LADY GODIVA

Year: 2008
UK: Miracle Communications
Cast: Phoebe Thomas, Matthew Chambers, James Wilby, Isabelle Amyes, Eric Carte, Simon Williams, Petra Markham, Nicholas Parsons, Lara Cazalet, Laurent Galinier, Georges Trillat, Rupert Whitaker, Freddie Stroma, Paul Ansdell, Kerry Steed, , Julia Verdin, Libby Jewson, Nick Malinowski, Steven Geller, Natalie Walter, Susan Dury, Tamsin Heatley, Matthew Turpin, Paul Mead, Mark Hyde, Giles Oldershaw, Daniel Gill, Robert Hynes, Honerajah Njie, Ka Yan Cheung, Marcia Warren, Geoff Gibbons, Sarah Garrett, Jonathan Rhodes
Director: Vicky Jewson
Country: UK
UK: 89 mins
UK Certificate: 12A contains mildly sexualised nudity and one use of moderate language
UK Release Date: 25 January 2008 (Limited Release)


Synopsis

A new take on the medieval tale of the woman who defies her husband and rides naked through the streets for justice....

In modern-day Oxford Jemima Honey (Phoebe Thomas, star of BBC 1 TV series HOLBY CITY), an attractive but quirky young schoolteacher, dreams to rebuild the Art Factory, a local creative centre she set up with her dead brother, James. She meets and falls for the gorgeous Michael Bartle (Matthew Chambers, star of Doctors) before realising that he is "The Godiva Man" - a notorious playboy famous for his exploits on his white mare "Lady."

After being humiliated on national TV, Jemima seeks a way to get back at Michael who has bet £100, 000, which would be enough money to save the Art Factory, that she won't ride naked through the city. Will Jemima rise to the occasion and continue the Lady Godiva legend? Will Michael realise the folly of his ways and declare his love for Jemima?

Set amidst the beautiful surroundings and architecture of Oxford, LADY GODIVA is a funny, quirky and original Brit love story that is written and directed by Vicky Jewson

From the director Vicky Jewson

At only 21, writer/director Vicky Jewson wrote LADY GODIVA. "Lady Godiva was a great tale to adapt. It's a tale that's never been told before, a kind of undiscovered Robin Hood, the story of one woman's triumph over adversity." She had the desire to modernise an ancient tale, with her young perspective. It gave Jewson the opportunity to create some fun contemporary parallels and to create something a little spicier.

She decided to set the film in Oxford, her home town, to give the perfect romantic back drop to this legendary tale, "it simply couldn't be filmed anywhere else, there is no 'body double' for the dreaming spires of Oxford." The ultimate scene of LADY GODIVA was shot on Oxford's historical Magdalen Bridge at 4.30am. In front of 100 extras, actress Phoebe Thomas wore nothing but a flesh coloured thong and tights, the scene was shot in only 3 takes. Jewson, says "without this scene we wouldn't have a film."