WHEN you hear the phrase 'Essex Girl' you may think of the classic 80s version of her - blonde hair, revealing clothing, and white stilettos.

Or perhaps you think of the more modern TOWIE version with the fake tan, coiffed hair, and a penchant for materialistic things. 

But what if it goes back much further than that, to a time when women were persecuted for being witches? And why did Essex have so many cases of witchcraft?

 This is a real definition, featured in the Penguin Dictionary from 2007….

Essex Girl (noun) a young woman from Essex… vulgar, empty headed and promiscuous.

A new feature documentary from Blatella Films, will explore the origins of the term, its relevance in today's society, and the roots of Essex women being labelled as 'outspoken'. 

It will also drive the on-going commitment of The Essex Girls Liberation Front (EGLF), which is a collective of women who work to challenge and redefine the negative stereotype of the term "Essex girl".

Founded by writer and activist Syd Moore, the EGLF aims to combat the stereotype by advocating for a more accurate and positive understanding of women from Essex, to re-define the term in dictionaries and beyond, and the future of Essex women reclaiming their pride in their county of birth.

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About the Director

Blatella Films' Natalie Scarsbrook

Natalie Scarsbrook was born in Orsett, raised and educated in Grays, and now lives in Southend-On-Sea, Essex. A life lived in Essex under the shadow of the stereotype.

Natalie began her filmmaking career by co-founding Blatella Films Ltd in 2012. Originally Blatella Films focused on corporate and commissioned film work, until in 2024, when they produced their first feature documentary 'Our Journey to Pride'. This film has so far garnered 11 awards from film festivals across four continents, which is something Natalie are extremely proud of.

With this new film, Natalie is exploring her interest in feminism and activism through filmmaking. It combines a life-long passion for storytelling and history.

How you can get involved

Throughout 2025/6, Blatella will be actively looking for participants (to be interviewed on camera) and venues to film in.

• Have you been labelled an 'Essex girl,' with that typical laugh that follows it?
• Have you felt the need to hide where you grew up? Your accent?
• Do you have a space you'd be happy for us to film interviews in (min. 7ftx7ft)?
• Do you have a different idea of how to support this film? Would you like to be involved in its production and/or promotion?

For more information or if you can help with any of the above, contact Natalie Scarsbrook at Blatella Films on 07510 661369 or email: [email protected]

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Website: http://www.witchcraftandstilettos.com

About Blatella Films

We live and breathe film here at Blatella Films. Combining our experience in the industry and our training in both film theory and production, we can work closely with our clients to interpret and bring their ideas to life. Our hands on approach and multi-disciplined team of camera operators, editors, sound engineers, and concept artists, who have 40 years combined experience, gives us near unrivalled facilities to craft the best films for our clients.

We pride ourselves on excellent customer service and honesty with every client and on top of our top-of-the-line 4K cinema cameras and the most up to date editing facilities, we offer truly cost effective and efficient film services.

At the core of our company is a drive and passion to make engaging, high-quality films that tell compelling stories. We firmly believe that corporate filmmaking can and should be interesting, well-made and be able to grab audiences.

As a company we have garnered multiple award nominations and wins since setting up in 2012 and pride ourselves on being able to adapt film to any industry or business. In that time, we have made 2045 films and have 238 unique clients (figs Jan 2025) We have worked with everyone from small one-man-band businesses to large regional stalwarts and even internationally renowned brands and produce on average three hundred projects a year.