Tuesday, 3 March 2026

6th Hebden Bridge Film Festival: 20-22 March

Broken English

Daring documentary portrait of Marianne Faithfull

- Q&A With Ed Harcourt

The Hebden Bridge Film Festival is delighted to announce a screening of Broken English, a bold and genre-defying documentary about seminal British singer-songwriter and cultural icon Marianne Faithfull, on Saturday 21 March at 8:15pm (doors 7:45pm) at the Hebden Bridge Picture House, as part of its 2026 programme.

Directed by acclaimed filmmakers Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard, Broken English has screened at major international festivals including Venice and Sundance, and serves as a richly textured, inventive exploration of Faithfull's remarkable life and legacy.

The film blends interviews, rare archive material and musical performances to confront common misconceptions about Faithfull's career, and to celebrate her fierce creativity and resilience amid fame, adversity and public scrutiny.

Spanning more than six decades, from her early rise in London's music scene and relationships with key figures of the era, to her continual reinvention as a solo artist, the film culminates in her final recorded performance, a moving rendition of "Misunderstanding" from her 2018 album Negative Capability, performed with Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. A poignant testament to an artist who refused to be defined by sensational headlines or reductive narratives, the film offers both longtime fans and newcomers alike a memorable cinematic experience that honours Faithfull's extraordinary life.

Film Festival Director Louise Wadley says, "We're incredibly excited to share Broken English at this year's festival. It's an inventive tribute to a fearless artist whose influence went far beyond the headlines, and having Ed Harcourt join us for the Q&A, bringing his own experience of working with Marianne, will make this a truly special event."

This screening is expected to sell out, and early booking is strongly advised. Tickets for the March 21 screening of Broken English are available to book here.

Full programme details are due to be announced on Friday 6 March 2026, at which point tickets for the remaining screenings will go on sale at hebdenbridgefilmfestival.org.

About the Hebden Bridge Film Festival

The Hebden Bridge Film Festival in association with the beautifully restored, state-of-the-art Hebden Bridge Picture House cinema and, for the first time this year, Hebden Bridge's renowned venue The Trades Club, brings artists and diverse audiences together to celebrate storytelling.

With strong roots in local and independent film, the Film Festival is synonymous with creative expression and entertainment. The Festival brings film lovers to the Calder Valley, champions emerging and established voices, and introduces new ideas through exclusive premieres, exhibitions, conversations, and live performances.

The festival was founded by Louise Wadley and Jay Rutovitz in 2019 to champion the stories of those who exist in the margins, sit outside the mainstream or just plain don't fit in, and promote films produced and directed by women, LGBTQ, working-class and BME filmmakers and filmmakers with disabilities.

Full programme details are due to be announced on Friday 6 March 2026, at which point tickets for the remaining screenings will go on sale the Film Society's Ticket Source page.