We are going through a major conflict in the world – all right, when have we not been in recent years with one thing or another? – but for some troubled orphans, it is the soothing voice of their guardian, Miss Shaw (Jessica Brown Findlay) to put it into perspective in the new wartime dance fantasy IRIS WARRIORS.
It’s the Second World War and the planes of Hitler’s Germany are bowing on the English mainland, Churchill probably is making a speech or two about beaches and air, but an orphanage is feeling the pinch. However, Miss Shaw escorts the kids down to a basement area and regales the children with a tale of where the world all began. She claims that it wasn’t light that was the first thing that was created, but darkness.
A brush of a hand across a story-book and imagination and gems aplenty can be seen in these four walls, with a little help from Miss Shaw’s insightful and calming tone to tell the story of how Darkness and Light first conflicted. However, even the key players need help – and Miss Shaw reveals the ‘Iris Warriors’ – a group of individual colours who dance to help contain the darkness and perhaps create a world that the kids can live in for the future.
Director Roydon Turner’s dance-themed fantasy is an enlightening and uplifting experience and one that all will enjoy, thanks to some exquisite costumes, production design and visual effects that are a contrast from the comic book elements we have got so used to when we think of CGI and digital rendering. However, it is the lead performance from Jessica Brown Findlay who gives this extra sparkle in a tale of mythological expression that will make a great bedtime view for kids unsure of what the future holds for them.
IRIS WARRIORS is a terrific indie fantasy that will work as equally well on stage – and I wouldn’t be surprised if Matthew Bourne or Sadler’s Wells come calling in the not-too-distant future to reimagine it on stage.
The London Independent Film Festival runs from 1st – 10th April 2022.
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