Mental Falls

Mental Falls explores the legacy of a loved one’s sketchbook. The lyrical essay film by Louisa Fairclough weaves the voices of singers with Louisa’s own voice in a close observation of her sister Hetta Fairclough’s sketchbook. Hetta (1973-2008) produced a remarkable sketchbook of drawings which take the form of assemblages and visual poems. These drawings of Hetta’s probe at the complexities of being, pulling on her own experience to give voice to psychological intensities, yet make no attempt towards cathartic expression. Page by page, Louisa’s interpretation of her sister’s drawings – spoken and sung – becomes the soundtrack to the film.