RADIANT CIRCUS is your handcrafted guide to London’s DIY, indie & alternative movie nights, film events & gallery screenings. Our DAILY UPDATE helps you find great films in London today*.

Find films in London today by: SINGLE-O EXHIBITS (one-off attractions) // MUSEUM SHOWS (several exhibits under one roof – seasons & festivals) // GRIND SHOWS (a selection of regular runs).

FEATURED ATTRACTION

FRAU IM MOND aka Woman in the Moon d. Fritz Lang, 1929 + LIVE ORGAN ACCOMPANIMENT at St. Barnabas Church, W5 (16 MAR 19:00):

Pitshanger Pictures presents: “Thirty years ago, at a scientific conference, Prof. Manfeldt presented his theory on the existence of gold on the Moon. It was greeted with laughter by the assembled academics. Today, Herr Helius has ambitious plans to build a spaceship… and take it to the Moon!”

NEW AT RADIANT CIRCUS

ABOUT A WAR (2018). — SCREEN DIARY: ABOUT A WAR at ArtHouse Crouch End (01 MAR).

East End Film Festival announces a year of horror in the Masonic temple at Andaz Liverpool Street.
We caught up with ABOUT A WAR, a 2018 doc by Abi Weaver and Daniele Rugo at ArtHouse Crouch End.
The Essay Film Festival (22 MAR to 04 APR) is an essential element of London’s indie film calendar.
RADIANT CIRCUS is celebrating our first year of reader subscriptions by inviting you to discover more #LDNindieFILM.

FILMS IN LONDON TODAY

SINGLE-O EXHIBITS

THE HOUSE BY THE SEA d. Robert Guédiguian, 2017 + TALK by Jon Daviesat Watermans (16 MAR 13:00):

French Impressions presents: “By a little bay near Marseille lies a picturesque villa owned by an old man. His three children have gathered by his side for his last days. It’s time for them to weigh up what they have inherited of their father’s ideals and the community spirit he created in this magical place. The arrival, at a nearby cove, of a group of boat people will throw these moments of reflection into turmoil.”

SOCOTRA: ISLAND OF DJINNS d. Jordi Esteva, 2016 + AFTERPARTY at Rich Mix (16 MAR 20:00):

Palestine Film Club and Sarha Collective present: “Jordi Esteva’s breathtaking black and white documentary SOCOTRA: ISLAND OF DJINNS which screens in London and Ramallah on the same night. After the screening, enjoy an incredible DJ set from Yamen Mekdad and Chris Menist, showcasing the best of their vinyl collection – including rare records from Yemen.”

UNREST d. Jennifer Brea, 2017 + Q&A with disability rights activist Theresa Heath at Bernie Grant Arts Centre (16 MAR 19:00):

“A personal journey from patient to advocate to storyteller. Jennifer is twenty-eight years-old, working on her PhD at Harvard, and months away from marrying the love of her life when a mysterious fever leaves her bedridden. When doctors tell her it’s “all in her head,” she picks up her camera as an act of defiance and brings us into a hidden world of millions that medicine abandoned.”

More films in London today (A – Z):

ALL IS TRUE d. Kenneth Branagh, 2018 at The David Lean (16 MAR 14:30).
BURNING aka Beoning d. Lee Chang-dong, 2018 at ICA (16 MAR 13:45).
CAPTAIN MARVEL d. Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, 2019 + Q&A with Lashana Lynch at Genesis Cinema (16 MAR 19:30).
DOCTOR WHO – THE MACRA TERROR (animated) d. John Davies, 1967 + Q&A with actor Anneke Wills DVD preview at BFI (16 MAR 12:00).
DONNIE DARKO d. Richard Kelly, 2001 at Everyman Screen On The Green (16 MAR 23:30).
Double Bill THE RAID + THE RAID 2 d. Gareth Evans, 2011 + 2014 at The Prince Charles (16 MAR 21:15).
GREEN BOOK d. Peter Farrelly, 2018 at Regent Street Cinema (16 MAR 20:50).
JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI d. David Gelb, 2011 at Lantern Arts Centre (16 MAR 19:00).
The Live Ghost Tent Quarterly Meeting of the Laurel & Hardy Society at The Cinema Museum (16 MAR 15:00).
MOULIN ROUGE! d. Baz Luhrmann, 2001 presented by Collective Cinema at St Margaret’s Church, SE13 (16 MAR 20:00).
OH BOY It’s Jack Good! at Cinema Museum (16 MAR 19:30).
PADDINGTON d. Paul King, 2014 presented by Collective Cinema at St Margaret’s Church, SE13 (16 MAR 16:00).
The Past & Future of Rights Cinema at Birkbeck Cinema (16 MAR 11:30 to 17:00 – FREE!).

