Season 10

Only the Lonely

Clare Holman

Elsbeth is lonely and isolated and is developing a nasty relationship with her neighbors. She faces the tough realities of loneliness and deep prejudice.

⚠ Content Warning

This film depicts racism, which some viewers may find distressing. If you or someone you know is experiencing mental health distress, talk to a licensed therapist. For a mental health emergency, call the NAMI Helpline or call or text 988 for immediate support.

Drama Live Action

Aging Trauma

Older Adults

Bittersweet

Why we chose this film.

“Only the Lonely” offers a vivid example of loneliness spiraling and the healing power of human connection. Grieving the loss of her husband, an older woman shuts out the world, pushes people away, and avoids vulnerability in all its forms. We’re inspired by her empathetic neighbor, who sees past her hostility and helps her take steps towards connection.

Filmmaker

Inspiration

The inspiration for making this film was two-fold. Firstly, we wanted to make a film about friendship made up of two older women of very different backgrounds. (I’m committed to making more films about older women. ) I developed the idea with the writers and we ended up looking at an East End woman who felt she was surrounded by different cultures and a world she didn’t understand, to the point of racism. I then pushed that further into exploring her extreme loneliness after the death of her husband. When her Indian next -door neighbour tries to help “Elsbeth”, it unravels into dangerous ground. I was inspired to see if we could push what seems, in fact is, an unattractive, unacceptable lead role into understanding why she behaves as she does and should we care? Do we care? Dare we risk forgiveness and understanding? What is the underneath of any of us that we miss and how can we reach out to each other? Unravel the prejudices, and see with new eyes.