Desert Island Films – Wera Hobhouse

Fri Mar 2024

Desert Island Films Ed. 2

Imagine being trapped on an island with nothing to do; no phones, no laptops, no wifi and the boring old commodities like food and water. But have no fear! Your island does, for some reason, come complete with a state of the art cinema with a lovely big screen and eight of your most beloved, favourite films of all time!

We have interviewed a number of people of note that are connected to the historical city of Bath. Secondly, is the Bath Member of Parliament Wera Hobhouse.

Wera Hobhouse

Wera Hobhouse is the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Bath. She was born in Hanover, Germany and has been a proud resident of Bath since 2014. Before her political career, she worked as a professional artist, a radio journalist and a Modern Foreign Languages teacher. Today, Wera uses her political voice to advocate for women’s rights and climate action. She was pivotal to the passing of the Voyeurism (Offences) Act 2019 which outlawed upskirting. The Bath MP also introduced the Worker Protection Act 2023 to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. She continues to work tirelessly as the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Energy and Climate Change, championing climate action at every opportunity.

“I have lived in the idyllic centre of Bath with my husband, William, for the last decade. I was fortunate enough to become the MP of Bath in 2017 and it has been an honour to represent Bath in Parliament ever since.”

Wera's love of film

My passion for art has never ceased since my days as a professional artist and with this comes a deep appreciation for the creative industries, especially film. I admire the power of films to be able to transport you into a completely different world and the talent of directors and producers to be able to capture the beauty of these worlds on camera.

1. The Full Monty, Peter Cattaneo, 1997

“A wonderfully, gritty portrait of how a community under pressure organises itself. I love the way it depicts how adversity can be overcome by a community through comedy. It forces us to ask how we can rally as a community to survive adversity.”

2. Shakespeare in Love, John Madden, 1998 

This film is the most wonderful combination of a timeless classic, Romeo and Juliet, and a beautiful personal story. It is an imaginative depiction of how one of the greatest love stories could be shaped by the personal experiences of its author. It is extremely funny and features incredible acting.

3. Wings of Desire, Wim Wenders, 1987

This is a classic Berlin film of the 1980s. It is wonderfully imaginative and creative. It truly reflects what it was like to live in Berlin during the 80s.

4. Run Lola Run, Tom Tykwer, 1998

This is another, very gritty, Berlin film. It is an exceedingly imaginative reflection on how life can turn out differently due to only seconds of decision-making. The film is innovative and forward-looking in its use of animation.

5. Blow Up, Michelangelo Antonioni, 1966

This is a classic thriller with beautiful cinematography. Vanessa Redgrave is fantastic. It is so creative and mysterious.

6. Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi, 2007

This is a very powerful film which offers insight into the history of Iran. Ultimately, it is a story about displacement and grappling with dual identity.

7. All About My Mother, Pedro Almodovar, 1999

I adored this film because it was quite forward-thinking and progressive for its time.

8. Two Days, One Night, Luc Dardenne, Jean-Pierre Dardenne, 2014

I was stuck between this and A Good Year as my final film choice. Both feature the wonderful Marion Cotillard, but ultimately, this film has stayed with me the most.

Thanks to Wera for her Desert Island Films! Look out for the next in our series, coming out in April!