Lindfield filmmaker tells story of Britain's '˜most beautiful dancer'

Lindfield-based Suzanne Gielgud had her feature-length documentary film, The Gospel of Ross McKim, selected for the recent Raindance Film Festival in London.
Piers and Suzanne Gielgud (left) with Lord and Lady Sainsbury at the 2016 Raindance Film Festival, LondonPiers and Suzanne Gielgud (left) with Lord and Lady Sainsbury at the 2016 Raindance Film Festival, London
Piers and Suzanne Gielgud (left) with Lord and Lady Sainsbury at the 2016 Raindance Film Festival, London

Suzanne explained: “This international film festival, currently in its 24th year, annually selects the best independent films from across the globe and screens them at the Vue cinemas in Piccadilly and Leicester Square during a ten-day film extravaganza in London.”

Suzanne was up against some stiff competition to get her documentary selected. This year there were more than 8,000 films entered, from which only 100 feature films were chosen.

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Suzanne’s feature-length documentary told the story of Dr Ross McKim, once named by one critic as ‘the most beautiful dancer in Britain’.

Suzanne said: “Ross McKim then turned to choreography before spending the next 30 years as the artistic director of the Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance.

“Guests at the film screening in London included Lord and Lady Sainsbury (Anya Sainsbury is a former Royal Ballet ballerina and was executive producer on the film), the award-winning Rambert dancer Dane Hurst and the subject of the film himself, Dr Ross McKim.”

Suzanne is also the principal of the Gielgud Academy in Haywards Heath.

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She added: “I was so thrilled to have my film chosen for this prestigious film festival.

“The screening was a very emotional day for me because on that day we also had a deadline to hand in our free school bid to the Department for Education.

“We’ve been working very hard on our bid for the past five months and so to have the bid deadline at midday and this amazing film festival in the evening of the same day was awesome, if not a little draining!

“I am now hoping and praying that our bid is accepted so we can open the Gielgud Academy full time, all-through free school in Haywards Heath. I can’t wait to inspire a new generation of filmmakers, dancers, singers, actors and artists and provide them with expert professional arts training alongside a solid, excellent academic provision. The children in this area of Sussex deserve it.”

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More information about the Gielgud Academy free school and a chance to fill in a survey and register interest can be found at www.gielgudacademy.co.uk.

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