Silver Haze is a heart-warming drama that follows the steps of Franky (played by Vicky Knight) as she navigates life, sexuality, and loss. The film is directed by Sacha Polak, winner of several film awards, including a BAFTA (Breakthrough Brit). Knight and Polak’s previous work together, DIRTY GOD gave Vicky Knight a British Independent Film Award in the Best Actress category.
The film brings us closer to Vicky Knight, as it is loosely based on her own life. Knight was a survivor of a fire as a child. That relationship to trauma is explored in the film in a much broader way, how it developed as she grew up, and all the scars – mental and physical – it left.
At the first instance, SILVER HAZE might feel like a story about love and sexuality. Franky works as a healthcare assistant by day and develops a relationship with one of her patients, Florence (Esmé Creed-Miles), a suicide survivor that seeks refuge in what Franky offers her. As the film unravels with their relationship and the trauma and anger they carry from their past are exposed, multiple layers are touched upon. All of the characters have their own background and personal journey, even the secondary ones, making the audience laugh and cry and love them in their unique ways.
Polak is a master who leaves nothing to the wilderness, nothing flat. Silver Haze is not only a film about love and hope, it is also about ups and downs, about connections – and connections through other connections – about loss, and pain, and about growth. It is a tale about not giving up. About creating your own community. With a well-rounded conclusion, Sacha Polak and the brilliant cast leave us feeling like we just went on a rollercoaster, dizzy, not sure how to stabilize ourselves.
Another charm of the movie is the crew, a personal touch Polak talks about when interviewed – “I opted for a minimal crew and just started exploring. During the shoot, everyone would wear their own clothes and do their own makeup”. This mix between reality and fiction is captivating – a personal film that is not in a documentary style and therefore gives the director and crew the freedom to explore so much more. Knight’s own sister played as her sister in the film (Charlotte Knight), and everyone in the cast, ‘Even if they lacked experience, they gave it their all’. Vicky Knight is a natural, an artist, and she is surrounded by compelling performances throughout the film. A clear example that taking risks might end up being a great idea.
Sacha Polak creates a tender yet intense story about the complications and simplicity of life. These contradictions make the film relatable, accomplished and perfected.
Written and directed by Sacha Polak (Dirty God). Produced by Marleen Slot & Mike Elliott for Viking Film and EMU Films
Cast: Vicky Knight, Esmé Creed-Miles, Charlotte Knight, Archie Brigden, Angela Bruce
Interview with Sacha Polak by Marta Balaga
A BFI Distribution release. Dinard Film Festival – Best Film Award
Review by Eva Mateos Rodriguez
Eva is an eclectic artist specialising in acting, writing and songwriting. She has been part of several performances, responses and exhibitions, and is now a student of the MA Creative Writing at Birkbeck University.
Read Eva’s latest Review: Gamble – Touring until 28 March – Abundant Art
