memories, Distant Voices, Still Lives is a strikingly intimate portrait of working class life in 1940s and 1950s Liverpool. Focusing on the real-life experiences of his mother, sisters and brother whose lives are thwarted by their brutal, sadistic father, the film shows us beauty and terror in equal measure. Davies paints a lyrical portrait of family life – of love, grief, and the highs and lows of being human, a ‘poetry of the everyday' that is at once deeply autobiographical and universally resonant.

Winner of the International Critics’ Prize, Cannes 1988

Press and media coverage:

• Mark Kermode reviews Distant Voices, Still Lives | BFI Player

• BFI - David Wilson: Distant Voices, Still Lives archive review: Terence Davies’ extraordinary film (reproduced from 1988)
• BFI - Interview by Sam Wigley: Terence Davies on Distant Voices Still Lives, 30 years later (3 September 2018)
• The Guardian - Peter Bradshaw: Distant Voices, Still Lives review – vividly present autobiographical masterpiece (August 2018)
• Collider - Sean Naughton: The Fractured Structure of 'Distant Voices, Still Lives' Paints a Complex Family Portrait (9 June 2022)