Films in London today: SANTA SANGRE - 30th Anniversary Screening at Close-Up (28 NOV).
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SCREEN GUIDE: Films in London this week [22 to 28 NOV 2019]

RADIANT CIRCUS is your handcrafted guide to London’s DIY, indie & alternative movie nights, film events & gallery screenings. Our latest SCREEN GUIDE helps you find great films in London this week*.

FRI 22 // SAT 23 // SUN 24 // MON 25 // TUE 26 // WED 27 // THU 28

Find films in London this week by:

SINGLE-O EXHIBITS (one-off attractions – by date) // MUSEUM SHOWS (several exhibits under one roof – by seasons & festivals) // GRIND SHOWS (a selection of new releases & regular runs).

FEATURED ATTRACTION

SANTA SANGRE – 30th Anniversary Screening d. Alejandro Jodorowsky, 1989 + Intro by Mark Pilkington at Close-Up (28 NOV 19:00):

  • Redmond Pictures presents: “30th anniversary screening of the surrealist epic by the one and only writer, director, mystic, Alejandro Jodorowsky. A hallucinatory, dreamlike study of an individual’s disturbed psyche; the line between truth and imagination blurs in this surreal universe. A young man is confined in a mental hospital. Through a flashback we see that he was traumatized as a child, when he and his family were circus performers: he saw his father cut off the arms of his mother, a religious fanatic and leader of the heretical church of Santa Sangre (“Holy Blood”), and then commit suicide. Back in the present, he escapes and rejoins his surviving and armless mother. Against his will, he “becomes her arms” and the two undertake a grisly campaign of murder and revenge.”

NEW AT RADIANT CIRCUS

Fringe! Diaries 2019: BEING IMPOSSIBLE (2018).

Fringe! Queer Film & Arts Fest might be over for another year, but we’ve started posting a special series of Fringe! Diaries to report from the action.

Fringe!’s next Fling – part of their year-round programme of screenings – is JONATHAN AGASSI SAVED MY LIFE d. Tomer Heymann, 2018 + Q&A with the director (05 DEC 18:20 – Genesis Cinema).

SOMETHING'S WRONG...

We’ve posted another writeup from this year’s Smartphone Film Festival – Best International Film winner, SOMETHING’S WRONG WITH DAD.

FILMS IN LONDON THIS WEEK

SINGLE-O EXHIBITS

ONE-OFF MOVIE NIGHTS, FILM EVENTS & GALLERY SCREENINGS (by date/event)

FRI 22

Films in London this week: HARRIET at Stratford Picturehouse (22 NOV).
Films in London this week: HARRIET at Stratford Picturehouse (22 NOV).

HARRIET d. Kasi Lemmons, 2019 + Panel Discussion at Stratford Picturehouse (22 NOV 20:30):

  • The New Black Film Collective presents: “A stirring biopic about Harriet Tubman, who as a slave called Minty runs away from her owners in Maryland and is welcomed into free Pennsylvania by a member of the underground escape network. From saving lives to spying for the Union to commanding a fighting force during the Civil War, Harriet’s inspirational story provided a lesson in courage for generations to come.”

The Moving Image Salon at Film & Video Umbrella (22 NOV 15:00):

  • Moving Image Artists presents: “A monthly gathering in London for artists working in the fields of moving image and experimental filmmaking. This session will begin with a short introduction by Moving Image Salon’s Daniel & Clara, followed by a presentation of work by this month’s featured guest artist filmmaker Nina Danino.”

Remembering Channel 4’s OUT ON TUESDAY at Birkbeck Cinema (22 to 23 NOV – FREE!/Booking recommended):

  • Birkbeck Institute for the Moving Image (BIMI), Birkbeck Gender and Sexuality (BIGS) & Media Arts, Royal Holloway, University of London present: “2019 sees the 30th anniversary of the inaugural transmission by the UK’s Channel Four Television Corporation of the world’s first public service, free-to air broadcast television series aimed at what was defined at the time as a lesbian and gay audience. The channel’s ground-breaking OUT ON TUESDAY (later OUT) series ran between 1989 and 1994 and set about giving new, often radical representation to diverse queer sexualities, cultures, experiences and histories on our TV screens.” This three-part event takes place on: Part One (22 NOV 14:00 – 17:00); Part Two (22 NOV 18:00 – 21:00); Part Three (23 NOV 10:00 – 16:30).

