by Cynthia Webb I am so sad, about the death (on 7th October 2023) of one of the greatest filmmakers I have ever fallen in love with –Terence Davies (English) whose work struck a poignant minor chord within the depths of your heart. And speaking in musical terminology, he also used music exceptionally brilliantly in his films – especially “Distant Voices, Still Lives”, and “The Long Day Closes” ( autobiographical, both of them.) All of his filmmaking work including the documentaries, one about his hometown Liverpool, was very moving. He was so poetic, so lyrical, so tragic at times, and his sensitivity and modesty, humility even, were remarkable. He always said he was “not good looking” which was untrue and he did NOT want to be gay so chose celibacy after a couple of months out in the gay social scene of his young days. He devoted himself to reading poetry and making the cinema his way of life. In his early years working in the world of film-making he struggled for funding. His films were a ‘niche’ genre, and were not widely seen until “Distant Voices, Still Lives” was a break through, although only shown in arthouses. In two films he identified profoundly with the lives of women in past eras, in “The Deep Blue Sea’ and “The House of Mirth”. EMPATHY was this man’s middle name. His greatest masterpiece of 2022 “Benediction” turned out to be his final film. I will miss him SO much, and feel as if a close personal friend of mine has died. He revealed his heart and soul in every film he made. “Benediction” can be found on streaming sites and I highly recommend watching it, and then seeking out his other work, if you love the finest expression of cinema.