Behind The Scenes of New Yorkshire Film Hot Flash with Gaynor Faye
A new feature film which delves into the challenges of menopause is being filmed across East Yorkshire
Since we last spoke in spring 2024, Gaynor has been continuing to keep her mum, Kay Mellor’s, legacy alive by running her mum’s production company, Rollem, and she’s been mentoring and working with new writers on exciting projects. ‘We’ve also shot a pilot episode for the BBC which we’re really excited about and we’re about to shoot my daughter Lily's short film – which she has written and is directing,’ Gaynor reveals.
Gaynor’s current project is Hot Flash, a new feature film which delves into the challenges of menopause. ‘Hot Flash is about a woman’s quest to reignite crushed dreams and launch her own business. All while navigating the challenges of menopause, midlife, and single motherhood,’ she tells us. ‘It’s a celebration of midlife women and triumph over adversity. It also explores the impact menopause has on women’s confidence in day-to-day life.'
Gaynor plays Geri, a failed hairdresser and accidental entrepreneur. ‘Geri dreams of creating an innovative app but can’t get the backing she needs,’ says Gaynor. ‘When a door unexpectedly opens, she has an opportunity to save her future, and her son’s – all she has to do is pitch to an audience of thousands despite a crushing fear of public speaking.
'Too many of us stop pursuing our dreams because it’s just too hard! I want to encourage people to keep going’
‘After reading Jan Birley’s script, getting involved in Hot Flash was a no-brainer. It’s great to work alongside a female writer, with a strong female character at the heart of the story. Jan’s writing is humorous, touching, and tackles menopause head-on, something few feature-length films do. It’s also a vehicle for me to champion the many people who are navigating the challenges of menopause and help women feel seen and supported. Too many of us stop pursuing our dreams because it’s just too hard! I want to encourage people to keep going.’
Gaynor says she can relate directly to Geri’s experiences. ‘I think all women in menopause will be able to relate to Geri because we’re living the daily challenges no one else sees or thinks about,’ she explains. ‘Just when you feel like you've got your life together, it can really pull the rug from under you. You feel undermined, unseen, and unattractive. Some women don't even know it's the menopause until it's sort of crept up on them and done quite a lot of collateral damage. We want to help all women have those conversations early.’
Hot Flash is Gaynor’s first feature-length film since her role in Fanny and Elvis in 1999. She says she’s really looking forward to it. ‘I loved Sally Wainwright's Riot Women, again, written to perfection, but it’s time to have something reflected back at us in the cinemas as well,’ she says. ‘Jan has ingeniously written Yorkshire wit and grit and distilled it into something wonderful, then scaled it back up again for international resonance and appeal. Any woman or anyone close to any woman going through the menopause, anywhere in the world, in any culture, will be able to watch this film and relate strongly. I’m so excited to get started alongside an amazing cast which includes Amandaland’s Samuel Anderson, Spooks’ Wayne Gordon and my lovely friend Christine Talbot, among many others!’
Filming is taking place in East Yorkshire with some scenes filmed at the Flamborough Women's Institute hall and the Bondville Model Village in Sewerby. That means a lot to Gaynor, a Yorkshire lass through and through. ‘I adore Yorkshire – the people, the humour, the scenery. It’s bursting with creative talent,’ she says. ‘The East Coast is absolutely stunning and getting to film in my native county is the icing on the cake.
‘If you’re from Yorkshire, the chances are you’re passionate about its people, plus its beauty and diversity, from the buzz of cities like Leeds through to the stunning beauty of the Dales. The East Coast is also stunningly beautiful – Jan’s originally from Scarborough and now lives in Flamborough so she’s passionate about highlighting the area to a potentially massive audience.’
Gaynor hopes that most of all, viewers feel seen, supported and encouraged to follow their dreams no matter what when they see Hot Flash. ‘I also hope people who don’t experience the menopause will feel more clued up about how to support their loved ones who are going through it,’ she says.
Once filming wraps, Gaynor has her hopes on good health, more fun and continuing her mum’s legacy with Rollem, and looks forward to a fantastic world premiere of Hot Flash in the near future.
Your favourite place to walk in Yorkshire?
Harewood – where there’s wild deer and red kites as well as beautiful scenery.
An item you couldn’t live without?
My gohonzon – a buddhist mandala that I chant to everyday.
An actor you’d love to work with?
Jodie Comer – she’s so talented and humble with it. I saw her on stage in Prima Facie and she blew me away!
Advice you’d give your younger self?
Not to be such a people pleaser – be true to myself.
Advice for budding actors?
Watch TV/films and see who wrote, directed, produced them and contact them. Practise your craft; you never stop learning. Make your own content – everybody has a camera on their phone – there’s no excuse not to.
