EON PRODUCTIONS AND PIP PIP PRODUCTIONS PRESENT
DIRECTED BY PIPPA BENNETT-WARNER
22+1
An interracial couple navigate the grief of late term pregnancy loss, while confronted with the underlying layer of racism in the health system that tests their love.
22+ 1 TRAILER
PIPPA BENNETT-WARNER & HARRY LLOYD
Synopsis
Ruby is confronted with every woman’s nightmare of premature labour, giving birth at five months into pregnancy and witnessing her baby die in her home. The trauma is heightened by the experiences Ruby faced through her pregnancy as a Black woman, navigating underlying racism within the health system. Ruby’s white partner, Will, supports her, but does not comprehend the biased treatment she receives pre and post birth.
A pre-natal hospital appointment shows a consultant side-lining Ruby, directing questions to Will. When admitted to hospital on the morning their baby dies, Ruby is shut down by a doctor when she begins to question whether she caused her baby’s death, and again when she attempts to discuss the statistics relating to Black maternal trauma.
The couple attend a dinner party hosted by a work friend of Will’s shortly after their loss. The host shows little understanding of the trauma of pregnancy loss, seeming to assume Ruby has recovered just a month after her baby died. Ruby is faced with an unexpected pregnant guest at the dinner and, overwhelmed by her grief and the situation she has been put in, she is unable to conceal her trauma and leaves the dinner early.
Having grown apart in the aftermath of their loss, can Will take accountability for not putting Ruby's emotional state first and for not recognising the racism she experienced? And can Ruby begin her journey of healing and reconcile with Will, knowing that life will never be quite the same again?
Ruby is confronted with every woman’s nightmare of premature labour, giving birth at five months into pregnancy and witnessing her baby die in her home. The trauma is heightened by the experiences Ruby faced through her pregnancy as a Black woman, navigating underlying racism within the health system. Ruby’s white partner, Will, supports her, but does not comprehend the biased treatment she receives pre and post birth. A pre-natal hospital appointment shows a consultant side-lining Ruby, directing questions to Will. When admitted to hospital on the morning their baby dies, Ruby is shut down by a doctor when she begins to question whether she caused her baby’s death, and again when she attempts to discuss the statistics relating to Black maternal trauma. The couple attend a dinner party hosted by a work friend of Will’s shortly after their loss. The host shows little understanding of the trauma of pregnancy loss, seeming to assume Ruby has recovered just a month after her baby died. Ruby is faced with an unexpected pregnant guest at the dinner and, overwhelmed by her grief and the situation she has been put in, she is unable to conceal her trauma and leaves the dinner early. Having grown apart in the aftermath of their loss, can Will take accountability for not putting Ruby's emotional state first and for not recognising the racism she experienced? And can Ruby begin her journey of healing and reconcile with Will, knowing that life will never be quite the same again?
What do you hold onto when you have to let go?
Director's Statement
Research shows that readers often fail to engage with articles in the media about Black maternal trauma. When I learned the shocking statistic that Black women face a 3 times higher risk of miscarrying than white women, I knew this was a film that had to be made. In 2021, I began developing 22+1 with Pippa Vosper, author of Beyond Grief, a book exploring miscarriage and baby loss. We felt that telling a story of an interracial couple experiencing the grief of late-term pregnancy loss could raise awareness, ignite conversations, and ultimately be a call to action. For the film to feel authentic, we drew from Pippa Vosper’s lived experience of pregnancy loss and wrote a script from the perspective of a Black woman, to be played by and directed by me. The process of bringing 22+1 to life was not without its challenges. Pippa and I struggled for three years to raise the finance, with many doors closing once people learned the subject was of Black maternal trauma and not of white. In July 2024 we partnered with Gregg Wilson at EON who ensured we had the full production support necessary to honour our story. This subject is deeply personal to me and as my directorial debut, I am incredibly proud of what we’ve made. The ongoing support and passion from the cast and crew cements that this is a story that needs to be told. My hope is that women of colour will feel seen and heard.
Ruby is confronted with every woman’s nightmare of premature labour, giving birth at five months into pregnancy and witnessing her baby die in her home. The trauma is heightened by the experiences Ruby faced through her pregnancy as a Black woman, navigating underlying racism within the health system. Ruby’s white partner, Will, supports her, but does not comprehend the biased treatment she receives pre and post birth.
A pre-natal hospital appointment shows a consultant side-lining Ruby, directing questions to Will. When admitted to hospital on the morning their baby dies, Ruby is shut down by a doctor when she begins to question whether she caused her baby’s death, and again when she attempts to discuss the statistics relating to Black maternal trauma.
The couple attend a dinner party hosted by a work friend of Will’s shortly after their loss. The host shows little understanding of the trauma of pregnancy loss, seeming to assume Ruby has recovered just a month after her baby died. Ruby is faced with an unexpected pregnant guest at the dinner and, overwhelmed by her grief and the situation she has been put in, she is unable to conceal her trauma and leaves the dinner early.
