The Arbor

Andrea Dunbar was 15 when she wrote a play based on her experiences growing up on a rough housing estate in northern England. She was hailed as the real thing when The Arbor was performed at London's Royal Court Theatre. Despite the success of her second play, Rita, Sue and Bob Too (British realist Alan Clarke's 1986 film version played in SFF's 2000 Clarke retrospective), her life spiralled out of control. She died suddenly in 1990 at age 29, leaving behind three small children. Director Clio Barnard interviewed Dunbar's family over two years, but they don't appear onscreen; instead actors lip-synch to their words. The grim life of the eldest daughter, a key component of the film, tragically echoes her mother's life and work. Barnard's original approach and inventive structure, interspersed with extracts from Dunbar's play, has been rewarded with a BAFTA nomination and the Best British Newcomer award at the London Film Festival.

Watch The Arbor trailer here.

Screens with Tiong Bahru

Tiong Bahru will be introduced by director Joe Lawlor.

• Awards Best New Documentary Filmmaker, Tribeca Film Festival; Sutherland Award and Best British Newcomer, London Film Festival