World Premiere at the 12th Global Nonviolent Film Festival

By Will Espero

Becoming Lady Hamilton is a historical story directed by Sue Bence about a poor girl who transforms herself into the refined and elegant Lady Emma Hamilton. This feature documentary from the United Kingdom involves historical figures from her life who witnessed and experienced her obstacles, challenges, and ultimate success as Lady Hamilton became a friend of aristocrats and was an elite member of upper society in the 18th century.

Testimony is expressed as scandals and secrets are hidden in Amy Lyons’ journey and adventures with much happening in her teen years. From her birth in an obscure village in England to her friendship with a Queen, Becoming Lady Hamilton is a biographical look at a very beautiful girl who captivated many and who became an artist’s muse or face in many artistic works of the period.

The narration from people in Lady Hamilton’s life adds a personal connection to the transformation of a lifetime.

Sue Bence

Sue Bence has an honors degree in English Language and Literature, with a specialization in text and performance analysis. She has a love of the theatre, especially the plays of Shakespeare. In 2005 she teamed up with writer and producer James Chalmers (photo) as a script editor and director of his one-act plays. When James moved from stage plays to filmmaking Sue discovered she had natural talent as a film director and was able to continue to support James with his film work.

Becoming Lady Hamilton was a challenging film to direct.   History can be a very dry subject so it was important to make the film visually interesting while the story was being told. I wanted it to be entertainment – not a lecture. It helped that Geoff Wright, the narrator, was a very natural presenter to camera. More difficult from a director’s point of view were the character parts. These were filmed on tiny sets created at the producer’s house. Because of the cramped conditions no significant movement was possible. Small gestures and the delivery of lines then became very important.

Sue Bence

Becoming Lady Hamilton is an Official Selection at the 2023 edition of the Global Nonviolent Film Festival, and it can be watched from September 28 to October 8 on GlobalCinema.online where the Festival is being broadcast. D!