Tuesday, March 13th, 2012
By Richard Leaf
Official Selection 2012
Susan, an ex-editor of airport novels, is now the mother of a 6 month old daughter. She must decide whether to return to work or remain home with the child. Her mother is in one ear and her boss is in the other. The exhaustion of recent motherhood is wearing her down. Her choice is fraught with untenable responsibilities until an encounter with a gardener reveals a wider choice, reminding her of a buried hope, that opens the door to a previously unseen future. Mindful of Susan’s past in print, the film plays with the screen as paper to manipulate the scene changes and dabbles with animation and the blackboard to hint at a possible future caring for her child.
Stop the World is a film borne of personal experience and fought for tooth and nail. Decidedly light and purposefully playful this is nonetheless a serious tale of one woman’s painful and confusing dilemma. With a cast that includes Susan Lynch, Tamsin Greig and Paterson Joseph this is Richard Leaf’s Directorial debut.
Posted in: 2012 Films In Detail