Bleak Moments

Sylvia leads a quiet life caring for her sister Hilda who has complex care needs in Mike Leigh's deeply affecting debut feature film.

Sylvia (Anne Raitt) leads a quiet life caring for her sister Hilda (Sarah Stephenson) who has complex care needs. Their lonely suburban existence is accentuated by a social awkwardness that detaches them from the community and fuels a life of seclusion and despair.

Released in 1971 to critical acclaim, Mike Leigh's debut feature film is a haunting study of social isolation. Uncompromising and deeply affecting, the film introduced Leigh’s unique and highly influential natural style that he has continued to develop over a 50 year career.