"Broken English" is the title of the documentary-fiction celebrating the British rock icon Marianne Faithfull. Debuted globally in a premiere screening at the 82nd Venice Film Festival, the film also made an appearance at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
The film, which explores the life and career of the British artist who passed away on January 30, 2025, at the age of 78, was written and directed by Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard. The duo, both well-known in the UK, previously created "20,000 Days on Earth," a musical documentary about Nick Cave that received awards, including at Sundance. This time, Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard have chosen to tell the story of the legendary Marianne Faithfull, another rock icon, with whom Nick Cave has also collaborated over the years.
Marketed as a 96-minute docu-fiction, "Broken English" offers a raw and unflinching look at a fractured yet resilient life, shaped by fame, creativity, and relentless public scrutiny, explain Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard on their official website.
To craft an intimate portrait of the artist, the film blends interviews with archival footage, but that's just the beginning. The directors also opt for a hybrid approach, set within the Ministry of Memory—a "fictitious cinematic institution where memory and mythology clash". In this imagined world, actors portrayed by Tilda Swinton and George MacKay investigate Marianne Faithfull’s life by asking her a series of questions. Notably, this is her final appearance before her passing in January 2025. The film also features heartfelt performances from friends and collaborators such as Nick Cave & Warren Ellis, Jehnny Beth, Courtney Love, Suki Waterhouse, and Beth Orton.
In the UK and Ireland, Broken English is scheduled for release in theaters on March 20, 2026. No release date has been announced for France yet. Stay tuned for updates on when Broken English will hit French cinemas.
It’s worth noting that Marianne Faithfull has released nearly thirty albums over the course of almost six decades. Throughout her career, she has also collaborated with a variety of renowned artists, including Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, PJ Harvey, Rufus Wainwright, Keith Richards, Sean Lennon, Jarvis Cocker, Cat Power, Antony, Damon Albarn, Mark Lanegan, Laurent Voulzy, Anna Calvi, Brian Eno, Portishead’s Adrian Utley, as well as Metallica in 1997, Étienne Daho in 2003, and Lulu Gainsbourg in 2011.
