DOCUMENTARY FILMS
It's the personal stories that interest me. My films are about local people from the community, their lives, their passions and their stories. I produced and directed them, some in collaboration with other artist film makers.
Watch my films on my westlondonfilms YouTube channel
In May 2024, I produced, filmed, directed and edited The Suitcase, Artist Caroline Poole tells the story about the suitcase her Hungarian Jewish Grandparents brought to England in 1946. The suitcase contains stories about her childhood, her family members murdered in Auschwitz and stories about survival. Her father was viewed here in the UK as an enemy alien during the second world war despite being an engineer helping with the war effort. There is still a lot more to find out about the stories in the suitcase. Some of the letters and documents are in Hungarian or German. Life is fragile, what seems stable and secure can turn upside down overnight.
In July 2024, I produced, filmed, directed and edited Yvonne Reed, from Sick Dolls to a Bridal Dress Designer.
Yvonne Reed is a creative, talented woman, storyteller, writer and Bridal Dress Designer. She was in and out of hospital with an unknown illness at that time from the age of one to thirteen years old. At thirteen she was she was diagnosed with Coeliac Disease. After the Great Potato Famine (1845 to 1852) in Ireland people were then exposed for the first time to high gluten foods, a fact which accounts in large part for the high prevalence of Coeliac Disease there. Coeliac is not a fad diet but a lifetime condition. Yvonne missed out on education as there was no teaching at that time in hospitals. No one knew what was wrong with her and other children. The doctors and nurses suspected it was to do with diet, but only in hindsight the obvious became apparent that it was the gluten that was causing the problem. She still has to cope with the ignorance of people around her about what she can or can't eat. Wheat is in Everything! Yvonne has triumphed magnificently finding ways to succeed and thrive in her life. She learnt fashion and how to make clothes, first, from dressing her sick dolls, then through dressing Kitty Whelan, the dress dummy: then through tremendous talent she designed Punk fashion followed on by designing Wedding Dresses which she still does today. A story about survival.
Yvonne Reed is a creative, talented woman, storyteller, writer and Bridal Dress Designer. She was in and out of hospital with an unknown illness at that time from the age of one to thirteen years old. At thirteen she was she was diagnosed with Coeliac Disease. After the Great Potato Famine (1845 to 1852) in Ireland people were then exposed for the first time to high gluten foods, a fact which accounts in large part for the high prevalence of Coeliac Disease there. Coeliac is not a fad diet but a lifetime condition. Yvonne missed out on education as there was no teaching at that time in hospitals. No one knew what was wrong with her and other children. The doctors and nurses suspected it was to do with diet, but only in hindsight the obvious became apparent that it was the gluten that was causing the problem. She still has to cope with the ignorance of people around her about what she can or can't eat. Wheat is in Everything! Yvonne has triumphed magnificently finding ways to succeed and thrive in her life. She learnt fashion and how to make clothes, first, from dressing her sick dolls, then through dressing Kitty Whelan, the dress dummy: then through tremendous talent she designed Punk fashion followed on by designing Wedding Dresses which she still does today. A story about survival.
Donald Dede's Story - My Biafra War
In September 2024 I finished the powerful story about graphic designer Donald Dede. Donald lived through the Biafra War, the Nigerian civil war (1967 - 1970). This is his story. The deaths of more than a million people from starvation and fighting in Nigeria are a scar on the nation's history. The Nigerian politicians blockaded Port Harcourt preventing food supplies getting in to Biafra. Donald speaks of torture, sabotage, courage, luck and survival. Donald as an ammunition technician never went to the war front. He was in charge of bombs, guns and uniforms. Ordinary soldiers had no uniforms, so Donald allowed some of them, dressed only in rags to keep the new uniforms they had offloaded from the planes. For this he was tortured by Biafrans. Nigeria's attitude of no victor, no vanquished means no one can learn from the tragedy. Silence prevails. The problems that led to the civil war have not been tackled. Remembering is important if we are to learn from what happened.
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Storyteller and writer Yvonne Reed tells one of her stories from her childhood in Dublin, The Black Lace Bra & Banty The Chicken. Part autobiographical and part imaginary the story conveys the excitement for a young girl seeing a wonderful black lace bra flying in the wind on her next door neighbours washing line. Made as part of the series A PATCHWORK OF STORIES - Stories for women. Artist, storyteller and filmmaker Myrna Shoa conceived the project & produced and directed the film. |
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Our World in Lockdown. In this VIDEO COLLAGE 9 people from diverse communities from London share their response to isolation/lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic 2020. The metaphor of the single suitcase conveys a world in isolation. The ordinary voice of older people is a powerful voice usually not heard. Produced and directed by Myrna Shoa& Timuchin Dindjer (C) 2020
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Myrna Shoa and Timuchin Dindjer explore the 'Worlds' and 'Dreams' of the market traders, in Church Street Market, London. Mark Conroy, the presenter interviews and brings out the stories from the many people in this film. See AWIASC, A World in a Suitcase.
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'Church Street Market Traders' was nominated for a Golden Heart Trellick prize at this year's
Portobello Film Festival 2017, London.
Portobello Film Festival 2017, London.
Our film Once Upon a Time in Covid - 19 Time was shortlisted in Best Local Documentary category for a Golden Heart Trellick prize at the Portobello Film Festival.
Portobello Film Festival
"Since 2008 I have been showing my films at The Portobello Film Festival," Myrna
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Will Portobello the famous market in West London survive the changes?
Timuchin Dindjer and Myrna Shoa |
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Susanne Templar a wonderful warm and creative women lived until her 90s. Her family escaped from Nazi Germany and settled in the UK. As she makes her famous chocolate cake for her family and friends she talks about her life. Myrna Shoa and A Barlos of Westlondonfilms
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Inma Meruelo wrote and illustrated a book for children Once Upon a Time in Covid -19 about lockdown - 2020. This video animation is based on her book. It depicts a typical day in a children's nursery showing Reading Time, Circle Time, Play Time, Washing Hands during Covid -19. "I produced a video animation of Inma reading her marvellous book." Myrna Shoa
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Chris Green and her family convey their love for each other that spans many generations. Chris Green and her family convey their love for each other that spans many generations. . WestLondofilms shows you the Tower block the family live in and Chris's birthday party celebrations. Sadly, Chris Green suddenly died a few months after this film was made.
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