Venerable Margaret Sinclair – a feature film in the making

Scene from short film introducing 'Margaret Sinclair, An Ordinary Girl'

'Margaret Sinclair, An Ordinary Girl', is a feature film about Venerable Margaret Sinclair, currently in production by White Lyon Films. Screenwriter and director Dianne Thomas, describes the film as "the work of the Holy Spirit". Dianne has self funded a short film as a taster for the feature film and is looking for supporters to help bring the story of Margaret Sinclair into the public eye.

Margaret was born in 1900 in Edinburgh, Scotland to a poor work class family and went to work at a young age as a French polisher to raise money to support her family. She received a call from God to become a religious sister and joined the Order of the Poor Clares in Notting Hill where she was an Exern Sister, working with external agencies. She cherished prayer, even as a small child, and promoted the Eucharist as being of central importance in her life. She contracted TB in her 20s and died in 1925.

Fr Richard Reid, Redemptorist Vocations Director, London Province describes Margaret as “a normal simple person. Margaret was somebody who was open to everyone.”

Rev James Cosker, a Glaswegian priest observes her as “an ordinary girl with an ordinary life. I really feel that for someone so young to have that grasp of spirituality is tremendous. There are many people who say that they have had favours granted, that’s why there’s such a great devotion to her.”

Indeed, one of the reasons Margaret is venerated is because she is easy for modern day society to relate to. Dianne describes Margaret as “a good role model for a woman to play, a real woman, a woman of struggles, of passion, of determination and amazing love of God.”

Asked about how she came to write and direct a film about Venerable Margaret Sinclair, Dianne said: “My incredible journey began in 2008 when I prayed in Margaret’s Parish Church – St Patrick's in Scotland. At that time in my life, I had not yet heard about her. Fast forward to January 2011, in St Antony's Church, I discovered a pamphlet written about Margaret and I knew instantly that here was a phenomenal story just waiting to be revealed to the world. I set about researching her life and wrote the full-length feature film which will be my feature film directorial debut.”

Dianne is hoping that the Catholic community can help her make the film which she hopes will lead to Margaret’s Beatification by drawing support to her cause. She asks for prayers first and foremost. There are also specific requirements to help make this period costume drama set in the 1920s which Dianne is self-financing on a low budget.

Dianne would be delighted to hear from anyone who has access to any of the following items: Jesuit Cassock, Poor Clare heavy brown woollen cloth habits, white wimples, and black veils, Rosary beads which hang at the left side of the habit, a white cord for a belt, Sisters of Charity white dresses, white scapulars, Rosary beads which hang at the left side of the habit and a cross on a black braid is worn around the neck, bearing the symbols of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary & the letters JMJV (Jesus, Mary, Joseph and St Vincent).

Dianne is also seeking London based Ballroom and Latin American dancers, classical musicians, singers to join with us on a voluntary basis and participate in the feature film in 2015 and a location in London that her team can film in, preferably a French Polishing Workshop, as Margaret was a French Polisher.

For more information please visit: www.whitelyonfilms.com or email diannet77@yahoo.co.uk.