The Hackney Society and the Tower Theatre Company are excited to announce a new documentary film, Women from Hackney’s History, premiering at Dalston’s iconic Rio Theatre on Sunday 8th March, coinciding with International Women’s Day.
Produced and directed by Hackney-based filmmaker Barney Snow, the film tells the stories of 11 important women from Hackney’s past, ranging from 1670 all the way to the mid-20th century.
Based on The Hackney Society’s book Women from Hackney’s History II, edited by local historian and Hackney resident Sue Doe, the film will see these previously little-known, yet significant, stories played out on screen for the first time.
Most lived before suffrage and the right to vote, and many of their remarkable achievements went unrecognised. For some, their lives have until now existed only in the memories passed down by surviving family members.
From women who scoredremarkable firsts, to a pioneering businesswoman and the founder of Dalston’s Rio Cinema, the film seeks to celebrate and commemorate the lives of these inspiring Hackney women, keeping their stories alive as part of the borough’s cultural heritage. The film will launch fittingly on Sunday 8th March, International Women’s Day, linking the Women of Hackney’s History with the women of its present and future.
One of the eleven women featured is Clara Ludski, a pioneer of British cinema-going, who established the Kingsland Empire – now the much-loved Rio Cinema, where the film will have its first screening. A dynamic businesswoman in an era before women had the vote, Ludski helped shape early cinema culture in Hackney and beyond.
Nina Sprigge, co-writer and assistant director of the film, portrays Clara in the film. Sprigge was struck by Clara’s story as, ‘It was in 1909 when she started this cinema, even though she was married and had a family life. It was very much her project. She started when she was 47 years old, and continued her involvement with the cinema into her old age‘.
Barney Snow said ‘It’s been hugely rewarding to be part of the team looking into the stories from the books and finding a way to bring the characters to life with actors from the Tower Theatre. It’s been fascinating to see how common themes and threads from individual characters combine to tell a story not just of Hackney, but of Britain and further beyond‘.