Part film, part theatre, part fever dream – The Extraordinary Miss Flower is heading our way

The Extraordinary Miss Flower is a new performance film by Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard (20,000 Days on Earth), bringing to life the remarkable story of the extraordinary Geraldine Flower and the discovery of a suitcase of letters sent to her in the 60s and 70s that inspired acclaimed Icelandic singer/songwriter Emilíana Torrini to return to the studio.

Part film, part theatre, part fever dream — The Extraordinary Miss Flower takes the form of a series of specially designed performances by Emilíana and her band, combined with dramatic scenes and readings from letters by well-known actors and musicians. It’s ultimately a heartfelt love letter to the enduring power of creativity and friendship.

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 Richard Ayoade, Siggi Baldursson, Nick Cave, Alice Lowe, Mark Monero, Niall Murphy and Angus Sampson in supporting roles, plus the voice of Sophie Ellis-Bextor. Choreographer Kate Coyne performs alongside Viva Seifert and Saeed Esmaeli. The band is Simon Byrt, Mara Carlyle, Liam Hutton, Ian Kellett and Lovisa Sigrunardottir.

THE EXTRAORDINARY MISS FLOWER is backed by Sam Dyson and Distiller Music, and was shot at Distillery II studio, near Bristol. Produced by Zoe Flower, co-produced by Andy Starke with Executive Producers Ben Wheatley, Beth Earl, Anna Hildur Hildibrandsdottir. Key crew include Cinematographer Erik Wilson BSC, Simon Byrt (musical director), Susie Coulthard (costume designer), Emma Rios (production designer / illustrator) and Anna Randall (hair and make-up designer).

The project started with a remarkable discovery made by Emilíana and her friends, Zoe 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 fueled 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.

“We spend an outrageous amount of time thinking about new ways to hybridise music and film. After a chance meeting with Emilíana in Reykjavik, we knew she’d be a remarkable collaborator for a hybrid project like this. She’s spellbinding, a true raconteur with a permanent twinkle in her eye. This film is about capturing an alchemical performance, in collaboration with the camera. For us, that point of intersection is where real magic happens,” said Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard.

“Being involved with this film was a mad and riveting experience. I’ve never been on a film set like this before, and I still don’t really know what happened. I am in total awe of Zoe, Iain and Jane to pull this off in such a short time. The artists and crew were incredible and showed such a deep understanding of where these songs came from, emotionally and creatively. A huge thank you to Sam and the team at Distiller for believing in the project and supporting us,” added Emilíana Torrini.