More films in London today (A – Z):

  • 2040 d. Damon Gameau, 2019 + Q&A with the director at Everyman Broadgate (22 NOV 18:00). ATLANTICS d. Mati Diop, 2019 + Q&A with the director presented by Birds’ Eye View #ReclaimTheFrame at Barbican (22 NOV 18:10). HERE FOR LIFE d. Andrea Luka Zimmerman & Adrian Jackson, 2019 + Q&A with the director & cast members at ICA (22 NOV 18:40). MILES DAVIS: BIRTH OF THE COOL d. Stanley Nelson, 2019 at ICA (22 NOV 12:35). MONOS d. Alejandro Landes, 2019 at Ciné Lumière (22 NOV 20:30). PURPLE RAIN d. Albert Magnoli, 1984 at Bernie Grant Arts Centre (22 NOV 19:00). YESTERDAY d. Danny Boyle, 2019 presented by Screen25 at Harris Academy South Norwood (22 NOV 19:45 – Use promo code “CIRCUS19” to book & save).

Screen25 Autumn Season - Exclusive RADIANT CIRCUS discount code.

SAT 23

Films in London this week: LAGAAN at Fairfields Hall (23 NOV).
Films in London this week: LAGAAN at Fairfields Hall (23 NOV).

Annik Leroy: The European Edge at The Whitechapel Gallery (23 NOV 11:30):

  • “Belgian artist Annik Leroy introduces her three remarkable 16mm feature essay films on Berlin in the late 1970s, the presence and poetics of the Danube and the constant psychic challenge of permanent conflict. She will be in conversation with film-makers Anthea Kennedy and Ian Wiblin during the day. Includes: IN DER DÄMMERSTUNDE BERLIN DE L’AUBE À LA NUIT, VERS LA MER, and TREMOR: ES IST IMMER KRIEG.”

Juliet Jacques Presents, Part II at ICA (23 NOV 18:45):

  • “Writer and filmmaker Juliet Jacques presents a two-part programme of experimental queer cinema. Focusing on works from the 21st century, Part II includes films by Wolfgang Rupert Muhr, Igor Grubic, Beatrice Gibson, Evan Ifekoya, Tina Takemoto and Juliet Jacques. Charting the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community, these films offer speculative engagements with queer pasts and utopian imaginings of queer futures.”

LAGAAN: ONCE UPON A TIME IN INDIA d. Ashutosh Gowariker, 2001 – Immersive Screening at Fairfields Hall (23 NOV 16:00):

  • Bollywood Fever presents: “An immersive screening of the Oscar-nominated LAGAAN with live dance choreographed by the award-winning Aakash Odedra Company. This Bollywood festival will also offer a host of activities including interactive VR entertainment, Bollywood dance workshops, mehndi, children’s face painting, plus desi style street food. Film-only ticket option.”

Marcia Hafif: Ideal Women at Tate Modern (23 NOV):

  • “Join us for the first UK presentation of the films and videos of late American artist Marcia Hafif. Best known for her monochrome paintings, Hafif’s films offer a different view of her practice, exploring duration, movement, autobiography, and gender. The series opens with a programme considering the relationships Hafif’s films forge with painting and photography.” Includes: MARCIA HAFIF: VIENNA SUITE + Intro by Sebastian Schneider (23 NOV 16:00); and, NOTES ON BOB AND NANCY d. Marcia Hafif, 1970-7 + Intro by Sebastian Schneider (23 NOV 19:00).

Remembering Channel 4’s OUT ON TUESDAY continues at Birkbeck Cinema (22 to 23 NOV – FREE!/Booking recommended).

More films in London today (A – Z):

SUN 24

Films in London this week: MINDPLACE THOUGHTSTREAM, part of Ringing Psychic Cherries at Phoenix Cinema (24 NOV).
Films in London this week: MINDPLACE THOUGHTSTREAM, part of Ringing Psychic Cherries at Phoenix Cinema (24 NOV).

Ringing Psychic Cherries at Phoenix Cinema (24 NOV 16:30):

  • The Zabludowicz Collection presents: “Through her video works, American artist Shana Moulton has developed a distinctive psychic and aesthetic realm anchored around her alter ego, Cynthia. By presenting herself and others as slightly wacky, oddball characters, she creates fanciful and peculiar narratives. Ideas central to today’s cultural debate, such as the personal wellness industry, ecological protest and alternative models of livings, are addressed with off-kilter humour and a strange sincerity. This screening showcases two of her earlier works alongside shorts from key directors who look at the world from a skewed perspective.”

SHOOTING THE MAFIA d. Kim Longinotto, 2019 + Q&A with historian & author John Dickie at Genesis Cinema (24 NOV 17:30):

  • Birds’ Eye View #ReclaimTheFrame & CinemaItaliaUK present: “Selected at the Berlin and Sundance Film Festivals, this documentary celebrates the ground-breaking and committed work of the free-spirited and charismatic photojournalist Letizia Battaglia. Through interviews, news footage, clips from Italian films and of course some of her extraordinary images, we get a sense of both Battaglia herself and the social landscape of organised crime in Italy.”

