Richard Shaw

Colloquially-told story of a few days in the life of Marieta, who's saving money for the last operation in her change from man to woman. She works as a prostitute in Madrid and longs for a legitimate job. Whenever she builds up her savings, her housemate and best friend Tomás finds ways to spend, lose, or cost her those funds. She meets Raúl, whom she likes and who likes her; the trouble is he also likes that part of her she wants removed. If that's not enough, she also has narcolepsy, and when she conks out, she dreams of musical-theater numbers in which she's the singing and dancing star. Are these dreams always going to be 20 centimeters out of reach?

Born James Henry Miller in 1915, MacColl became prominent on the folk scene in the 1950s and was also a labour activist and actor. This affectionate documentary offers insights into all these aspects of his life and features new versions of some of his songs, including The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. Contributors include Billy Bragg and his widow, Peggy Seeger.