The Extraordinary Miss Flower (Dir. Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard, 2024)

“Letters are more than just words on a page…. they’re a time capsule.” Geraldine Flower (Caroline Catz)

In 2001, 267 tapes were found after composer Delia Derbyshire’s death – best know for her pioneering electronic music and the Doctor Who theme. The precious find eventually led to a documentary of sorts Delia Derbyshire: The Myths and the Legendary Tapes (2020). In it, director/writer/star Caroline Catz sought to inform and re-enact aspects of DD’s life and work aided by a soundtrack by Cosey Fanni Tutti. The Extraordinary Miss Flower similarly stars Catz as the titular “character” and also uses the medium of music to preserve memory and create a visual legacy, of sorts, beyond the written page.

When the subject of this film passed away, her daughter Zoe found a box of photos, telexes and letters; correspondence hidden away and saved from a life well-lived. These letters detail lust and obsession, unrequited loves and spurned lovers, heartbreak and humour, seemingly containing a blueprint of an adventurous and free-spirited rebel, Miss Geraldine Flower. Music producer Simon Byrt and musician Emiliana Torrini, of Icelandic electronic band GusGus, were so inspired by these, often, poetic fragments of affection that they bloomed into lyrics of a ten-track album. Though it took four years to complete Miss Flower – which recently won best record at the recent 2025 Icelandic Music Awards – was the genesis of what would eventually become a fascinating fever dream of a film which is impossible to categorise yet encompasses aspects of music, dance, and the written (and spoken) word.

It is a remarkable life depicted onscreen, one of travel, the occasional arrest for hash possession, even one of espionage (was she a spy? We will never really know) and of course as alluded to, a multitude of love affairs. Miss Flower reportedly had nine marriage proposals yet never married but oh what a life of charm, intrigue and joy and what a woman! Confident in her identity and the choices she made in the time she had.

TEMF opens with a close-up of Torrini’s striking face (her eyeliner on point), the black plissé funnel neck making her head bud-like. It pulls live action scenes, documentary-style inserts/images, multiple live studio band session, dance sequences performed by the Carpel (Kate Coyne), Sepal (Saeed Esmaeli), Stamen (Niall Murphy) and Petal (Viva Seifert) – in keeping with the floral theme choreographed by Coyne – visual effects and talking heads reading from said correspondence. Letter readers include Richard Ayoade, Siggi Balursson (The Sugarcubes), Nick Cave, Mark Monero and Angus Sampson while Alice Lowe provides a rundown of Geraldine’s early life and there is even some narration from Sophie Ellis Bextor.

It is a collaboration in every sense of the word as each and all, in their own ways, bring Geraldine Flower back to (extraordinary) life. She is played by Catz and engages in snatches of conversation with Torrini, sat in a studio set mocked-up as a café, papers strewn across the table dotted with glasses of red wine, cigarette smoke billowing. It is in these moments (and during each flower dance) that really make the most of Susie Coulthard beautiful costumes. ‘Geraldine’ may dress in black and pale grey but the outfits are a textural dream, frills, pleats and tactile fabrics made to be touched. Finished by a red lip (the album vinyl is the same colour). These scenes between Torrini and Flower are intimate – almost like a living séance – the meeting of minds, a chat between friends never not believable despite the obvious staging. It’s an image replicated on the album’s front cover. Two women divided by a generation.

The film – directed by Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard (20,000 Days on Earth) – shot over two days is an experimental and exuberant watch, subverting every possible genre convention. It is an evocative piece of pure performance art, an experience which celebrates creative and physical freedom, adventure and empowerment while skirting around themes of gender, class and societal norms.

Above all, it is a synth love poem to the memory of beloved mum and muse. One that reminds us all to write that letter/e-mail/text, send the flowers, “surround [ourselves] with extraordinary people”, love with abandon, and keep dancing.