UnLonely Film Festival 6
Wannabe
A hilarious, heart warming docu-drama about a group of elderly women who form a Spice Girls tribute band to earn a quick buck when one friend can’t pay the bills.
Consider This
Watch this video to explore the film’s meaning and major themes a bit more. Talking with others about a shared arts experience can enrich our perspectives. Share your thoughts in the comment section, below!
Meet the Filmmaker
What is their why?
“By telling the story of five older women, I hoped to depict a snapshot of real people rarely seen on screen. Weaving in details from their day-to-day lives, Wannabe tells a story that accurately reflects their lives in austerity-era Britain. Anita, a cleaner who plays Scary Spice, for example, has seen her increasingly precarious job become outsourced more and more while her shifts are cut. As a woman in her mid-70s, chances of finding new work in an economic system that favours young, male and physically-abled bodies are slim. The reality of struggling to make ends meet affects her mental health on a daily basis, and as anyone living in rented accommodation knows, there is little margin for error or misfortune.”
Dorothy Allen-Pickard is a filmmaker and multidisciplinary theatre-maker from South-East London. In 2019, she received the BFI New Talent Award and was named as one of Broadcast’s Hotshots. She has a particular interest in merging aspects of documentary, fiction and theatre to explore subjects such as mental health, disability and the social and political changes that affect those who are marginalised. She’s the co-founder and video editor of the film journal Another Gaze and a member of the award-winning multimedia theatre company Breach. Recently, Dorothy completed an MA in Directing Fiction at Goldsmiths University and is currently developing her debut dramatic feature, Weekend Dad.
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I loved and am truly moved by your film. Any of us could be Anita whether it is social, financial, health, emotional distress. What a gift to be cared for beyond personal limits. Uncertainty and isolation met by grace and friendship. It takes us alot of us to bring about change.
What an incredible film that shows the courage, kindness and struggles of seniors and the generosity of youngsters when they are asked for aid. I was moved to tears by the courage. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Congratulations
Congratulations!
Great film. I really wanted to see their performance and then them counting the cash!
P.S. From my previous comment: a sequel with the show or their second show! i loved this girl gang.
As others before me mentioned, I would have loved to see the performance and see if the ladies were able to make some money to help out their friend. Maybe a Part 2; Wannabe 2- The concert film?
In terms of getting older and trying to prepare ourselves financially for when we can no longer work, it’s kind of terrifying. We work to ensure we are financially viable for the long term, but if not planned properly, any catastrophic illness or other debt can tip us into financial ruin.
It’s hard to reach out to friends during this time, as we don’t want to burden others with our problems, especially if we know our friends are likely trying to keep themselves afloat as well.