Celebrated British Director Terence Davies, Renowned for ‘Distant Voices, Still Lives,’ Passes Away at 77

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Terence Davies, the esteemed British director chiefly recognized for two emotive and poetic films influenced by his early years in post-World War II Liverpool, has passed away at the age of 77.

John Taylor, Davies’ managerial representative, announced that the filmmaker died “tranquilly at his residence during sleep” this past Saturday, following a brief illness.

Originating from a sizeable working-class Roman Catholic household in the major English maritime hub of Liverpool, Davies initially pursued employment as a clerical worker in a maritime logistics firm and later as an accountant in a financial services company. He then decided to attend a drama academy in Coventry, before furthering his studies at the National Film School.

Making a mark first with a series of short films, Davies earned considerable attention with his 1988 feature-length directorial debut, “Distant Voices, Still Lives.” The film, a complex and at times unsettling montage, delved into themes of familial hardship and abuse, yet also celebrated the power of music and cinema. The project garnered the Cannes International Critics Prize in the same year and was later voted as the ninth-greatest film over a span of 25 years by critics in the United Kingdom.

In 1992, Davies produced another semi-autobiographical film titled “The Long Day Closes.” He also revisited Liverpool in 2008 to direct the documentary “Of Time and the City.”

Michael Koresky, who authored a book on Davies, described his autobiographical films as “melancholic, intermittently distressing, yet also ineffably magnificent, standing as two of the most outstanding achievements in the entirety of film history.” Koresky added, in a statement published on the British Film Institute’s website, that Davies was so unique in his style that “he virtually had no counterparts; emulation would be audacious.”

Davies’ groundbreaking autobiographical works enabled him to work with increased budgets and venture into more mainstream cinematic territories, though never at the expense of his characteristic poeticism. His later films often explored historical settings, primarily from the 19th and early 20th centuries.

His 1995 feature “The Neon Bible” was an adaptation of a novel by John Kennedy Toole and took place in the American South. “The House of Mirth,” which was released in 2000, featured Gillian Anderson and was an adaptation of Edith Wharton’s classic novel. The film received the accolade for best British film at the 2001 British Academy Film Awards.

In 2011, Davies directed “The Deep Blue Sea,” a film adapted from a Terence Rattigan play, featuring Rachel Weisz portraying a woman struggling with her emotions between her reliable spouse and an irresponsible paramour.

Actress and model Agyness Deyn featured in “Sunset Song,” a 2015 tribute to the Scottish countryside, and the life of poet Emily Dickinson was vividly captured by Davies in the 2016 film “A Quiet Passion,” with Cynthia Nixon in the leading role.

Davies’ last cinematic contribution, “Benediction,” examined the life of Siegfried Sassoon, a soldier and poet from World War I. The film featured performances from Jack Lowden, Peter Capaldi, and the late Julian Sands.

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More about Terence Davies Obituary

• Terence Davies Filmography
• Cannes International Critics Prize Winners
• British Academy Film Awards 2001
• Biography of Siegfried Sassoon
• Michael Koresky’s Book on Terence Davies
• British Film Institute Website
• History of Liverpool’s Film Industry
• The Legacy of Terence Davies in British Cinema
• “Of Time and the City” Documentary Review
• Overview of British Autobiographical Films