Transgender Day of Remembrance Screening: I’M FINE d. Lucretia Knapp + Other Trans / Non-Binary Themed Shorts + Q&A with Nuala O’Sullivan at Poplar Union (24 NOV 19:15 – FREE!):

  • Tower Hamlets LGBT Community Forum & Women Over Fifty Film Festival present: “To honour Trans Day of Awareness, five short films celebrating trans, queer and non-binary lives made by and about older women, including the award-winning documentary I’M FINE. The free screening will be followed by a Q&A with WOFFF founder and director, Nuala O’Sullivan.”

More films in London today (A – Z):

MON 25

Films in London this week: SHOOTING THE MAFIA at Frontline Club (25 NOV).
Films in London this week: SHOOTING THE MAFIA at Frontline Club (25 NOV).

Aphex Twin Lecture by David Stubbs + Screenings at Moth Club (25 NOV 19:00):

  • Deeper Into Movies presents: “A deep dive into the world of Aphex Twin (Warp Records) with music writer David Stubbs
    presenting a lecture alongside rare screenings. Drawing on numerous interviews Stubbs examines the work, the myth and reality of The Aphex Twin; his Cornish origins and how they feed into his work, his videos with Chris Cunningham, his influence, significance and legacy. The lecture will be followed by rare screenings from the Aphex archive.”

PADRE PADRONE d. Paolo Taviani & Vittorio Taviani, 1977 + Salon with Nick Walker, Rochester Kino at Italian Cultural Institute (25 NOV 19:00 – FREE!):

  • “Based on the autobiohraphical work by noted Sardinian linguist Gavino Ledda, the multi awarded film by the Taviani brothers tells the story of the son of a Sardinian shepherd who manages to educate himself, thus escaping a harsh life under the thumb of his violent father.”

SHOOTING THE MAFIA d. Kim Longinotto, 2019 + Kim Longinotto In Conversation at Frontline Club (25 NOV 19:00):

  • “Selected at the Berlin and Sundance Film Festivals, this documentary celebrates the ground-breaking and committed work of the free-spirited and charismatic photojournalist Letizia Battaglia. Through interviews, news footage, clips from Italian films and of course some of her extraordinary images, we get a sense of both Battaglia herself and the social landscape of organised crime in Italy.”

More films in London today (A – Z):

  • GREENER GRASS d. Jocelyn DeBoer & Dawn Luebbe, 2019 at The Prince Charles (25 NOV 12:00). LADY BIRD d. Greta Gerwig, 2017 raising funds for Solace Women’s Aid at Genesis Cinema (25 NOV 21:15).

TUE 26

Films in London this week: OF HUMAN BONDAGE at The Cinema Museum (26 NOV).
Films in London this week: OF HUMAN BONDAGE at The Cinema Museum (26 NOV).

OF HUMAN BONDAGE d. John Cromwell, 1934 + Intro at The Cinema Museum (26 NOV 19:30):

  • Women & Cocaine presents: “See the film that made Bette Davis a star! The actors’ actor and legendary icon Bette Davis will be gracing our screens with her breakout performance in W. Somerset Maugham’s masterpiece Of Human Bondage released in June 1934, just 3 days before censorship came into effect. Life magazine wrote that it was the greatest performance by an actress ever recorded on screen.”

SELFIE d. Agostino Ferrente, 2019 + Q&A with the director at Ciné Lumière (26 NOV 18:30):

  • “With this collaborative documentary-fiction, in competition at the Berlinale, Agostino Ferrente delivers a unique record of the case of 16-year-old Davide Bifolco, who was shot dead in the Neapolitan district of Traiano, through the ‘selfie’ films of his friends Pietro and Alessandro. They comment live their own daily experiences, their close friendship, their neighbourhood as well as police violence and the long shadow the Mafia still casts over today’s Italy.”

Simon Payne: Systems Cinema at Close-Up (26 NOV 20:30):

  • “Simon Payne’s videos are predominantly orientated around bold graphic forms and highly structured sequences that produce unexpected colour combinations and conflicting planes. This programme, originally commissioned by Lightcone (Paris), also includes 16mm films by three friends and colleagues: Nicky Hamlyn, Neil Henderson and Jennifer Nightingale.”

