Hannah Renton
Gossip, 2023
17 min film, historical drama / live action
Gossip unearths the untold histories of women persecuted as witches in the 16th century. Shot along the Essex coast, the film revisits the region’s history of witch trials and the women who were condemned for their knowledge, care, and power.
Synopsis : East Anglia, 1584. When a young woman goes into labour a group of women, led by the local midwife, guide her through the trials of labour. But as they celebrate the safe arrival of new life, a greater danger arrives at the door. Gossip tells the untold story of witches as they really were - midwives, healers, women with knowledge and power.
“With Gossip, I wanted to tell a story of solidarity and draw a line between the witch trials and the ongoing struggle for reproductive justice and control over our bodies. Naming the film Gossip, a word that changed from meaning friendship to one of denigration and ridicule, highlights the psychological attack as well as the direct violence. The gossip we formed, of both professional actors and midwives, became not only the heart of the film you see but the entire filmmaking process”
The film was made as a graduation film from the National Film and Television School and was shortlisted for a BAFTA Yugo Student Award for Best Live Action.