MUSEUM SHOWS 1 // SEASONS

Films in London today: THE COLOR PURPLE at BFI (16 MAR).

AKIRA KUROSAWA: SELECTROSPECTIVE at The Prince Charles (until 13 APR):

THE BAD SLEEP WELL d. Akira Kurosawa, 1960 (16 MAR 14:40).

AND THE NOMINEES ARE… OSCARS 2019 at The Prince Charles (until 04 MAY):

FREE SOLO d. Jimmy Chin & Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, 2018 (16 MAR 16:15 & 18:35).

BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: AND THE ACADEMY AWARD DIDN’T GO TO… at BFI Southbank (FEB):

THE COLOR PURPLE d. Steven Spielberg, 1985 (16 MAR 18:40).

EUROPEAN CONNECTIONS: Classic Plays from Europe Brought to Life on British TV at BFI Southbank (MAR):

VICIOUS CIRCLE d. Kenneth Ives, 1985 (16 MAR 20:40).

THE FILMS OF JEAN-MARIE STRAUB AND DANIÈLE HUILLET Goethe-Institut & partners’ epic season continues at BFI Southbank & ICA (MAR to JUN):

HISTORY LESSONS d. Jean-Marie Straub & Danièle Huillet, 1972 + INTRO by Martin Brady (16 MAR 13:30, BFI).
History Lessons: Brecht, Straub-Huillet and the British Context panel discussion (16 MAR 15:50, BFI).

JOHN WATERS SELECTROSPECTIVE at The Prince Charles (04 MAR to 26 JUN 2019):

PINK FLAMINGOS 35mm d. John Waters,1972 (16 MAR 21:00 & 23:30).

KAIJU CHAOS at House Of Vans (08 to 31 MAR – Free! no booking required):

KING KONG (1933) (16 MAR 15:00 & 17:30).

LARRY GOTTHEIM & FRIENDS at Close-Up (14 to 16 MAR):

Programme 2 (16 MAR 16:00).
Programme 3 (16 MAR 20:30).

PHOENIX CINEMA TRUST FUNDRAISER at Phoenix Cinema (15 to 17 MAR):

COLDPLAY: A HEAD FULL OF DREAMS d. Mat Whitecross, 2018 + Q&A with the director (16 MAR 20:00).

SCENES at Deptford Cinema (17 FEB to 16 MAR):

WERCKMEISTER HARMONIES d. Béla Tarr, 2000 (16 MAR 19:30).

STARRING BARBARA STANWYCK at BFI Southbank (MAR):

FORTY GUNS 4K d. Samuel Fuller, 1957 (16 MAR 16:00).

WALT DISNEY SELECTROSPECTIVE at The Prince Charles (until 23 MAR):

ROBIN HOOD d. Wolfgang Reitherman, 1973 (16 MAR 12:40).

MUSEUM SHOWS 2 // FESTIVALS

Films in London today: THE DEATH OF MR LAZARESCU, part of London SadFest at The Castle (16 MAR). — Films in London today: THE DEATH OF MR LAZARESCU, part of London SadFest at The Castle Cinema (16 MAR).

