Still Pushing Pineapples

A melancholy yet heartfelt story of the former singer of pop band Black Lace and his journey on the road with his aging mother and a lover, as he aims for a comeback

Year: 2025

Director: Kim Hopkins 

Producer: Margareta Szabo 

Co-Producer: Nan Davies 

Executive Producers: Nikki Parrott, Luke W. Moody, Mark Thomas, Dani Carlaw, Kiah Simpson, Kim Warner, Caroline Cooper Charles and Herbert Lockwood 

Production Companies: Labor of Love Films in association with Tigerlily Two and One Wave Films

Screen Scotland support: The film accessed funding through Screen Scotland’s Film Development and Production Fund 


Synopsis

What happens when you’ve created the worst song ever - at least according to music journalists? What comes after fleeting fame, and what does it mean to grow old still chasing a dream? 

Former ‘pop star’ Dene still clings to fame, entertaining a dwindling and ageing audience in some of the UK’s most deprived areas. His biggest fan is always by his side: his spirited 89-year-old mum. 

Her dying wish is to return to Benidorm, Spain - a place from her youth - for one last goodbye. Dutifully, Dene kits out a transit van for the arduous journey. But the nostalgic mother and son road trip is upended by Dene’s unexpected new relationship. Hayley, a much younger superfan, has fallen head over heels for her idol and is joining them on this Spanish adventure. 

On their return, Dene is fired by his long-time manager. As money gets tight, he starts recording a new ‘hit’. But who needs an overweight pensioner in a pineapple-printed shirt and oversized red spectacles, singing a tired pop song? 

Apparently, many do. Agadoo doo doo.


More information 

Premiere: Still Pushing Pineapples will open the 2025 Sheffield DocFest on Wednesday 18 June 2025. 

Image credits: Image courtesy of Labor of Love Films