Distant Voices Still Lives

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