More films in London today (A – Z):

  • A DOG CALLED MONEY d. Seamus Murphy, 2019 + Intro by the director presented by Deeper Into Movies at SET (26 NOV 19:30). A THIN WALL d. Mara Ahmed, 2015 at University of Westminster – Harrow (26 NOV 18:00 – FREE!). ATLANTICS d. Mati Diop, 2019 at ICA (26 NOV 17:50). THE COMMUNIST d. Andreas Goldstein, 2018 + Q&A with the director at Goethe-Institut (26 NOV 19:00). JACKIE BROWN d. Quentin Tarantino, 1997 presented by Plantation Rum at TT Liquor (26 NOV 18:30). KNIVES OUT d. Rian Johnson, 2019 previews at BFI (26 NOV 20:15). THE LAST OF ENGLAND d. Derek Jarman, 1987 + Live Score by Joe Summers, Rosa Irwin-Clark & Thomas Summers at The Castle Cinema (26 NOV 21:30). THE LOBSTER d. Yorgos Lanthimos, 2015 presented by Deeper Into Movies at Peckham Levels (26 NOV 19:30). MEDIUM COOL d. Haskell Wexler, 1969 presented by Tufnell Park Film Club at The Lord Palmerston (26 NOV 20:00). MEETING GORBACHEV d. André Singer & Werner Herzog, 2018 at JW3 (26 NOV 13:00). MONOS d. Alejandro Landes, 2019 at The Castle Cinema (26 NOV 18:50). PROMARE d. Hiroyuki Imaishi, 2019 at The Prince Charles (26 NOV 18:30). ROJO d. Benjamin Naishtat, 2018 at The David Lean (26 NOV 19:30). RONNIE WOOD: SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME d. Mike Figgis, 2019 at DocHouse (26 NOV 20:50). THE SILENCE OF OTHERS d. Almudena Carracedo & Robert Bahar, 2018 + Q&A with co-director Robert Bahar at Frontline Club (26 NOV 19:00). THE STREET d. Zed Nelson, 2019 + Panel Discussion with the director presented by Urban Lab Films at DocHouse (26 NOV 18:30). WARREN MILLER’S TIMELESS presented by Helly Hansen at Genesis Cinema (26 NOV 20:30).

WED 27

Films in London this week: PIENSA EN MÍ at ICA (27 NOV).
Films in London this week: PIENSA EN MÍ at ICA (27 NOV).

CLAIRE d. Robert Dinesen, 1924 + THE ABYSS d. Urban Gad, 1910 + Intro by Michelle Facey + Live Accompaniment by Colin Sell & Stephen Horne at The Cinema Museum (27 NOV 19:30):

  • Kennington Bioscope presents: “CLAIRE: A 1924 German drama produced by Paul Ebner and Maxim Galitzenstein for Maxim-Film. It stars Hungarian actress Lya de Putti, in a role felt by some to anticipate that played by Louise Brooks in PANDORA’S BOX (1928), as she strives to avoid the attentions of five men.” “THE ABYSS: Written and directed by Urban Gad, THE ABYSS – also known as Woman Always Pays – was the film debut of Gad’s wife, Asta Nielsen, who immediately became an international star, though censorship led to her work being largely unseen in America.”

THE NIGHTINGALE d. Jennifer Kent, 2019 + Q&A with actors Aisling Franciosi & Sam Claflin at Curzon Soho (27 NOV 18:00):

  • “From the director of THE BABADOOK, Jennifer Kent, comes a blood-soaked, radical redress of history. Set in Colonial Tasmania during the brutal Black Wars, Clare (Aisling Franciosi) is indentured to Lieutenant Hawkins (Sam Claflin), denied the right to rejoin her husband and child. When Hawkins commits an act of sexual violence upon her, she hires indigenous guide Billy (Baykali Ganambarr) to stalk him and his company and enact revenge.”

PLACES IN CITIES 35mm d. Angela Schanelec, 1998 + PIENSA EN MÍ 16mm d. Alexandra Cuesta, 2009 at ICA (27 NOV 18:30):

  • The Machine That Kills Bad People presents: “Travel and the stories of those in transit form the focus of this screening featuring Alexandra Cuesta’s 16mm PIENSA EN MÍ (2009) and Angela Schanelec’s 35mm PLACES IN CITIES (1998). The Machine That Kills Bad People is held bi-monthly in the ICA Cinema and is programmed by Erika Balsom, Beatrice Gibson, Maria Palacios Cruz and Ben Rivers.”

