A film celebrating Hackney’s impressive female historical figures will premiere at Dalston’s Rio Cinema this International Women’s Day (Sunday, 8 March).
Women from Hackney’s History is a new film by the Hackney Society spotlighting the life and work of 11 women with ties to the borough. Inspired by a two-part book series of the same name, the film hopes to honour important figures that history has forgotten.
Janet Chapman, chair of the Hackney Society, told East End Review: “We're well aware that women and other [marginalised] groups are underrepresented in the way that history is portrayed.
“Our books are an ongoing attempt to change that, and the film is part of that process. But also, the film does show some of the amazing built heritage that we've got in Hackney as well”.
The team behind the film includes director and producer Barney Snow; actress Nina Sprigge, who was also ‘instrumental’ in coaching fellow actors and developing the script; and Sue Doe, editor of the second Women from Hackney’s History book, upon which much of the film is based.
The first Women from Hackney’s History book, featuring 113 women, was published on International Women’s Day in 2021, while the second came out on the same date last year.
“It was a collaboration of around 15 women from the society who have always been of the view that women are underrepresented in our history and wanted to do something about that”, Chapman added.
The books inspired the creation of the 2022 film Women of Abney, which tells the story of overlooked female historical figures buried in Abney Cemetery. For the society, a film with a wider scope was a logical next step.
The new film predominantly focuses on the women featured in the second book. However, an exception was made for Clara Ludski - a key figure from the first book and played in the film by Sprigge - who converted the Rio from an auctioneer’s shop into one of London’s first cinemas in 1909.
At that time, it was called Kingsland Palace of Animated Pictures. “She [has] such an amazing story and we wanted to have the opening at the Rio”, Chapman added.
“It’s such an iconic cinema with such an amazing past in terms of promoting hHckney's diversity generally, but also particularly [when it comes to] women”.
Chapman continued: “We're knocked out by how amazing this film is. We're incredibly grateful to [Snow] and to [Sprigge], and to [Doe], who edited the second book and has been really key in giving historical advice.
“All of those people are long-term Hackney residents, so it's really a labour of love”.
The Hackney Society is also crowdfunding for a plaque in Ludski’s honour. The fundraising page reads: “Clara’s plaque is part of a wider project to honour the lives and legacies of people who shaped Hackney - particularly its women - but have gone unacknowledged for too long”.
Tickets for the screening are available from the Rio Cinema website. The fundraiser for Clara Ludski’s plaque can be found here.
