A STITCH IN TIME

Australia, 2022, 98 minutes, Colour.

Maggie Blinco, Glenn Shorrock, Belinda Giblin,Hoa Xuande.

Directed by Sasha Hadden.

In fact, the title does not appear until the end credits – which means that we may be wondering, all the way through, what it actually means. The central character, Liebe, is a talented seamstress, making dresses in the past, deciding in her later age to branch out again, a stitch in time to give her new life. However, she has spent 50 years in partnership with a musician, Duncan (played by musician and singer, Glenn Shorrock of the Little River Band), ambitious for his music but disappointed in his partner pulling out decades earlier, leaving him floundering, and taking out his disappointments on Liebe.

Liebe is played by Maggie Blinco, a career highlight for her after 50 years in film and television. She explains her story, one of the Kindertransport, war children transported by train from Germany to Britain, Jewish but brought up as Christian. She has had to be a patient woman most of her life, supporting Duncan. But, he is angry, bitter, even vengeful on Liebe, fired from his job, making contact with the musician who walked out on him, Justin (John Greg), resentful of his wife, Christine (Belinda Giblin).

In the meantime, Liebe wanders the market stalls outside the church in Balmain, where much of the action was filmed. She encounters the stall of a fashion designer, young Chinese man, Hamish (!) And becomes friends with him, his supporting her work, her going to his stall to sell her dresses, initially slow, then some customer attention.

The screenplay has a women’s liberation theme, Liebe’s liberation from patriarchal presuppositions about her place, in the kitchen, at home, subservient to the husband. She gets a new lease of life, initially helped by Christine who is wealthy, but experiencing some of the same patriarchal dominance from her husband. There is a crisis, some unhappy memories of the past, Liebe walking out to find her own life, fortunately helped by Hamish and his Australian wife.

Which leads her to a new phase, renting garage space from a group of Chinese students, working continuously, making new clothes, becoming more successful – and this, especially, with advertising online and her getting many followers. Hamish helps but he also relies on Lieber for drawing up patterns (though she does not quite approve of his more modern styles of dress design).

Given her background from World War II, Liebe does believe in forgiveness but finds it very hard – but, that is the expected conclusion from a story like this, her finding possibilities for some kind of forgiveness, understanding and a surprising way of encouraging Duncan to record one of his songs (the wonders of social media!).

A film that will resonate with older audiences, especially women who will identify in many ways with Liebe.

1. The title, Liebe Is a dressmaker, the past, taking up dressmaking again, experiences, exhilaration, future?
2. The Sydney settings, the inner city suburbs, homes, RSL club, church, markets and stalls? The affluent country house and interiors? The Chinese students, flats and garage? The musical score?
3. Liebe’s story, the past, her love for Duncan, with him for 50 years, his infidelities, her staying with him? Her dressmaking and skills? The sewing machine and the noise? Faithfully listening to Duncan, at the RSL, going home, his tantrums? Preparing his meals, his diet? Her becoming more exasperated? The past history with Christine, the separation from Justin and Christine, Duncan’s phone call, the visit, Liebe happy to see Christine again? Her encouragement? Duncan’s tantrums against Justin? Just concerning reasonable?
4. Liebe at the church, the market, Hamish and his stall, the conversations, her taking up the dressmaking, going to buy the fabrics, the discounts, her loving care, cutting and measuring the material? Getting out the dress she made for Christine and taking it for Christine?
5. Duncan, character, musician, composer, his career, the grudge of many years against Justin? His past, relationship with Christine? Cantankerous, health, demanding on Liebe?
6. Liebe leaving him, going to Christine, the accommodation, sewing, Justin and his negative reactions, Christine and companionship, buying the new sewing machine?
7. Liebe, her diligence, making the dresses, wanting to support herself, going to Hamish, at the stall, giving away the Address and the later gratitude from the young woman, gradually getting customers, buying more material, making more dresses?
8. Hamish, his wife, fashion design, the stall, customers, kindly towards Liebe, her selling the dresses, his encouragement, his wanting her to make patterns for him, the disagreements about the style of the dress? His getting her the accommodation in the garage? Bringing the new cutting board? The Chinese students?
9. Duncan, arrival, challenge to Justin, revelation about Christine, Liebe upset, leaving, the accommodation, the garage, making the dresses, not eating sufficiently, collapsing, on the park bench, Hamish finding her? The food, her cooking for the students, the bonding?
10. Christine, her visit, moments of forgiveness?
11. Duncan, illness, her going to the hospital, not coming back to him, feeding him? His desire to make more music? Social media, the young man and the recording, its being played on You Tube?
12. Liebe, age, that the possibilities for a new lease of life?