More films in London today (A – Z):

  • ADAM & EVELYN d. Andreas Goldstein, 2018 + Q&A with the director at Goethe-Institut (27 NOV 19:00). BEANPOLE d. Kantemir Balagov, 2019 at ICA (27 NOV 12:40). DOWNTON ABBEY d. Michael Engler, 2019 at The David Lean (27 NOV 14:30 & 19:30). GREENER GRASS d. Jocelyn DeBoer & Dawn Luebbe, 2019 at The Prince Charles (27 NOV 12:35). Here Be Witches: Short Films presented by The Final Girls at The Horse Hospital (27 NOV 19:00). JAY & SILENT BOB REBOOT d. Kevin Smith, 2019 + Q&A with the director at BFI Southbank (27 NOV 20:45). KNIVES OUT d. Rian Johnson, 2019 at Genesis Cinema (27 NOV 15:10, 18:05 & 21:00). MEETING GORBACHEV d. André Singer & Werner Herzog, 2018 at JW3 (27 NOV 10:20). MILES DAVIS: BIRTH OF THE COOL d. Stanley Nelson, 2019 at ICA (27 NOV 12:25). MILES DAVIS: BIRTH OF THE COOL d. Stanley Nelson, 2019 at The Lexi (27 NOV 13:30 – Only £5!). RONNIE WOOD: SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME d. Mike Figgis, 2019 at DocHouse (27 NOV 20:30). THE SOUVENIR d. Joanna Hogg, 2019 + Q&A with the director at Curzon Bloomsbury (27 NOV 18:15).  THE SWALLOWS OF KABUL aka Les Hirondelles de Kaboul d. Zabou Breitman & Éléa Gobbé-Mévellec, 2019 at Ciné Lumière (27 NOV 14:15). THE THIEF OF BAGDAD d. Tim Whelan, Michael Powell & Ludwig Berger, 1940 at Regent Street Cinema (27 NOV 12:00 & 15:30). YESTERDAY d. Danny Boyle, 2019 presented by Screen25 at Harris Academy South Norwood (27 NOV 19:45 – Use promo code “CIRCUS19” to book & save).

THU 28

Films in London this week: THE HOUSE WITH LAUGHING WINOWS 35mm at BFI (28 NOV).
Films in London this week: THE HOUSE WITH LAUGHING WINOWS 35mm at BFI (28 NOV).

THE HOUSE WITH LAUGHING WINOWS 35mm aka La casa dalle finestre che ridono d. Pupi Avati, 1976 at BFI Southbank (28 NOV 20:30):

  • Terror Vision presents: “Artist Stefano travels to a remote Italian village to restore the local church’s ghoulish fresco. Hearing rumours that the original painter tortured his subjects to capture the true agonies of death, Stefano gradually uncovers the terrifying secrets of this sleepy place. Unlike many Italian horrors of the time, Pupi Avati’s macabre masterpiece forgoes baroque set-pieces in favour of slow-burn, insidious dread. The results are unforgettable.”

SANTA SANGRE – 30th Anniversary Screening d. Alejandro Jodorowsky, 1989 + Intro by Mark Pilkington at Close-Up (28 NOV 19:00):

  • Redmond Pictures presents: “30th anniversary screening of the surrealist epic by the one and only writer, director, mystic, Alejandro Jodorowsky. A hallucinatory, dreamlike study of an individual’s disturbed psyche; the line between truth and imagination blurs in this surreal universe. A young man is confined in a mental hospital. Through a flashback we see that he was traumatized as a child, when he and his family were circus performers: he saw his father cut off the arms of his mother, a religious fanatic and leader of the heretical church of Santa Sangre (“Holy Blood”), and then commit suicide. Back in the present, he escapes and rejoins his surviving and armless mother. Against his will, he “becomes her arms” and the two undertake a grisly campaign of murder and revenge.”

SHOOTING THE MAFIA d. Kim Longinotto, 2019 + Q&A with the director at Ciné Lumière (28 NOV 18:30):

  • “Selected at the Berlin and Sundance Film Festivals, this documentary celebrates the ground-breaking and committed work of the free-spirited and charismatic photojournalist Letizia Battaglia. Through interviews, news footage, clips from Italian films and of course some of her extraordinary images, we get a sense of both Battaglia herself and the social landscape of organised crime in Italy.”

THE STREET d. Zed Nelson, 2019 + Q&A with the director + Hoxton locals at Rio Cinema (28 Nov 18:30):

  • “Hoxton Street is at the traditional beating heart of East London. Less than a mile from the City of London it has become the last bastion of the areas disadvantaged while many of the businesses that have been around for over a hundred years continue to disappear. Set against rapid gentrification, unregulated capitalism, years of austerity, the fallout from the Grenfell disaster and the eruption of Brexit, award-winning photo-journalist Zed Nelson’s feature-length debut, filmed over four years, is a revealing portrait of life in London today…and tomorrow.”

