The star of Alan Bennett’s new film Allelujah, which is about a Yorkshire hospital fighting closure, discusses her upbringing in a doctor’s family, while Jennifer Saunders and Bally Gill rely on their personal experiences with the National Health Service.
Dame Judi Dench’s latest act is particularly moving.
The 88-year-old actress is one of the stars of the film Allelujah, which depicts a fictional Yorkshire hospital fighting closure as its staff struggles to find lodgings for elderly patients.
Dame Judi told, “My father and eldest sibling were both physicians… I used to accompany my father on visits. He would have a list of approximately 40 individuals to see in the morning. And we would travel, with me sitting in the car while the dog entered and exited the vehicle.
“He had a fantastic rapport with his patients; there was always a chat on the doorstep. [They would say] ‘Come in,’ and he would exit carrying eggs, which was fantastic. And I believe that has been gone in a sense.”
The film, based on Alan Bennett’s 2018 play, stars Dame Judi as an elderly patient.
The storyline about NHS conflicts with government officials, directed by Richard Eyre, a frequent collaborator of Dame Judi’s, and adapted by Call The Midwife writer Heidi Thomas, could not be more timely given the ongoing NHS strikes.
It has been described by its creators as a “love letter” to the NHS, and Dench, who was 13 years old when the National Health Service was founded, wholeheartedly agrees.
She asserts that it is a service we must value.
She said, “This is about the debt we owe the NHS for what they’ve done for us over the last three to two to three years, what we owe them, and why we were all out in the streets clapping.” And that is not something that should cease; rather, it should continue and grow.
The film, which is set in a geriatric ward, combines Bennett’s signature humor with the harsh realities of hospital life while posing challenging issues about how we care for the elderly.
In the film, Jennifer Saunders plays Sister Gilpin, a ruthless nun.
She told, “My mother had passed away just before filming, so I was able to comprehend what end-of-life care is. And my admiration has just skyrocketed.
“They do it out of affection… in addition to being undervalued, unappreciated, and overburdened. And that’s not right.”
Shortly after filming, Bally Gill, who portrays the idealistic young physician Dr. Valentine, lost a family member. After experiencing end-of-life care provided by the NHS, he told that his reverence for its medical staff has only grown.
“We can pose, put on the costumes, and recite the lines, but to do that job day after day while feeling underpaid, undervalued, and underappreciated is such a difficult task. And I am extremely grateful for the NHS and what it provides.”
Due to the increasing politicization of NHS discussions and the record number of individuals abandoning the health service. This topic is unlikely to disappear from the news anytime soon.
In addition to Derek Jacobi, David Bradley, and Russell Tovey, the film Allelujah is now playing in UK theaters.
