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Grief-Art vs. Grief-Porn: Revisiting Jane Arden's Vision

1/23/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Sean Kaye-Smith discusses the grief-art vs grief-porn debate sparked by Zoe Williams' article.
He highlights Jane Arden's 1973 The Other Side of the Underneath as a case.
The film is the 1970s' only British feature directed by a woman, exploring women's pain with stark visuals.
The British Film Institute reissued it in 2009 after years locked away.
Kaye-Smith calls Arden's work true grief-art, a raw perspective distinct from mainstream accolades.

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Story summary

Sean Kaye-Smith discusses the grief-art vs grief-porn debate sparked by Zoe Williams' article.
He highlights Jane Arden's 1973 The Other Side of the Underneath as a case.
The film is the 1970s' only British feature directed by a woman, exploring women's pain with stark visuals.
The British Film Institute reissued it in 2009 after years locked away.
Kaye-Smith calls Arden's work true grief-art, a raw perspective distinct from mainstream accolades.