More films in London today (A – Z):

  • THE AMAZING NINA SIMONE d. Jeff L. Lieberman, 2015 presented by Black History Studies & The Batty Mama at Peckhamplex (28 NOV 28 NOV 18:30). BEANPOLE d. Kantemir Balagov, 2019 at ICA (28 NOV 12:30). Between Aeaea and the rocks of Scylla presented by Alix Marie & A—Z (Anne Duffau) at The Horse Hospital (28 NOV 18:30). CABIN IN THE SKY d. Vincente Minnelli & Busby Berkeley, 1943 at Bernie Grant Arts Centre (28 NOV 19:00). HITSVILLE: THE MAKING OF MOTOWN d. Benjamin Turner & Gabe Turner, 2019 at The David Lean (28 NOV 14:30 & 19:30). JULIEN DONKEY-BOY d. Harmony Korine, 1999 + Intro/Salon with Nick Walker, Rochester Kino presented by Cult Classic Collective at Genesis Cinema (28 NOV 18:40). KNIVES OUT d. Rian Johnson, 2019 at Genesis Cinema (28 NOV 15:10, 18:05 HOH & 21:00). MONOS d. Alejandro Landes, 2019 at ICA (28 NOV 15:05). RONNIE WOOD: SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME d. Mike Figgis, 2019 at DocHouse (28 NOV 16:30). SEASONS OF LOVE d. Christin Baker, 2019 presented by Unicorn Nights at The Prince Charles (28 NOV 15:55 HOH). Shorts On Tap at Samsung KX: A selection of London Shorts at Coal Drops Yard (28 NOV 19:00). SORRY WE MISSED YOU d. Ken Loach, 2019 + Q&A with the director & actor Kris Hitchen at Curzon Soho (28 NOV 18:00). THE WAR ROOM d. D. A. Pennebaker & Chris Hegedus, 1993 – Memorial Screening + Intro by Mandy Chang in conversation with Chris Hegedus, co-director and wife of D.A Pennebaker at DocHouse (28 NOV 18:30). WILD ROSE d. Tom Harper, 2018 presented by Stow Film Lounge at Wild Card Brewery (28 NOV 19:15).

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MUSEUM SHOWS PART 1

SEASONS (by event/venue)

Films in London this week: BERLIN ALEXANDERPLATZ, part of CLOSE-UP ON RAINER WERNER FASSBINDER at Close-Up (23 to 24 NOV).
Films in London this week: BERLIN ALEXANDERPLATZ, part of CLOSE-UP ON RAINER WERNER FASSBINDER at Close-Up (23 to 24 NOV).

20 YEARS at House Of Vans (01 NOV to 01 DEC – FREE!/No booking required):

“We’re stoked to bring our pick of quintessential movies that have just turned 20, to our cinema screen for our November film series.” Includes:

70mm PRESENTATIONS at The Prince Charles (ongoing):

“Bringing regular 70mm presentations back to the West End with”:

  • JOKER 70mm d. Todd Phillips, 2019 (24 NOV 20:30).

A HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN MOVIE MUSICAL at Deptford Cinema (21 OCT to 09 DEC):

“Deptford Cinema joins in the BFI’s nationwide three-month celebration of the musical film genre with our own special and spectacular season! Expect short films and programme notes at all screenings, and even some special guest speakers.” Includes:

A WORM’S TAIL VIEW IS OFTEN THE TRUE ONE: FILMS BY PERE PORTABELLA at ICA, Whitechapel Gallery, Close-Up, Cafe Oto & Brixton Prison (26 NOV 2019 to 15 FEB 2020):

“The most ambitious, creative and complete retrospective of works by ‘the most important living director you’ve never heard of’—Pere Portabella—will tour London’s most engaged cultural institutions from November 2019 until February 2020.” Includes:

  • Launch Event: VAMPIR-CUADECUC + ACCIÓ SANTOS d. Pere Portabella, 1971 + 1973 + Intro by filmmakers Albert Serra & Ben Rivers at ICA (26 NOV 20:15); UMBRACLE d. Pere Portabella, 1972 + Shorts: PREMIOS NACIONALES, 1969 + PLAY BACK, 1970 + Intro by Erika Balsom at Whitechapel Gallery (28 NOV 19:00).

