In Irina Palm, legendary singer Marianne Faithfull plays Maggie, a frumpy, mousy, overweight, middle-aged widow living in a depressing London suburb on the fixed income of her deceased husband’s pension.  Her young grandson is terminally ill and the family cannot afford his medical treatments; consequently, his early death is imminent.  Married at seventeen, Maggie has neither employable skills nor an education.  She secretly takes a behind-the-scenes job at a Soho sex club and earns more money than she ever imagined she would, enabling her to pay her grandson’s medical bills.

Having a job is a revelation for Maggie as she gains a sense of self-esteem, identity, and independence while she is simultaneously horrified (but less and less as time passes) at the nature of her work.  Her son discovers how his son’s healthcare was funded and demands that his mother quit her job immediately.  The film moves toward resolving its feminist story arc as Maggie must decide whether or not she is going to let yet another man make decisions for her or if she is going to become an autonomous being, capable of making her own life choices.

Irina Palm is a quiet film that tackles big topics like female autonomy, the health care system, imagination’s role in sensuality, and men’s and women’s attitudes toward sex trade workers.   This is a most unusual and original film and Marianne Faithfull gives a quiet and transcendent performance.  Lingering shots of her pensive face say more than monologues.  A joint production of Belgium, Luxembourg, Great Britain, Germany, and France, Irina Palm debuted in 2007 and made the rounds on the European film festival circuit, meeting with universal accolades, receiving numerous nominations for best film and actress.

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