Having grown apart in the aftermath of their loss, can Will take accountability for not putting Ruby's emotional state first and for not recognising the racism she experienced? And can Ruby begin her journey of healing and reconcile with Will, knowing that life will never be quite the same again?
PIPPA BENNETT-WARNER
“Visceral, moving and urgent. This is a film that needed to exist in the world. Watching it makes so many of us feel seen.”
ELIZABETH DAY
novelist, journalist and broadcaster
Creative Leads of 22+1
Pippa Bennett-Warner
Pippa Bennett-Warner is the co-writer and lead actor of 22+1, in which she plays Ruby. The film also marks her directorial debut. A RADA graduate, Pippa has built a career across film, television and theatre. Her screen credits include Gangs of London, See How They Run, Chloe, and the upcoming films The Woman in Cabin 10 and The Magic Faraway Tree. On stage, she has performed leading roles in King Lear at the Donmar Warehouse and BAM, Caroline, or Change at the National Theatre, and Vivienne Franzmann’s The Witness at the Royal Court.
Pippa Vosper
Pippa Vosper is the creator, lead producer and co-writer of 22+1. Author of Beyond Grief: Navigating Pregnancy and Baby Loss, Pippa has worked to highlight the realities of miscarriage and baby loss since her own late-term experience in 2017. Her articles on the subject have been published in The Sunday Times, British Vogue, The Times, Grazia, Red, Vogue Scandinavia, Evening Standard, Glamour, The Independent. Previously a fashion editor, Pippa regularly contributed to American Vogue, i-D, Interview, W, Harper’s Bazaar and Italian Vogue.
22+1 is a powerful and thought provoking film.
“You feel you may have seen this film on Black maternal trauma before with different actors, until you realise you have read, heard or seen it several times in real life. This is a sobering ‘must see’ for all who work, lead or are decision makers in our maternity services because there is no getting around the rawness of this compelling story telling of lived experience. The mirror has been held up. The volume on viewer call to action is thunderous”
Gubby Ayida
CEO Evelina London Women’s & Children’s Hospital (part of Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust). Former Chief Midwifery Officer, NHS England
Ruby is confronted with every woman’s nightmare of premature labour, giving birth at five months into pregnancy and witnessing her baby die in her home. The trauma is heightened by the experiences Ruby faced through her pregnancy as a Black woman, navigating underlying racism within the health system. Ruby’s white partner, Will, supports her, but does not comprehend the biased treatment she receives pre and post birth.
A pre-natal hospital appointment shows a consultant side-lining Ruby, directing questions to Will. When admitted to hospital on the morning their baby dies, Ruby is shut down by a doctor when she begins to question whether she caused her baby’s death, and again when she attempts to discuss the statistics relating to Black maternal trauma.
The couple attend a dinner party hosted by a work friend of Will’s shortly after their loss. The host shows little understanding of the trauma of pregnancy loss, seeming to assume Ruby has recovered just a month after her baby died. Ruby is faced with an unexpected pregnant guest at the dinner and, overwhelmed by her grief and the situation she has been put in, she is unable to conceal her trauma and leaves the dinner early.
Having grown apart in the aftermath of their loss, can Will take accountability for not putting Ruby's emotional state first and for not recognising the racism she experienced? And can Ruby begin her journey of healing and reconcile with Will, knowing that life will never be quite the same again?
Starring
Pippa Bennett-Warner
Harry Lloyd
with
Alice Orr-Ewing
Aki Omoshaybi
Isabella Laughland
Jack Greenlees
Peter Sullivan
Sian Thomas
Ruby
Will
Abi
Femi
Sarah
Jake
Doctor Farr
Nurse
This story needs to be told.
“22+1 tells the harsh but true, sad reality of the systemic racism that women and their families experience using maternity services. The national maternity safety outcomes data demonstrates this reality, as Black and Asian women are more likely to experience a stillbirth than white British women. This story needs to be told and every professional working in maternity services need to understand and accept the reality and raise to the challenge of creating equity for the diverse women and families that we provide maternity care to.”
Pippa Nightingale MBE
CEO London North West London Healthcare NHS Trust
featured PRODUCTION TEAM
Gregg Wilson
Gregg Wilson is producer along with Pippa Vosper on 22+1. He has worked on multiple films within the Bond franchise, the first was on the score for The World Is Not Enough. He was a development executive on the subsequent Bond film, Die Another Day and an assistant editor on Casino Royale. Wilson went on to become assistant producer on Quantum of Solace, then associate producer on Skyfall, Spectre and No Time To Die. He was assistant producer on Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool and executive producer on The Rhythm Section and 007: Road To A Million adventure series on Amazon Prime.
