This production re-visits the unique journey of 22 women from various Commonwealth nations that due to life’s circumstances have migrated to Birmingham the second city. All these stories are at risk of being lost in time, and organisations like LGK are actively collecting these Hollywood life experiences to be shared with the queens to come.
We received a prestigious award from the Royal Television Society – The Best Documentary of 2023 and is now available to watch on ITVX.
premiere screening
Saturday 9th July, 2023 at The Pavilion Moor Lane, Birmingham
Gallery
The Artists
We promoted a great opportunity for local artists to participate in our premiere with their talents and create portraits of our queens, to add a creative spark to the night and also to celebrate our local emerging artists through our networks.
Andrew Spencer
Ruddell James
Graham Kershaw
Jane Smith
Keith Holt
Love Grosmane
Nicholas Sims
Nick Murley
Pat Ryan
Robert Neil
Waheeda Mair
Check out their works
Take a peek of what artists created for the premiere
In the press
- I AM BHAM - Premiere
- PHEONIX NEWSPAPER
- BRUM HOUR - Black tie premiere
- VISIT BIRMINGHAM - Black tie screening
- BIRMINGHAM MAIL - Birmingham made documentary
- BIRMINGHAM MAIL - Lovina Moses mural
- BBC.CO.UK - Sounds play
- I AM BHAM - St Kitts mural
- PHEONIX NEWSPAPER - 'Queens of the premiere'
- MIGRANT VOICE - 'Unsong heroes'
Production Team
Panikos Panayiotou - Director and Producer
Lance Latchman - Director of Photography/Assistant Director
Lance Latchman is a full-time producer/director and has a great passion for transforming factual stories into captivating videos or film. Through his production company, Cue Card Productions, Lance empowers people and companies to share their stories, and leave a positive mark on the world.
Ben Robinson - Executive Producer
Suzanne Virdee - Narrator
Suzanne is a well known news presenter and has worked for BBC and ITV for many years. She is from a migrant background and has a passion for sharing stories of those that have sacrificed their own dreams for us to have a better chance in life. IN her own words “When Panikos and Ben approached me and told me about this documentary I knew immediately I wanted to be involved”. Suzanne and his family came here from India in the late 50s. She grew up hearing stories of how their lives changed overnight, how they adapted to life in Birmingham, learned to ‘fit in’ and build a life for themselves, so the subject spoke to her personally but also as a journalist. Telling the stories of those whose voices are largely unheard is something I’m passionate about. Getting the chance to do that and hear from these amazing women has been a real privilege. It proves what I have always believed, that ordinary people have the most extraordinary stories to tell and the women featured in the Queen of the Commonwealth documentary are no exception.
Christina Savvas - Research lead
Petros Kkolas - Production Coordinator
Gabriel Timotheou - Photography/Social Media
Bradfield Thomas - Media Asset Coordinator
Oliver Dupont - Media Asset Coordinator
Oliver is an aspiring artist and young film maker located in the heart of Birmingham. Graduate in Ba Art & Design Honours and current Masters Feature Film Development student, he is making his way through the creative landscape. Oliver has experience in film and documentary as well as freelancing in the world of Videography, photography and Graphic Design. Creating and sharing art is all he ever wants to do and Queens of the Commonwealth allows him to do so.
Sponsors
