CHANNEL 4’s ‘I AM’ SERIES

     

After shedding light on the impact of Suranne Jones’ performance and the harrowing storyline shared in Episode 1 ‘I am Victoria’, I wanted to touch upon the other two episodes in the series.

‘I am’ is a mini-series on Channel 4, made up of three episodes with different casts tackling challenges and taboo topics faced throughout womanhood that are all emotionally raw, thought-provoking and personal. As addressed in a previous blog, episode one takes us through Victoria’s journey as she’s pushed towards a breakdown. The powerful performances, Dominic Savage’s detailed direction and step to bring such a sensitive subject matter to screen has been praised across the nation. It’s proven to be a success, Episode 2 and 3 haven’t been a disappointment either, they’ve continued to have a huge impact on viewers and the conversations had around women, wellbeing and taboo topics.

Episode 2 ‘I am Danielle’, delves into consent, relationships and boundaries. Danielle is played by Leticia Wright, who gives a very honest performance and describes the experience as “challenging” and “liberating”. “It’s taken me to deeper place within myself to ask questions I may have buried before.” It sees her, a career focused photographer, falling in love with a man before discovering a disturbing secret about his past. It covers the pressure to date and find love, the age of social media, relationships, trust, betrayal, boundaries and the importance of consent. As she falls deeper in love and the shared trust appears secure on the surface, unknown truths are bubbling underneath. Things that we all experience but aren’t spoken about enough.

Lesley Manville takes on the lead in the final episode ‘I am Maria’, similarly to cast in previous episodes, her portrayal is beautifully moving. She said “It examines a person’s right to live their life as they want to, explore their own thoughts and journey. About an age of women who no longer have to do what’s expected of them. You’re allowed to be over 50 and free, sexy, naughty and funny”. This episode is about a bored wife who longs for passion and adventure. Her 60^th birthday marks a crossroads in her life and her husband are struggling sexually and have different views on what they want out of life now their children have left home. As painful cracks begin to show, Maria embarks on a wild affair and decides to make some brave choices about her future.

I’ve loved this ‘I am’ series and feel it’s an important watch, I’d recommend to anyone. Not only for its stunning performances throughout, but for the honest and raw storylines covered. With episode 1 being based on Suranne’s own experiences and the following two covering topics just as sensitive, the situations explored are relatable but very much taboo within our society. Despite the delicacy and pain attached to these subject matters, I feel it’s vital they’re talked about more in order to help others when going through similar experiences. It’s allowing for greater understanding, things to look out for in ourselves and others, as well as ensuring the system of support we have in place continues to expand. Despite the painful side, it’s comforting to remember you’re not alone if experiencing something similar.

By bringing them to screen, although some moments are very raw, there is power in such honesty and a reflection of reality that’s portrayed. This series is equally moving and reassuring for those that may relate in some way, shape or form, providing a platform for conversation, awareness around what to do or who to turn to if you are to go through similar events. It’s helping to remove the stigma and there’s power in that. I love watching television that reflects the world that we live in as viewers can often relate and be encouraged or learn from such material as a result.

The performances are very raw and although this allows for some discomfort and pain whilst watching some difficult moments unfold, it’s these moments that will really have an impact on and help those viewing. There is no sugar coating and it’s this deep rooted reality that makes it so captivating, particularly as all three episodes were based around improvisation- with no scripts the dialogue is extremely natural and relatable. The intimacy of the camera work that’s handheld and slightly messy works well for this to, its close following of the action is as if you’re the camera experiencing the characters experiences there with them.

It’s essential that conversation and awareness is continued to be raised around such current taboo topics of mental health, consent, boundaries and the stages of life, particularly for women as that’s what this series delves into. It’s continuing to raise awareness that will ensures our support system continues to grow and help and understanding is able to be an option for anyone should they need it. All episodes are available on Channel 4 on demand and I recommend watching if you haven’t done so already.