ALL NIGHT / DAY / MINI MOVIE MARATHONS at The Prince Charles (ongoing):

“Butt-numbing marathons” (their words…ED.) of cult, horror, themed & film franchises including:

AMERICAN INDEPENDENT: A FOCUS ON SHIRLEY CLARKE at BFI Southbank (OCT to NOV):

“Our monthly Experimenta programme gives you a chance to explore this boundary-pushing, influential filmmaker.” Includes:

BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: REAL TO REEL at BFI Southbank (OCT to NOV):

“Exploring how directors have sought an aura of verisimilitude.” Includes:

BLOOD ON EARTH: FILMS FROM THE AFRICAN & CARIBBEAN DIASPORA at Deptford Cinema (12 OCT to 23 NOV):

“A series of films embracing work which explores the human condition through stories from the African and Caribbean diaspora.” Includes:

BORDERS & BOUNDARIES at Barbican (08 to 27 NOV):

“This programme offers a contemporary informed gaze on borders the world over as they are drawn and challenged.” Includes:

  • WALL d. Simone Bitton, 2004 + Q&A with the director (22 NOV 18:20); WESTLER d. Wieland Speck, 1985 + Intro by Alex Davidson (26 NOV 18:30); and, TROUBLE d. Mariah Garnett, 2019 (27 NOV 20:30).

CHRISTMAS AT THE PCC at The Prince Charles (NOV to DEC):

CLOSE-UP ON RAINER WERNER FASSBINDER at Close-Up (01 OCT to 01 DEC):

“Marking the 30th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall – and programmed in parallel to our upcoming Jürgen Böttcher retrospective with the Goethe-Institut – we’re pleased to present a selection of Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s film and television works from across his vast, yet tragically short lived ouvre.” Includes:

DIRECTOR DEBUTS at Deptford Cinema (19 NOV to 10 DEC):

“Showcasing the feature length debuts from directors both new and old.” Includes:

  • ARCTIC d. Joe Penna, 2018 (26 NOV 19:30); and, OF HORSES AND MEN d. Friðrik Þór Friðriksson, 2013 (27 NOV 19:30).

HISTORICAL FILM SERIES – A TRIBUTE TO ANNA GMEYNER & PAUL HENREID at Austrian Cultural Forum (12 NOV to 03 DEC – FREE!/Booking required):

LOST THE PLOT at Classic Cinema Club – Ealing (NOV to DEC):

“As these characters try to better their lives, get rich quick, or work on their relationships, they learn that the best intentions and best laid plans often go awry.” Includes:

MAURICE PIALET AND THE NEW FRENCH REALISM at BFI Southbank (OCT to NOV):

“A two-part exploration of an uncompromising director and the impact he’s made on recent French cinema and its actors.” Includes:

  • LOULOU d. Maurice Pialat, 1980 (23 NOV 18:30 / 27 NOV 20:45); and, À NOS AMOURS d. Maurice Pialat, 1983 (25 NOV 20:45).
  • Sight & Sound Deep Focus: À LA PLACE DU COEUR aka Where the Heart Is d. Robert Guédiguian, 1998 (22 NOV 18:20 / 24 NOV 20:00); COLD WATER aka L’eau froide d. Olivier Assayas, 1994 (22 NOV 20:40); LA VIE DE JÉSUS 4K aka The Life of Jesus d. Bruno Dumont, 1997 (24 NOV 17:50); and, A SINGLE GIRL 35mm aka La Fille seule d. Benoît Jacquot, 1995 (26 NOV 18:10).

MIDNIGHT EXCESS at Rio Cinema (12 OCT to 14 DEC):

“MIDNIGHT EXCESS is a film programme from SUPAKINO that brings back the thrill of weird and wonderful late-night movies to London’s historic Rio Cinema.” Includes:

  • ERASER d. Charles Russell, 1997 + Intro by Ranjit S. Ruprai (23 NOV 23:30).

MUSICALS! THE GREATEST SHOW ON SCREEN at BFI Southbank (OCT to DEC):

“Dust off your dancing shoes, practice your scales and join us for some heart-lifting movies, special events and joyful singalongs.” Includes:

RIAN JOHNSON SELECTROSPECTIVE at The Prince Charles (12 to 27 NOV):

“To get us warmed up for the forthcoming release of KNIVES OUT, we’re bringing Rian Johnson’s other original-tales back to the big-screen – all presented from 35mm!” Includes:

  • LOOPER 35mm d. Ryan Johnson, 2012 (27 NOV 18:15 – £1 Members Screening).

SAMURAI SUNDAYS at Deptford Cinema (27 OCT to 24 NOV):

“The SAMURAI SUNDAYS season has been programmed by Peter Blunden, and is kindly supported by the London East Asia Film Festival.” Includes:

STUDIO GHIBLI FOREVER at The Prince Charles (forever!):

“Never far from our screen are the legendary films from the greatest animation house on the planet, STUDIO GHIBLI.” Includes:

  • MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO d. Hayao Miyazaki, 1988 (23 NOV 13:15).
  • Dubbed versions are also available (check venue for details).

