Soho Bites 52: Irina Palm (2007)

Do you need a hand with that?

The NSFW Irina Palm (2007) was directed by Sam Garbarski and stars 1960s icon, Marianne Faithfull as Maggie, a middle aged woman who turns to sex work to raise money for her grandson's medical treatment. Adopting the name Irina Palm, the service she provides is a very limited one and is such that she never has to change out of her floral overall.

The film was described by Guardian's film critic, Peter Bradshaw, as “a gobsmackingly awful British film - awful in the way that somehow only British films can be…”

To talk about Irina Palm, we were joined by author & former associate professor of film and culture at the University of the West of England, Estella Tincknell to see if she agrees with Peter's opinion.

For the thematically linked supporting feature© we talk to Laura Watson from the English Collective of Prostitutes (ECP) to hear about their history, aims and campaigns.

Watch a trailer for the film HERE

In this scene, Maggie succumbs to one of the dangers of the job, Penis Elbow.

Estella's new book will be released later this year.

Irina Palm had an award name after it - the Irina Palm D'Or

Although Irina Palm received a thumping from the UK critics, it did actually win some foreign film award and was viewed more favourably, on the whole, by foreign critics.

Follow the ECP on Facebook and Instagram. They do also have a Xwitter account but I wouldn't want to post that here for Musk reasons.

The ECP's YouTube channel is great though.

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