The Departure: A Streetcar Named Desire Prequel

The Departure is an 18-minute short film directed by Gillian Anderson, who also stars as Blanche DuBois, a role she portrayed in the Young Vic’s acclaimed 2014 production of A Streetcar Named Desire. This prequel delves into the days leading up to Blanche’s arrival at her sister Stella’s home in New Orleans. The narrative explores Blanche’s emotional turmoil and the events that precipitate her departure from her family’s estate, Belle Reeve, and her subsequent entanglement in a scandalous affair at the Flamingo Hotel.

The film is noted for its “magic realist” style, capturing moments suspended between reality and illusion, and was written by Andrew O’Hagan