NOW SHOWING: LONDON SCREEN GUIDE w/c 19.05.17
To help your hunt for adventurous moving pictures, RADIANT CIRCUS hand-picks London’s screen highlights for the week ahead*.
This week, there’s a quiet revolution of films exploring themes that are changing our worlds, from digitisation to globalisation, gentrification and political upheaval.
Our featured film of the week is THE FINDING FANON TRILOGY at Tate Modern.
FRIDAY 19 MAY 2017, 19:30, CLOSE-UP
Close-Up Film Centre launches a weekend season of films by LARRY GOTTHEIM tonight, kicking things off with a world premier of his latest work, CHANTS AND DANCES FOR HAND. There’s an excellent interview with the filmmaker, CONNECTING MOVEMENTS, in their online Vertigo Magazine.
Looking for an alternative? BLACK CODE (20:50), a jaw dropping documentary about government surveillance in the age of the internet, begins it’s weeklong run at Bertha Dochouse/Curzon Bloomsbury.
SATURDAY 20 MAY 2017, 14:00, BFI
EXPLORING SILENT INDIAN CINEMA gives a very rare opportunity to explore the early histories of Bollywood. Screened as part of the INDIA ON FILM season, the afternoon includes India’s first feature film, RAJA HARISHCHANDRA (1913) with live music specially written and led by Pandit Vishwa Prakash. Catch this with THE COMING OF SOUND AND THE GOLDEN ERA (16:30) on the same day for the bargain price of £15.
Looking for an alternative? DISASTERS OF PEACE (19:00) brings together a variety of artist films inspired by global changes at The Horse Hospital.
SUNDAY 21 MAY 2017, 13:00, PICTUREHOUSE CENTRAL
Picturehouses across London will screen Stanley Kubrick’s THE SHINING as part of their regular VINTAGE SUNDAYS. We’ve plumped for the 13.00 at Picturehouse Central but head to your nearest Picturehouse for Kubrick’s classic at different times. We don’t rate this as highly as some critics do – the GUARDIAN sums up some of our problems (be sure to read the comments…) – but it always looks impeccable on the big screen.
Looking for an alternative? Richard Attenborough’s baby-faced psychotic Pinkie gets another outing with BRIGHTON ROCK (14:30) at Stow Film Lounge.
MONDAY 22 MAY 2017, 19:30, REGENT STREET CINEMA
QUEEN OF WALKING romps around the block at Regent Street Cinema, offering another excellent TEASER SCREENING for the KOREAN FILM FESTIVAL (OCTOBER 2017). Regent has the words: “director Baek Seung-hwa (TURN IT UP TO 11) has incorporated colourful animated effects, surreal flights-of-fantasy, and a fantastic cast into a delightfully quirky and hugely enjoyable comedy-drama.”
Looking for an alternative? Beautifully human drama about teenage intersexuality XXY (18:45) gets a showing at Barbican as part of their yearlong FILM IN FOCUS and THE BATTLE FOR REPRESENTATION.
TUESDAY 23 MAY 2017, 19:15, PROUD & THE NOMAD
Ignore this week’s torrential rain and head outdoors with Proud and The Nomad mobile cinema for TOKYO STORY, without doubt “one of the greatest films ever made” (Sight & Sound). It’s a quiet and immeasurably calm drama about changing manners between generations, but therein lies its absolute beauty.
Looking for an alternative? Werner Herzog is our spirit animal. Head to Deptford Cinema for one of his idiosyncratic documentaries, LITTLE DIETER NEEDS TO FLY (20:00).
WEDNESDAY 24 MAY 2017, 19:00, TATE MODERN
THE FINDING FANON TRILOGY is the first time three films by Larry Achiampong and David Blandy have been screened together. Tate describes the trilogy as “a moving and multi-layered exploration of race, identity and globalisation inspired by the radical thinker Frantz Fanon”. The evening includes a discussion with the artists and theorist Rizvana Bradley.
Looking for an alternative? Peter Strickland’s THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY (20:45) gets a spanking at BFI as part of BFI FLARE. Strickland has made a small clutch bag of near perfect films, including KATALIN VARGA and BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO. We’re big fans.
THURSDAY 25 MAY 2017, 20:00, THE INSTITUTE OF LIGHT
A MOVING IMAGE + Q&A is a multi-media feature film – involving fiction, documentary and performance art – that looks at how our communities are changing through gentrification. The evening includes a discussion with filmmaker Shola Amoo.
Looking for an alternative? NEBRASKA (19:30) screens at Sydenham Film Club. Bruce Dern’s performance as an elderly man on a “desperate cross-state journey to claim a million-dollar sweepstakes marketing prize, in the company of his estranged son” should knock your socks off.
FESTIVALS / SEASONS / TALKS
Genesis Cinema has launched a new bargain strand GENESIS REP, building on the success of their splendid 18th anniversary programme. Films include MANHATTAN (REMASTERED), TOY STORY TRIPLE BILL, THELMA & LOUISE and SHAUN OF THE DEAD.
House of Vans reopened earlier this month after their recent refurb. You’ve just got time to grab their PHOTOGRAPHY IN FILM season with BLOW-UP (20 MAY) and REAR WINDOW (21 MAY) which run alongside the IPF PHOTO PRIZE exhibition (until 26 MAY).
Somerset House has published the full FILM4 SUMMER SCREEN programme. Tickets went on general sale on FRIDAY 19 MAY at 10:00. Highlights include JAWS + DELIVERANCE DOUBLE BILL (19 AUGUST) and – our favourite – CRUEL INTENTIONS (21 AUGUST).
And finally…
Well done CIGARETTE BURNS CINEMA for the sold out screening of Russian fantasy VIY at Barbican (25 MAY, 20:45).
More places to shelter from the storm in next week’s GUIDE.
*As accurate as we could make it. Apologies for any mistakes.
Featured image: THE FINDING FANON TRILOGY (2015 – 2017).