film

LABOUR & LOVE will follow a young migrant woman who becomes a carer in an English village. Facing social isolation, relentless work, and discrimination, the threat of deportation is used by her employer as a means of controlling her. But, despite the hardships, moments of humour and humanity emerge as she forms bonds with her elderly wards.

Director Lotje Sodderland transitioned from public policy research in London to production roles in Amsterdam, Paris, and London, before co-directing the Emmy-nominated Netflix documentary MY BEAUTIFUL BROKEN BRAIN, following her recovery from a brain haemorrhage. Executive Produced by David Lynch, the film screened at Sheffield Doc Fest, SXSX and IDFA, where it won the DOC U award. It was nominated for a Grierson award, amongst others. Lotje also hosted CAN YOU REBUILD MY BRAIN? for Channel 4 and directed a documentary for the Snehalaya NGO on child sex trafficking survival. Her acclaimed 2020 narrative short, LIMBO, which was critically acclaimed by filmmaker Ken Loach, led to a commission by Film4 for her first feature film, THE RAPTURES.

Producer Helen Spooner is a BAFTA and Emmy-nominated documentary producer renowned for her work on social justice issues. She has worked on award-winning feature films and series on topics as varied as the climate crisis, terrorism, corruption and sexual abuse. As a director, she recently co-directed the BBC series "DISCIPLES" about an evangelical cult leader, which garnered over 20 million views. This preceded her directorial debut “NOWHERE TO RUN” for the BBC about child abuse in sport. Over the course of a decade, she has worked with vulnerable contributors, ensuring they are fully supported throughout the filmmaking process. This experience has inspired her commitment to co-creating films that rebalance the relationship between filmmaker and participant.

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