Leisa Gwenllian delivers a powerhouse performance as Effi, a working-class heroine in Cardiff, in this Welsh-language film adaptation of Gary Owen's one-woman play Iphigenia in Splott. Directed by Marc Evans, who co-wrote the screenplay with Owen, the film reimagines the Greek myth of Iphigenia as a young woman navigating austerity and lockdown, defiantly seeking pleasure and happiness amid long-term deprivation.
Effi o Blaenau is part of the British social realist tradition, evoking films like Ken Loach's Poor Cow and Clio Barnard's The Arbor. It centres on an unplanned pregnancy, a kitchen-sink staple rarely seen in modern drama, and combines this with an absorbing, propulsive story that keeps viewers engaged. The film does not shy away from tragedy, offering a raw and unflinching narrative.
Gwenllian's Effi has been abandoned by her mother and has a fraught relationship with her grandmother. She spends her nights clubbing, posting sexy images online, and drinking with her friend Leanne (Nel Rhys Lewis). Her life is marked by hangovers and a bleary friends-with-benefits relationship with Kev (Owen Alun), who may be in love with her. When she meets Lee (Tom Rhys Harries) on a night out, their encounter sets off a heartbreaking chain of events.
The film occasionally feels broad, with touches of Holby City, and a factual point about a solicitor's advice on a negligence case may be questionable. However, Gwenllian's performance is tremendous, capturing Effi's regression to a childlike state when she encounters authority figures. Interestingly, the male patriarchal figures from Euripides' play are largely replaced by women, who hold sway over Effi. This absorbing drama is a powerful addition to Welsh cinema.
