Balls

starring TIA BANNON, SARAH GADON, JOHN SESSIONS, GILLIAN BEVAN director and screenplay LILY COLE screenwriter STACEY GREGG producer KATE WILSON director of photography EOIN MCLOUGHLIN set decorator SOPHIE PHILLIPS casting director EMILY BROCKMANN

Lily Cole in conversation with Joshua Oppenheimer

The film director Joshua Oppenheimer (Oscar nominated for his documentaries about the Indonesian genocide: The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence) spoke with Cole about how the historical narrative of Balls speaks to our contemporary politics, the limits on collective empathy, and the power of film to change the stories by which we know the world.

HOW MUCH HAS CHANGED?

Balls is a short film which skilfully weaves 18th century fact with contemporary narrative to create a surreal dystopian vision. By setting the stories in the present, the film invites us to consider what has changed in the last few centuries.

In writing Balls, Lily researched the real life stories of 18-19th Century foundlings, and the socio-political context that inspired the work of two pioneering individuals, living a century apart - Emily Brontë and Thomas Coram. This approach was inspired by Lily’s twin roles as Fellow of London’s Foundling Museum, which commissions artists to respond to its history, and as creative partner of the Brontë Society, celebrating 200 years since the birth of Emily Brontë.

Thomas Coram as a seaman travelled widely between Europe and America’s east coast, where he campaigned to allow women equal rights of inheritance and against slavery. Returning to London in 1704, he was shocked to see infants dying in the streets - it is estimated that 3 were abandoned every day. With poor sanitation, disease rife, no welfare state, and a huge social stigma against illegitimate children, particularly of the ‘lower class’, the babies of poor unwed women at that time had just a 5% chance of survival. 

Paris and Italy had long established basic systems of protection for newborns, Coram determined London must provide. He initiated and drove a 17 year campaign to set up the first incorporated charity in the world - The Foundling Hospital, which brought up children at risk of abandonment. There was always more demand than they could meet so the colour of a lottery ball, the chastity of the mother and health of the baby all stacked the odds of entry. The hospital saved countless lives, with focus on improved sanitation, health, and equal access to education for girls (Coram’s passionate belief). And through support from his artist friends such as William Hogarth, The Foundling Hospital also became the UK’s first public art gallery.

Emily Brontë was also wide eyed to the suffering of her era, born in 1818 to a philanthropic Irish pastor who graced her and her sisters with access to an education (still rare at the time for women). Emily’s brother, Branwell, had travelled to Liverpool - the UK's hub of slavery until its abolishment in 1833 - not long before Emily wrote Wuthering Heights, the extraordinary novel from which Heathcliff, a likely non-white foundling discovered in Liverpool in the late 1700s emerged. Wuthering Heights broke conventions - the narrative determined by, and perhaps railing against racial discrimination, gendered property rights (women not being allowed to own any) and class disparities. Reviewers of the day could not place it. It still remains a classic today.

Changes fast and slow

As these narratives play out in a contemporary context in Balls, some viewers might find distributing parallels with the many injustices that continue today, as Joshua Oppenheimer picked up in his discussion with the Cole: such as our treatment of migrants and refugees, persisting racial and gender inequities, or the management of life saving resources for pandemics.

Others might marvel at how much positive change has been achieved in the last few centuries: the slashing of infant mortality rates (which have decreased 100-fold since 1800); the emancipation of women (we are estimated to reach full gender parity in the next century); successes in the fight against racism (slavery has been officially abolished in all countries globally; the Civil Rights Act of 1964); the decline of a social code which stigmatised illegitimate children and their parents. 

None of these issues have been ‘solved' but on the trajectory of change, one might be led to agree with the abolitionist minister Theodore Parker, and Dr Martin Luther King that: “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” 

RECEPTION

Balls premiered and played in 2018 at Liverpool Picturehouse at FACT, the Brontë Parsonage Museum, and The Foundling Museum.

Nominations for awards:
Underwire – Best Director, Best Producer, XX Award
London Short Film Festival – Best Film, in Official Competition

Reviews:
Bonnie Greer, novelist and playwright: ‘A wonderful piece of work… a great piece of art.’
Short Of The Week: ‘Balls is a deeply moving and thought-provoking work of fiction and social impact…. Cole’s approach is delicate and deeply sympathetic to her female characters.’
Guardian: ‘Exhibition of the Week’ 2 August 2018, Jonathan Jones
Guardian: ‘Lily Cole’s moving short film is a fine addition to the Foundling Museum’s fascinating art collection’ 11 August 2018, Laura Cummings

Story by Cole and Sarah Gadon; Written by Cole and Stacey Clegg; Producer: Kate Wilson at Fury films. Commissioned by The Foundling Museum, Bronte Parsonage Museum and Liverpool’s Rapid Response Unit (RRU) with support from Arts Council England and Impossible.

