Being an independent filmmaker is a tough life – armed with a screenplay that can't be filed under blockbuster, edgy hipster fodder or wacky comedy how do you get the commercials right so you can make it? Fortunately everything worked beautifully in this case and Day of the Flowers is that rare thing that British filmmakers often do best - it's a finely-crafted film about people. Set in Glasgow and Cuba the film examines the relationship between two sisters and their dead parents as they travel to Cuba to scatter their father's ashes. The unfolding story is a road movie, a drama and a gentle comedy of manners all rolled into one and is utterly engaging. The interplay between Rosa (Eva Birthistle) and Ailie (Charity Wakefield) is beautifully written and acted. If it's the well-judged pace and dialogue that keep the audience engaged the Cuban scenery and music play a big part too and any political analysis quickly gives way to the far more important consideration of the human condition.
Review of Day of the Flowers
