Made in Dagenham

[Beate]

First of all huge thanks to TheyCallMeMrGlass who received an invitation for 3 people and shared it with the OH and myself!

As it’s a test screening I don’t want to tell you too much about the film itself, but the process around it is equally interesting I think. Invitation cards were handed out at the Apollo Piccadilly Circus a few days before the screening, with people being asked questions to see whether they matched a certain profile. Apparently it’s not good to say you watch a lot of previews! MrGlass then had to call a phone number to confirm attendance, and was asked for full names, ages and professions. I was suddenly 8 years younger and working in marketing, LOL! I think they just want to make sure that no one from the film industry is attending. I then phoned them to provide additional information and to put the OH on the list as well. It said something on the invitation about camera phones not being allowed but there was no security at the screening, we were just asked to switch our phones off, and walked straight in after handing the invitation over. They did however make sure that no single seats were left dotted around and I believe it was near enough 100% full – great attendance! At 7.05pm a woman made a short welcome speech and said the clarity and sound of the film was still a work in progress, but I thought it was mostly fine. She also said we would be handed questionnaires after the film which we were asked to fill in.

The film is a “British comedy drama” about women’s fight for equal p*y in the 60s at the Ford Dagenham car plant, with the working title “Dagenham Girls”. They gave us alternative titles on the questionnaire later, which I won’t mention and none of which sounded particularly inspiring, but once one is chosen and on a cinema poster, it will probably work! The cast was wonderful, Bob Hoskins, Sally Hawkins, Rosamunde Pike, Miranda Richardson and Daniel Mays to name a few. I thought the film was excellent, I love stories that are steeped in realism, and it had a lot of Full Monty / Calendar Girls flair.

It’s funny, it’s emotional, it’s uplifting and even at its test state this one deserves a 9/10! The Brits really do make good films!

[The Sparrow]

Oh I know that film, it's currently known as 'We Want Sex' isn't it?

I read about that on IMDB and thought it sounded interesting

[Beate]

It's now apparently called "Made in Dagenham". Not a particularly thrilling title if you ask me. Also not out before September now.

[EthanRunt]

Is it set as Made In Dagenham? Can't remember between that and Dagenham Girls, they seemed to have a change of title fest last year.

[Beate]

Well I read in the Metro that Jamie Winstone's new film Made in Dagenham was due to come out soon (the soon is debatable I think) and when you look on imdb, every other title reroutes you to "Made in Dagenham".

[a_person]

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/ ... 301649.ece

THE director of Calendar Girls has signed up four of Britain’s leading actresses for a similarly life-affirming film about a group of women determined to take control of their fate.

Yesterday, at the Cannes film festival, Nigel Cole announced that Miranda Richardson, Rosamund Pike, Andrea Riseborough and Sally Hawkins would appear in a film telling the story of a strike by a group of sewing-machine operators at the Ford plant in Dagenham, east London.

The action in 1968 was a landmark in the battle for equal p*y between the sexes.

The film will be called We Want Sex. Its title comes from the banner that the striking women took with them to Westminster to protest for better conditions.

The full wording was “We Want Sex Equality” but the last word could not be seen in photographs because the banner was not properly unfurled.

The film was announced in Cannes by its producer, Stephen Woolley, whose previous movies include The Crying Game and Mona Lisa.

He said the film would be “both dramatic and humorous”. He added: “The strike was a turning point for women and the way they brought to notice their conditions at the factory.”

Hawkins, who plays one of the workers, was seen last year in Happy-Go-Lucky, a Mike Leigh film in which she played a teacher, a role for which she won a Golden Globe.

“We are tying to make a film here which has very wide appeal, especially for women,” said Cole, who hopes his movie will have a similar “feel-good and inspirational” plot to Calendar Girls, which told the true story of a group of Women’s Institute members who stripped off for a calendar and has now been turned into a West End show.

The 1968 strike in support of p*y closer to that of men with similar skills brought the Dagenham plant and then the whole of Ford in Britain to a halt for three weeks.

The plant itself will not be used as a location for the film when filming starts in six weeks. Instead, it will be made at an old Hoover factory at Merthyr Tydfil in south Wales.

[TheyCallMeMrGlass]

The thing is that was the best joke in the film. In the film we know they were campaigning for womens equality so when they held the banner unaware it didnt fully unravel, it was hilarious. So the title "We want sex" might have diminished the joke. Pity though. "Made in Dagenham" is too dull. What happened to the days when Britain was more daring with their titles like "Everything you wanted to know about sex but were afraid to ask" "Carry on Dick/Up the Kyber" "No Sex please, we're British"?

It was a very good film though, and quite historically enlightening. The mood of it was pretty much like Brassed Off, a drama first and foremost but with plenty of natural humour. Loved the period setting of the 60s too. Felt complete despite the fact we saw it a year before its intended release.

[Beate]

Yeah but "We Want Sex" does not tell you what the film is about and would confuse people about the content, I think. I thought Dagenham Girls was ok, Made in Dagenham does sound dull, I must admit. I am really looking forward to seeing the finished article, whatever the name though!

[Beate]

Saw a trailer for this before SATC2 so with a bit of luck this might give us previews soon. Have thus renamed this thread with the proper film title.

[TheyCallMeMrGlass]

What a shame then it wasnt called "We want sex" just so we can have it as a thread name!