Canary Girls

Canary Girls follows Jane, Edith and Nellie — three young munitions workers labouring in a dangerous factory that stains their skin a toxic yellow. Nicknamed the "Canary Girls," they risk their lives producing weapons for the front line, but it's on the football pitch where they find escape, joy and a sense of control.

When news spreads that women will be banned from playing once the men return, the girls confront the reality that their fleeting independence is about to be taken from them. Set against the backdrop of the Munitionettes Cup final, Canary Girls is a lyrical and powerful portrait of resilience, friendship, and the quiet rebellion of women whose stories have long been silenced.

We filmed Canary Girls over the course of a week in the Cotswold countryside. Despite the limited pre-production time, the crew quickly grew close, and the shoot became a genuinely special and wholesome experience for both cast and crew.

The script gave the actors space to play and reconnect with a sense of childlike wonder — something I actively encouraged as a director. I'm particularly drawn to balancing that innocence with a darker undercurrent, taking visual and tonal inspiration from Anne with an E, The Zone of Interest, Riddle of Fire, Little Women, and Dead Poets Society.