Synopsis

In a community art class, a group of strangers gather to draw a life model. Eve (Molly Vevers) is stuck in a relationship that’s falling apart. Celeste (Pooky Quesnel), older and more self-assured, keeps her distance but sees more than she lets on.

Life Class explores what it means to be seen, to change, and to choose a different path.o

A life model with brown hair in a bun sitting on a sofa, looking focused, with a person in the background sitting at an art board drawing, in a room with large windows and decorative items on the windowsill.
Two women in an art studio, one with dark hair holding a notebook and the other with red hair sitting next to an easel, surrounded by wooden chairs and art supplies.

Director’s statement

Life Class explores transformation not through dramatic upheaval, but through quiet recognition.

The setting, a life drawing class, offers a contained world where drama emerges from attention, presence, and subtext. I was drawn to how sustained observation, really looking, can lead to quiet revelation.

The audience is immersed in the tactile: the drag of charcoal, the patina of well-worn boards, the play of light on skin. Texture, both visual and emotional, is the thread that holds it all together.

We shot anamorphic, drawn to its tension between intimacy and distance. The format allowed us to hold close-ups within a wider frame, creating intimacy while preserving the negative space around them.

Often, Eve and Celeste are not looking at each other; the space between them - the absences, sidelong glances, fixed stares - is as expressive as dialogue.

Director: Benjamin Verrall

Two people, a woman and a man, are sitting at a table laughing and enjoying a cup of tea. The woman wears an orange jumper, and the man is in a striped navy and white sweater. They are a room with wooden furniture.
Two women sit, facing away from the camera, observing a life model, who is sitting on a sofa in a community art studio.

Key art

A poster for the film "Life Class", with the title written in large, stylised letters and a textured background, with a woman’s face visible on a ring hanging from a chain.

Working with Juan Luis Garcia (Lighter Studios) is a rare creative joy. His approach begins with discovery: he watches the film closely, often many times, before asking thoughtful questions that encourage deep discussion and finding new perspectives. From there, Juan presents different visual directions, each one carefully considered and rooted in the spirit of the story. His process is thorough without ever feeling rigid, and his curiosity brings out details others might miss.

What’s most inspiring is seeing how Juan translates feeling into imagery - responding with designs that feel both surprising and somehow inevitable, as though it was always meant to be.

Cast

A woman with red hair, wearing a blue jacket and patterned scarf, sitting indoors with a window behind her, looking to the side with a serious expression.

Pooky Quesnel as “Celeste”

A close-up of a woman with brown hair and blue eyes, looking to the left, with a neutral expression. She is wearing gold hoop earrings and a black top.

Molly Vevers as “Eve”

A smiling woman wearing an orange jumper and red necklace. She is sat at an art easel and is looking to her right.

Yvonne Campbell as “Iris'“

A smiling man, wearing a dark sweater over a collared shirt, sitting at an art easel in a community art studio. Sunlight coming through a window illuminates the room.

Adrian Mcloughlin as “Alec”

A life model poses, draped in an orange silk fabric. She is sitting on a blue sofa, with a serious expression.

Katie Rivers as “Grace”

Woman with curly blonde hair wearing a colourful patterned jacket, standing next to an art easel, with some sculptures on a windowsill in the background.

Amelia Rowcroft as “Art Tutor”

Toffee Hammer makes films to tell stories that matter.

Our work explores what moves us: the complexities of being human. We make films to tell the stories we care about, and to help others tell theirs. We’re proud to collaborate with brilliant creatives to bring those stories to the screen.

Filmmaking connects us with others.  It keeps us growing, experimenting, and finding new ways to share our stories to a wider audience. If you would like to work with Toffee Hammer or learn more, get in touch and say hello.