You are here:

Anchor and Hope

Name: Anchor and Hope
Director: Carlos Marques-Marcet
Released: 2017
Duration: 113 min

Representation Score

6.6/10

Good

2017

Director

Carlos Marques-Marcet

Runtime

113 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Anchor and Hope is a sophisticated exploration of 'chosen family' that challenges traditional biological and patriarchal expectations of parenthood. By focusing on a lesbian couple navigating unconventional reproductive paths, the film moves beyond including someone from a minority group without giving them real depth to highlight identity as a key driver of conflict. The narrative's strength lies in its refusal to offer simple, traditional solutions. Instead, it presents a nuanced portrayal of modern interpersonal relationships within a bohemian, canal-side setting. While the film excels in its exploration of queer and cultural themes, it remains somewhat limited in its exploration of racial and ethnic diversity, focusing primarily on a specific European-centric social subset.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Anchor and Hope have LGBTQ+ representation?

Excellent

The film focuses on a lesbian couple's journey to build a family through non-traditional methods. Their orientation is central to the story, exploring how they navigate reproductive choices outside typical norms.

How does Anchor and Hope portray gender?

Good

Women in the film take charge of major life decisions and biological legacies independently. The narrative avoids traditional domestic clichés, showing women making complex emotional choices without relying on male-dominated structures.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Anchor and Hope?

Fair

The film features a diverse cast in a cosmopolitan, European-centric city. However, it does not deeply explore the intersection of race and ethnicity. A character from Barcelona adds a layer of international identity, but the story does not center on racial or ethnic diversity.

How does Anchor and Hope represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The story emphasizes individualized morality rather than traditional religious frameworks. It challenges the sanctity of the Western family model by presenting unconventional social contracts as valid and complex.

Does Anchor and Hope include disability representation?

Minimal

The film does not prominently feature characters dealing with physical or neurological disabilities as central narrative drivers.

Present on Screen

Centers on queer domesticity and identity-driven family building.
Subverts traditional gender hierarchies by emphasizing women's ability to drive the story.
Challenges conventional Western kinship and consumerist social norms.

Limited or Absent

Could benefit from more exploration of racial and ethnic diversity.
Does not feature characters navigating physical or neurological disabilities.

Official Synopsis

Eva and Kat enjoy a carefree existence on their houseboat on a London canal. Until Eva's dream of becoming a mother is reignited by the death of their pet. Kat just wants to get a new cat. But when Kat's best friend, Roger, visits from Barcelona, they decide in a moment of drunkenness that he can be Eva's sperm donor. But what are the consequences for the lesbian couple, the biological father, the child and their relationships with one another?

How are these scores produced? →