The Long Day Closes is the most gloriously cinematic expression of the unique sensibility of Terence Davies, widely celebrated as Britain’s greatest living filmmaker. Suffused with both enchantment and melancholy, this autobiographical film takes on the perspective of a quiet, lonely boy growing up in Liverpool in the 1950s. But rather than employ a straightforward narrative, Davies jumps in and out of time, swoops into fantasies and fears, summons memories and dreams. A singular filmic tapestry, The Long Day Closes is an evocative, movie- and music-besotted portrait of the artist as a young man.

Terence Davies (1945–2023), widely regarded as one of Britain’s greatest filmmakers, left an indelible mark on the country’s cinematic landscape over five decades. As a director, screenwriter, novelist, and actor, he explored the hidden depths of human emotion, the quiet heroism of perseverance, and the lingering echoes of the past. His work often examines how rigid religious dogma shapes individual consciousness. Davies’ films are visual symphonies – carefully composed, rhythmically measured, and narratively precise – where every frame unfolds with emotional resonance.

Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988)
The House of Mirth (2000)
Benediction (2021)

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Director: Terence Davies
Cast: Leigh McCormack, Marjorie Yates, Anthony Watson
Cinematography: Michael Coulter
Screenwriter: Terence Davies
Producer: Olivia Stewart, Maureen McCue
Editor: William Diver
Music: Gerard O'Beirne, Isobel Buchanan, Ruth Davies
Hungarian Distributor: -
Colour: colour
min: 85 mins

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