CLARE DUNNE

Delivering an uncompromisingly powerful performance, beloved Irish stage actor Clare Dunne makes a triumphant transition to the silver screen, working from a beautiful and deft script she co-wrote with Malcolm Campbell (What Richard Did). Sandra (Dunne) finds herself and her two spirited young daughters floating between temporary living situations, none of them ideal or sustainable. One night, at the height of desperation, Sandra’s witty and precocious eldest daughter Emma tells a bedtime story and unwittingly gifts her an idea—if the perfect home doesn’t exist, why not build it herself? The third feature from Phyllida Lloyd (Mamma Mia!; The Iron Lady), which premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, is a stirring and profoundly empathetic tale of empowerment and reclamation. Offering its subjects and themes the complexity and sensitivity they deserve, Lloyd infuses the film with an uplifting and life-affirming temper, as Dunne gives this soulful drama its tremendous heart.

Following the film, our Spotlight Program will feature a video conversation with Clare Dunne and the presentation of the MVFF Award.