A few months ago I saw the film Bright Star, based on the last three years in the life of the poet John Keats. The film was directed by Jane Campion, who is my favourite film director (I especially love An Angel at my Table and The Piano) and the whole film is lush and poetic, with beautiful cinematography. I didn't feel a deep connection to the main characters in the film (unlike in the Piano or An Angel) but I did enjoy the whole look and feel of the film very much.
One favourite scene is this one, in which Fanny Brawne and her little sister lie in a room filled with butterflies. And another scene I liked was one in which she wore a brass key on a black ribbon around her neck and transferred it to Keats' neck when he entered the room.
I found a small collection of antiqued brass and silver keys recently online, and made a set of 'bright star necklaces' for my stall coming up this weekend. They're very simple, just a solid little key threaded onto hand-plaited, antique perle cotton and tied in a bow at the neck.
