Daisy-May Hudson became a documentary maker when her family was suddenly made homeless. The result, Half Way (2015) launched her career, and her feature debut explores similar territory. Posy Sterling stars as Molly, who comes out of prison to discover the children she’d left with her mother have been put into care. With no fixed abode, she can’t get them back – but she can’t find a place to live, either. Her situation is borderline Kafkaesque, but the tone is realism as Molly desperately tries to reunite with her two children and find a place they can all live.
It’s a quietly compelling watch anchored by a strong performance from Sterling, whose moods range from denial to fury, despair to hope. Scenes with her daughter and son range from heartbreaking to joyful: Hudson’s writing frequently subverts expectations and bucks stereotypes of homeless people, ex-convicts, single mothers and more. Molly is a complex character who has moments of wisdom, resourcefulness and responsibility, as well as rashness. It’s refreshing to see a character like this written by a woman who really knows her inside out.
Hudson’s writing bucks stereotypes of homeless people
Some of the dialogue is a little on-the-nose and street-cast actors’ inexperience shows. But it’s deeply moving to see the bond that is rekindled between Molly and her old friend Amina (Idil Ahmed). There is a memorable moment in which the two women cry together, full of frustration yet also compassion and sisterhood. Another potent scene sees Molly forced to talk her daughter through her first period over the phone, devastated that she is having this formative experience in the care of a foster parent.
Molly has a difficult relationship with her own mother, but there are no woeful scenes of violence and neglect here. Instead, Lollipop leaves you with a sense of hope. It’s so involving that it’d be easy to watch without realising the most unusual thing about it: from officials to shopkeepers, every single adult character is played by a woman.
Lollipop had its world premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival on Aug 20.