Dragonfly: An Evening of Film and Conversation
Bruno Wang Productions hosted a special screening of Dragonfly, followed by a conversation led by Bruno Wang at Selfridges. The evening was shaped around listening, to the film, to those who made it, and to the wider questions it raises about loneliness and care.
Directed by Paul Andrew Williams, Dragonfly tells the story of two women whose lives intersect quietly but meaningfully. Elsie, portrayed by Brenda Blethyn, is an elderly woman living alone, increasingly cut off from the world around her. Her days are repetitive and solitary, marked by long stretches of silence. Colleen, portrayed by Andrea Riseborough, a younger neighbour, enters her life without intention or certainty. Their relationship develops slowly, built through small exchanges and moments of proximity rather than grand gestures.
As the film unfolds, the connection between them deepens, but not without tension. Elsie’s need for companionship is profound, while Colleen’s own life is shaped by instability and emotional distance. Dragonfly does not present their bond as simple or purely comforting. Instead, it looks honestly at how loneliness can blur boundaries, how vulnerability can invite both care and risk, and how the desire to be seen can lead people into complicated emotional territory.
After the screening, a panel discussion brought together Brenda Blethyn, Andrea Riseborough, Paul Andrew Williams, producer Dominic Tighe, and Hannah Beatrice from The Marmalade Trust. The conversation moved gently through the making of the film, the performances, the decisions around tone and restraint, and the responsibility of telling a story rooted in isolation without exploiting it. Much of the discussion focused on what it means to sit with discomfort, and to allow characters space to be imperfect and unresolved.
Hannah Beatrice spoke about loneliness beyond the screen, sharing insight into the work of The Marmalade Trust and the realities faced by people experiencing long-term isolation. Her contribution anchored the evening in lived experience, reinforcing the film’s relevance to everyday life.
As host of the evening, Bruno Wang, founder of Bruno Wang Productions and Pure Land Foundation, spoke about the importance of stories like Dragonfly in helping us recognise loneliness not as a private failure, but as something that affects many people quietly and continuously.
He reflected on how film can open conversations that are often avoided, and how, as a society, we have a responsibility to look out for one another — to notice, to reach out, and to offer support where we can.
The evening was unhurried and reflective and invited members of the audience to ask thought provoking and meaningful questions. It was a space to listen, to consider, and to sit with the questions Dragonfly leaves behind.