Dan Smith
Dan is a Grammy-nominated, BRIT Award-winning singer, songwriter, composer, and producer. Best known as the creative force and lead singer of Bastille, he has sold over 11 million records, earned three UK No.1 albums, and surpassed 7 billion streams. Smith has collaborated with artists including Tears for Fears and Marshmello, and co-composed original music for Planet Earth III with Hans Zimmer. His screen credits include World Gone Mad for Netflix’s Bright and Eurydice for the series KAOS. He is currently developing Misfits, an original musical with Ralph Pelleymounter and Curve, and his song No Words features in Pippa Bennett-Warner’s upcoming short film 22+1.
Francine Leach
Francine is a Film and Television Editor with experience across scripted drama, music videos, short-form content, and motion graphics since 2009. Recent credits include Sunday Dinner (dir. Monique Needham), winner of the 2023 M&M's FUNd competition, and Never to Forget (dir. Jeremy Ngatho Cole), a Rambert dance film honouring health and social care workers lost to Covid-19. She was Assembly Editor on HIDE (dir. Ian Curtis), working alongside Editor Jon Harris. Francine has also assisted on major productions for Disney, Warner Bros., Universal, Netflix, HBO, and Amazon.
Charlie Knight
A rising name in narrative film, Charlie Knight is the cinematographer on 22+1. With a background that spans commercial, fashion, documentary, and music video, his experience across genres informs a style rooted in human storytelling. Charlie blends naturalism with cinematic intent to support character-driven narratives with sensitivity and care
Simi Lindgren
Simi Lindgren is the Campaign Director for 22+1. She is also the CEO and Founder of Yuty® the Google backed, proprietary AIaaS BeautyTech solutions provider, which revolutionises the beauty commerce experience and empowers beauty consumers to find the right beauty products with AI. Yuty's achievements have been recognised by prominent media outlets including ITV, TechCrunch, CNN, Bloomberg and The Washington Post, and has been acknowledged as the “Early-Stage Beauty Tech to Watch” by Sifted and a “Beauty Game-Changer” by ELLE Magazine, alongside receiving multiple patents for their innovative technology. A former award-winning commercial leader at FTSE and NYSE listed businesses, known for championing critical issues; Simi was included by ELLE as one of the '10 Trailblazing Women Changing The Future You Need To Know' , and Britain’s brightest young business leader’s list Management Today’s 35 women under 35 in 2021.
Ruby is confronted with every woman’s nightmare of premature labour, giving birth at five months into pregnancy and witnessing her baby die in her home. The trauma is heightened by the experiences Ruby faced through her pregnancy as a Black woman, navigating underlying racism within the health system. Ruby’s white partner, Will, supports her, but does not comprehend the biased treatment she receives pre and post birth.
A pre-natal hospital appointment shows a consultant side-lining Ruby, directing questions to Will. When admitted to hospital on the morning their baby dies, Ruby is shut down by a doctor when she begins to question whether she caused her baby’s death, and again when she attempts to discuss the statistics relating to Black maternal trauma.
The couple attend a dinner party hosted by a work friend of Will’s shortly after their loss. The host shows little understanding of the trauma of pregnancy loss, seeming to assume Ruby has recovered just a month after her baby died. Ruby is faced with an unexpected pregnant guest at the dinner and, overwhelmed by her grief and the situation she has been put in, she is unable to conceal her trauma and leaves the dinner early.
Having grown apart in the aftermath of their loss, can Will take accountability for not putting Ruby's emotional state first and for not recognising the racism she experienced? And can Ruby begin her journey of healing and reconcile with Will, knowing that life will never be quite the same again?