SYSTEM OF CARE at Deptford Cinema (14 OCT to 24 NOV):

Wavelength presents: “A new season of non-fiction films exploring care for the elderly, the mentally ill and neuro-diverse adults.” Includes:

  • MOTHER d. Kristof Bilsen, 2019 (24 NOV 16:15).

THE TALENTED MR DELON at Ciné Lumière (20 OCT to 26 NOV):

“Les Classiques will be dedicated to legendary French actor Alain Delon, showcasing a selection of films by the greatest directors from René Clément to Michelangelo Antonioni.” Includes:

  • L’ECLISSE d. Michelangelo Antonioni, 1962 (24 NOV 14:00 / 26 NOV 18:40).

WE’RE GONNA PARTY LIKE IT’S 1999! at The Prince Charles (ongoing):

“1999 was an EPIC year for movies – so we’re bringing a whole heap of it back to the big-screen!” Includes:

> Plan ahead with our monthly roundup of London’s rep seasons & film festivals.

MUSEUM SHOWS PART 2

FILM FESTIVALS (by date/duration)

Films in London this week: THE HUMAN ELEMENT, part of Opening Night at the Climate Crisis Festival at Deptford Cinema (28 NOV 19:00).
Films in London this week: THE HUMAN ELEMENT, part of Opening Night at the Climate Crisis Festival at Deptford Cinema (28 NOV 19:00).

Film festivals in London this week include:

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GRIND SHOWS

REGULAR RUNS & MAINSTREAM MARVELS (by title)

Films in London this week: RETABLO at The Castle Cinema (22 to 28 NOV).
Films in London this week: RETABLO at The Castle Cinema (22 to 28 NOV).

HEIMAT IS A SPACE IN TIME d. Thomas Heise, 2019 at ICA (22 to 28 NOV):

  • “Shot in black and white and drawing on letters, diaries, and other personal documents, HEIMAT IS A SPACE IN TIME traces the story of German filmmaker Thomas Heise’s family over several generations. Composed of a series of fragmented narratives, the film is a monumental historical essay and moving account of a family torn apart by the upheavals of the 20th century.”

JUDY & PUNCH d. Mirrah Foulkes, 2019 at Rich Mix (22 to 28 NOV):

  • “Famous puppeteers Judy (Mia Wasikowska) and her husband Punch (Damon Herriman) live in the town of Seaside. A strange place that is located nowhere near any sort of coastline, the town and its inhabitants are in thrall to a frenzy of witch hunts and superstition. But while the townspeople revel in the drama of the various trials and punishments, Judy and Punch provide welcome distraction with their magical puppet show.”

RETABLO d. Alvaro Delgado Aparicio, 2019 at The Castle Cinema (22 NOV to 05 DEC):

  • “High in the remote mountainside of Peru, 14-year-old Segundo is being groomed to follow his father’s footsteps in the traditional folk art of retablo-making — crafting intricate, artisan story-boxes depicting religious scenes and important everyday events. Segundo reveres his father, however the young boy is becoming restless realizing that the weight of carrying the family legacy on his shoulders will keep him on the mountain forever. When he stumbles across a heartbreaking secret his father is harbouring, Segundo will come to face the raw reality of his deeply religious and conservative landscape, as well as a more profound connection with his father than he’d ever imagined.”

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

  • THE AMAZING JOHNATHAN DOCUMENTARY d. Ben Berman, 2019 at DocHouse (22 to 28 NOV). HARRIET d. Kasi Lemmons, 2019 at Barbican (22 to 28 NOV). HERE FOR LIFE d. Andrea Luka Zimmerman & Adrian Jackson, 2019 at DocHouse (22 to 27 NOV). THE IRISHMAN d. Martin Scorsese, 2019 at ArtHouse Crouch End (until 28 NOV). GLORIA BELL d. Sebastián Lelio, 2018 at Whirled Cinema (25 NOV to 01 DEC). LA BELLE ÉPOQUE d. Nicolas Bedos, 2019 at Ciné Lumière (22 NOV to 16 DEC). MARRIAGE STORY d. Noah Baumbach, 2019 at Rio Cinema (until 28 NOV). PERMISSION d. Soheil Beiraghi, 2018 at ICA (22 to 28 NOV). SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE d. Cédric Klapisch, 2019 at Ciné Lumière (until 27 NOV).

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*THE SMALL PRINT: As accurate as we could make it. Apologies for any errors. Apologies if we have missed your event. Updates & corrections will be made to the online version. Event dates/times are subject to change by the venue/organiser. We try to only list events you can book for at the time of posting: however, some events may still be sold out. Please click quickly! We don’t filter by age/certification: all readers & subscribers should be 18+.