Film festivals in London today include:

Gold On Film (15 to 21 MAR).
Human Rights Watch Film Festival (13 to 22 MAR).
London SadFest (16 MAR).
St. Patrick’s Day Film Festival (15 to 17 MAR).

GRIND SHOWS

Films in London this week: WELCOME TO SODOM at DocHouse (15 to 21 MAR). — Films in London today: WELCOME TO SODOM at DocHouse (15 to 21 MAR).

BENJAMIN d. Simon Amstell, 2018 at JW3 (16 MAR 20:30):

“A bittersweet comedy tells the story of Benjamin (Colin Morgan) a rising star filmmaker, who is thrown into emotional turmoil on the brink of premiering his second film, when Billie, his hard partying publicist, introduces him to a mesmeric French musician called Noah.”

GIRL d. Lukas Dhont, 2018 at ICA (16 MAR 16:10 & 18:45):

“Lara is a 15 year-old woman fiercely committed to becoming a professional ballerina. Joining a new school, usual frustrations and challenges of adolescence are heightened as her body does not bend easily to the strict ballet discipline, being born a boy. Despite her stressful surrounding and with the support of her family, Lara prepares for reassignment surgery, pushing her body to its limits.”

WELCOME TO SODOM d. Florian Weigensamer & Christian Krönes, 2018 at DocHouse (16 MAR 20:30):

“Sodom is the largest electrical waste dump in the world, given its hellish name by the people who live there. How our extremely wasteful, privileged society is seen by those who mend and recycle what we throw away, is food for thought.”

More films in London this week (A – Z):

THE AFTERMATH d. James Kent, 2019 at Watermans (15 to 28 MAR). ALIEN d. Ridley Scott, 1979 New Restoration at The Prince Charles (until 21 MAR). BACK TO THE FATHERLAND d. Kat Rohrer & Gil Levanon, 2017 presented by UKJF at JW3 (17 to 21 MAR). BLUE NOTE RECORDS: BEYOND THE NOTES d. Sophie Huber, 2018 at DocHouse (15 to 21 MAR). BORDER d. Ali Abassi, 2018 at Arthouse Crouch End (until 21 MAR). DISOBEDIENCE d. Sebastián Lelio, 2017 at Whirled Cinema (18 to 24 MAR). EVERYBODY KNOWS aka Todos lo Saben d. Asghar Farhadi, 2018 at Ciné Lumière (until 21 MAR). THE FAVOURITE d. Yorgos Lanthimos, 2018 at Phoenix Cinema (15 to 21 MAR). THE FIGHT d. Jessica Hynes, 2018 at ArtHouse Crouch End (15 to 21 MAR). FREE SOLO d. Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi & Jimmy Chin, 2018 at The Castle Cinema (until 21 MAR). IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK d. Barry Jenkins, 2018 at Peckhamplex (until 21 MAR). THE KINDERGARTEN TEACHER d. Sara Colangelo, 2018 at Rio Cinema (until 21 MAR). MAIDEN d. Alex Holmes, 2018 at The Castle Cinema (until 21 MAR). THE PONDS d. Patrick McLennan & Samuel Smith, 2018 at ArtHouse Crouch End (until 21 MAR). RAY & LIZ d. Richard Billingham, 2018 at ICA (until 21 MAR). SAUVAGE d. Camille Vidal-Naquet, 2018 at ICA (until 21 MAR). SHAKESPEARE WALLAH d. James Ivory, 1965 at BFI (until 21 MAR). SHOPLIFTERS d. Hirokazu Kore-eda, 2018 at ICA (until 21 MAR). TEDDY PENDERGRASS: IF YOU DON’T KNOW ME d. Olivia Lichtenstein, 2018 at DocHouse (15 to 20 MAR). TIGERS d. Danis Tanovic, 2014 at Watermans (17 to 21 MAR). UNDER THE SILVER LAKE d. David Robert Mitchell, 2018 at The Prince Charles (15 to 21 MAR). WHAT MEN WANT d. Adam Shankman, 2019 at Rich Mix (15 to 21 MAR).

And that’s the meat of it…

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