Full Crew
director
ORIGINAL CONCEPT BY
writers
Producers
Executive Producers
Composer
Cinematographer
Editor
Production Designer
production executive
Associate Producer
First Ad/Production Manager
second ad
Casting director
Script Supervisor
art director
set director
costume Designer
costume assistant designer
costume assistant
Make Up Designer
Prosthetics/Makeup Effects
Makeup First Assistant
Makeup Second Assistant
hair Designer
Hair First Assistant
Hair Second Assistant
Camera First Assistant
Camera Second Assistant
Additional Camera First Assistant
Digital Imaging Technician
Digital Imaging assistant
Chief Lighting Technician
Electrical Best Boy
Electrician
Electrician
Sound Recordist
Sound Recordist
First Assistant Sound Recordist
Sound Recordist Trainee
Sound Designer
Sound Effects Editor
Foley Mixer
Foley Artist
Foley Recorded At
Dialogue Editor & Dubbing Mixer
Visual Effects Producer
Visual Effects
Post-Production Producer
Post-Production Coordinator
Colourist
Online Editor
Chinagraph VFX
Title Treatment
Editorial Assistant
Location Manager
Assistant Location Manager
Assistant Location Manager
Accountant
Assistant Accountant
Directors Assistant
third Floor Assistant Director
Additional Assistant Director
Production Assistant
Production Assistant
Additional Script Supervisor:
Health and Safety Officer
Unit Medic
Medical Advisor
Behind the Scenes
Industria Head of Production
Industria Producer
Stills Photography & Videography
Intimacy Coordinator
Stunt Co-Ordinator
On Set Psychotherapist
Catering
Food Stylist
Transport Captain
Camera Car Driver
Minibus Driver
Driver to Ms. Bennett-Warner
Pippa Bennett-Warner
Pippa Vosper
Pippa Vosper
Pippa Bennett-Warner
Kefi Chadwick
Pippa Vosper
Gregg Wilson
Charles Sekwalor
Babatunde Soyoye
Pippa Bennett-Warner
Pippa Vosper
Nils Andén
Antony Noguera
Steve O’Pray
Jason Lee
Sophie Wilson
Dan Smith
Charlie Knight
Francine Leach
Jackson Pritchard
David Pope
Michal Wasilewski
Terry Bamber
Magda Sobolewska
Darren Knight
Sylvia Parker
Walid Azam
Amy Thompson
Lucy Alexandra Williams
Joseph Butterfield
Holly Chung
Ammy Drammeh
Jenny Glynn
Mee Kee
Miyashita Haruka
Charlotte Mensah
Kacey Amoo
Lindsey Stokes
Felix Wildey
Ellie Woodward
Chris Orr
Alicia Stroud
Rory Bannister
Mark Lane
Pete Musgrave
Tsvetina Rassovska
Deborah Oluwa-Lajuwomi
Ron Bailey
Ben Christopher
Joe Brooks
Zak Ferguson
Oliver Tarney
Dawn Gough
Adam Méndez
Oliver Ferris
Twickenham Film Studios
Robin Hollings
Mara Bryan
LOLA
Samantha Bennett
Samuel Holding
Alex Gregory
Tom Early
Callum Lewis
Empire Design
Lily Soyoye
Emma Harrison
Joel Punchard
Jessica Mullen
John Roebuck
Nikki Clouder
Fran Aghoghovbia
Beatrice Colley
Michela Marini
Ismael Abdulahi
Nadia Afif
Sarah Hayward
Amy and Mick Hurrell
Lizzie Dyer
Alicia Burnett
Industria Studios
Sophie Butler
Keri Hayes
Edward Allen
Beverley Bruce-Mills
Kenny Valaydo
Jessica Fell
Peter Pedrero
Darren Knight
Detox Kitchen
Lettie Bennett-Warner
Junel Ali
Ricardo Hellis
Rajesh Vijay Keshwala
Arif Erbas
With Special Thanks
Barbara Broccoli, Michael G. Wilson, Panavision, SHL London, Chinagraph, Suzette Llewellyn, Simi Lindgren, Yomi Adegoke, Yvonne Bayode, Nadine Finnegan, Purple PR, Georgina Novarese,
Mr & Mrs Bennett-Warner, Jack Eve, Nicole Trunfio, Steven Burdge, Yasmin Elsworth, Harbor Pictures, Evolution Films, Christian Louboutin, Bella Freud, Alex Eagle,
Having a baby is one of the most profound moments in a woman’s life
This film is a poignant and moving reminder of how devastating it is when women are denied the equity, compassion and respect that they should expect and deeply deserve."
Kate Brintworth
Chief Midwifery officer NHS england
The Stats
The risk of maternal death for Black women is almost four times higher than for white women.
Black women also face a 43% increased risk of miscarriage compared to white women.
In the UK, Black women are more likely to experience serious birth complications, and many report that their health concerns during pregnancy are often dismissed or ignored.
A recent inquiry into racial injustice in maternity care revealed that Black, Brown, and mixed ethnicity women and birthing people often felt unsafe, were repeatedly disbelieved, faced racism from caregivers, and were denied true informed consent. Many described being regularly dehumanised throughout their care.
Black maternal trauma remains a subject that is too often silenced by both the British press and the UK medical system.
We want to help change that narrative.
22+1 is a beautifully calibrated story which shines a light on the disparity in maternal health experiences for many Black women. The film resonates as a testament to those overlooked and unheard.”
Gina MckeE, ACTRESS
22+1 is a devastating portrayal of loss from an under represented point of view. A poignant and important film”
DAISY RIDLEY, ACTRESS
Shot in London, a city that represents all cultures and is home to the largest population of Black women in the UK, 22+1 recognises and celebrates the power of representation both on and behind the camera. With a Black female director at the helm, who has experienced first-hand the challenges of working on non-diverse sets, we were intentional in building a team that reflects the women at the heart of our story.
Our aim was to increase employment opportunities for under-represented groups, and to work with women of colour across both head of department roles and supporting positions. This commitment shaped every stage of the production.