ARCHIVE

Balls merges the written petitions of two women in the Foundling Hospital’s archives: ‘Black Peggy’ (played by Tia Bannon) and Mary Ann Brunker (played by Sarah Gadon).

The original petitions of ‘Black Peggy’ and Mary Ann Brunker are shown below, alongside the original Foundling Hospital Instructions.

Images © Coram

‘Black Peggy’s application reads:

• Baby: Jane Williams – recorded in minutes as “Black Peggy’s daughter”

• Admitted May 1793, but died in 1794.

• Application reads: "The Humble Petition of Black Peggy a native of Bengal is now offer’d to your humane and charitable institution. Gentleman, Being a poor unfortunate Girl just arrived at the Age of fourteen, was on my Voyage to England with Mrs Harding, unhappily seduced by my fellow Sarvant James Murray by a false promise of Marriage, but on our arrival at Ostend he knowing of my pregnancy left me friendless and unprotec’d. Nothing but the kind humanity of My Mistress could have supported me through this scene of Misery and Repentance, and who is still inclin’d to be my Friend could I conceal my Disgrace by your Benevolence. This Gentleman urges me in the most supplicating manner to intreat and solicit your generous aid and protection to the unhappy Infant of your very humble petition. Recommended by me Elizabeth Harding in consequence of the Penitence and later good conduct of the above fortunate Girl. Buckingham Street No 2; April 13th. This is Peggy’s Mark X”

Mary Ann Brunker’s application reads:

• Somerset, 16 years, on the 29th November 1867 delivered a male child. Father: Henry Foot, a labourer.

• Mary Ann Brunker’s account: “When first acquainted with the father I was living with my Father, a baker in Chalton. I am the eldest of 7 children - and have always remained at home XX in the house. I have a step mother. The father used to come to the shop for bread… hence our acquaintance. He is age 19 and his parents live in the village, He never XXX keep company. On one occasion, when my father and mother and everyone(?) were out he assaulted me and accomplished his purpose by force. This was in Feb 1869. I did not tell anyone - (til pregnant when I told my mother in law.) He repeated the same offence once only - 1st March I believe. It was on 30 August I told my mother in law of his conduct. He was run at Sherborne - my father saw him at 26 Bush Lane EC with XX Sheet who knows the family. I was confined at home after by Mrs Mark midwife Charlton Home House, Sherborne. If relieved I propose going to Service. The Father threatened to beat me if I did not allow him to do what he wished.

Foundling Hospital History

Wednesday, 25 March 1741 – Doors opened for the first time at 8pm, at temporary building in Hatton Garden. The governors met at 7pm before the doors were opened, and already a crowd had gathered following their advertisements. At the allotted time, the lights were extinguished and the porter admitted people with children until 30 were taken in; two had been refused – one for being too old and one for having the itch. At 12 midnight the porter was ordered to close the door.

October 1742 – Applications for admission increased to such a degree that there were frequently about a hundred women with babies present, where only twenty could be taken in. There were unruly scenes and women fighting and scrambling to be first at the door. The lottery system was therefore devised. The women would enter the room; those with boys to one side and those with girls to the other. The number of balls added to a bag or box depended on the number of children to be admitted and the number of people present. One by one the women would be asked to pick a ball – white meant subject to a medical examination, the child would be admitted – the woman was led to another room. A black ball meant you would leave the building. A red ball meant that you had a second chance at a further lottery if any of the other children were excluded because of illness or age.

10 January 1770 – agreed to take children in following petition and ballot, when space allowed.

From 1801 – mostly children who were illegitimate (and mother could prove of good character and able to reform), were admitted. In addition orphans of soldiers/sailors were admitted.

1955 to present day – institutional care finished, but children and families cared for by Coram (previously The Thomas Coram Foundation, then Coram Family).

18th Century Observations

“The expressions of grief of the women whose children could not be admitted were scarcely more observable than those of some of the women who parted with their children”

“Some of the women after having delivered their children, returned and begged for them again, which could not be granted, being contrary to the rules.”
 

Official questions asked to petitioners:

• Is this your first child?

• When did you first see the father of the child?

• In what manner did your acquaintance with him commence?

• How soon after your acquaintance did he pay you particular attention?

• Where did you reside when you were seduced and what led to your seduction?

• Was the criminal intercourse repeated?

• When did you first find yourself pregnant?

• Did you inform the father of your pregnancy and what was his answer?

• How have you supported yourself since?

• What enquiries have you made after the father and the result?

• Should you be relieved of your child what do you intend to do?

• Who will give you a character?

• Is your child healthy is it a child of colour - or has it any particular marks?

REMEMBERING
JOHN SESSIONS

The Hospital Board’s Chief Inquisitor, (John Sessions) must determine the suitability of the child via the character of the mother and nature her pregnancy ‘Was it forced?’ ‘Repeated?’ His role balances rigorous severity with compassion, and it is with great sadness that we acknowledge his brilliance, and his recent passing.