The Arbor
World Premiere

The Arbor

| U.K. | 90 MINUTES | English
Female Director(s), Documentary

A housing project in Northern England known as The Arbor left an indelible impression on playwright Andrea Dunbar. She grew up there, named her first play after it, and based all of her subsequent work there. Director Clio Barnard could have adapted Dunbar's play The Arbor for the screen or made a conventional documentary on her life, but instead she has crafted a captivating and truly unique work that transcends genre and defies categorization.

After spending two years conducting audio interviews with Dunbar's family, friends, and neighbors, Barnard filmed actors lip-synching the interviews, flawlessly interpreting every breath, tick, and nuance. Barnard's film focuses in particular on the playwright's troubled relationship with her daughter Lorraine. Dunbar died tragically in 1990 at age 29; Barnard connects with Lorraine—now age 29 herself—to reintroduce her to her mother's plays and private letters, prompting her to reflect on the parallels between their lives. Interwoven with these interviews are staged scenes of Dunbar's play filmed on the street where she lived. Barnard seamlessly stitches together these disparate but innovative elements, matching Dunbar's unconventional life with a befittingly unconventional film.


Cast & Credits
Directed by
Clio Barnard and Clio Barnard
Clio Barnard is an artist and filmmaker whose work is concerned with the relationship between fiction and documentary. She has often dislocated sound and image by constructing fictional images around verbatim audio. The Arbor is Clio Barnard's debut feature.
Editors
Nick Fenton, Daniel Goddard
Executive Producer
Michael Morris
Director
Clio Barnard
Producer
Tracy O'Riordan
Sound Designer
Tim Barker
Primary Cast
Manjinder Virk, Christine Bottomley, Monica Dolan, Neil Dudgeon, Danny Webb, Jimi Mistry
Casting Director
Amy Hubbard
Director of Photography
Ole Birkeland

Contacts
Sales Contact
John Flahive
British Film Institute BFI
London, W1T ILM
Phone: 44 207 957 8909
john.flahive@bfi.org.uk
Technical Contact
Meg Clark
London, EC1R 5EW
megpostmatters@aol.com
Print Source
Tracy O'Riordan
Artangel
London, EC1R 5EW
tracy@moonspunfilms.com
Publicist
Maggie Schutza
Film First Company
Phone: 9176208529
maggie@filmfirstco.com
Main Contact
Tracy O'Riordan
Moon Spun Films
London, NW10 5DH Phone: +44 208 960 2035
tracy@moonspunfilms.com
Press Contact
Martha Carrozza
Tribeca Film Festival
New York, NY 10013
Phone: 212 941 2374
mcarrozza@tribecafilmfestival.org
Press Contact
Janette Scott
Artangel
London, EC1R 5EW
Phone: +44 2077 131 400
janette@artangel.org.uk
* Rush Tickets available at venue except for
Beacon Theatre
Rush will be offered when advanced tickets for a screening or event are no longer available at venues other than Beacon Theatre.
The Rush system functions as a standby line that will form at the venue approximately one hour prior to scheduled start time. Admittance is based on availability and will begin roughly 10 minutes prior to program start time. Rush Tickets are the same price as advance tickets and are payable upon entry.


Winner of Best New Documentary Filmmaker.
Click for additional showtimes




Wednesday, April 28, 6:00 pm
@ SVA Theater 2


After the Movie: Director Clio Barnard; executive producer and co-director of Artangel, London Michael Morris; producer Tracy O’Riordan; and actress Manjinder Virk discuss their unconventional approach to this fascinating documentary.

Newsletter

Subscribe for festival news, exclusive offers, programming updates, and more!
Get Festival Updates

Tribeca Festival Partners

Presenting Partner
Signature Partners
Presenting Partner
Signature Partners
Presenting Partner
Signature Partners
Presenting Partner
Supporters
Presenting Partner
Friends of the Festival
Presenting Partner
Media Friends of the Festival
Presenting Partner
Media Friends of the Festival
Presenting Partner
Industry Partners
See all partners