Film Report: More Than Dreams (1998)

More Than Dreams is a low-budget Swiss/UK film from 1998 film which has recently had a restored re-release and has been found to have previously undiscovered nudity involving former Eastenders' actress Leila Birch.

The film tells the story of an out-of work actor called Sean (Nick Gatt) who does part-time bar work while trying to get an acting part.  His relationship with his girlfriend Claudia (Leila Birch) is strained and he is into taking drugs.  He reaches a new low when he catches Claudia in bed with his more successful flatmate Peter (John Pickard) and to escape his troubles he heads off to Switzerland to catch up with some family there with whom he shared a happy childhood.

Whilst it is not an especially engaging film, to its immense credit it does have two topless scenes involving Leila Birch, who it seemed (until now) had never done any nudity.  She appeared in Eastenders as Teresa Di Marco from 1998-2000.

The first scene occurs during the opening credits in which she is seen taking a shower.  This is a well-lit scene although unfortunately her face and breasts are not seen together in a continuous shot.  This would normally lead to immediate suspicions of a body double being used.

However in a later sex scene, her left breast and nipple are seen in the same shot as her face - this scene is not so well lit, but has been brightened for the collage.


Scene 1



Scene 2

Since there was no attempt to utilise a body double in the second scene this lends a degree of credence to it being her during the shower scene.  And while I obviously can't be completely sure, this seems to be supported by the presence of two faint birth marks seen above her right breast which seem to match those seen on a cleavagy lads' mag type photograph of her (in terms of their relative placement and distance apart).

The film also has another topless scene involving a Swiss actress called Céline Pisar who appears in a small role in a scene set in Geneva.

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Thanks to the contributor who discovered this film and let me know about Leila Birch.