SCREEN GUIDE: Films in London this week [29 NOV to 05 DEC 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 29 // SAT 30 // SUN 01 // MON 02 // TUE 03 // WED 04 // THU 05
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
JOURNEY TO THE BEGINNING OF TIME 4K d. Karel Zeman, 1955 + Intro by John Stevenson at ICA (01 DEC 14:40 – Dubbed & 01 DEC 14:45 – Subtitled):
- SecondRun presents: “Four schoolboys embark on an epic voyage through prehistory in Czech filmmaker Karel Zeman’s 1955 JOURNEY TO THE BEGINNING OF TIME, now released in a new 4K digital restoration. Both screenings will be introduced by British animation filmmaker John Stevenson, best known for directing the Academy Award-nominated KUNG FU PANDA with Mark Osborne.”
NEW AT RADIANT CIRCUS
Fringe! Queer Film & Arts Fest might be over for another year, but we’re posting a special series of Fringe! Diaries to report from the action. Next: FISH OUT OF WATER short film programme (17 NOV).
Fringe!’s next Fling – part of their year-round programme of screenings – is JONATHAN AGASSI SAVED MY LIFE + Q&A with director Tomer Heymann at Genesis Cinema (05 DEC – listed below!).
FILMS IN LONDON THIS WEEK
SINGLE-O EXHIBITS
ONE-OFF MOVIE NIGHTS, FILM EVENTS & GALLERY SCREENINGS (by date/event)
FRI 29
EYES WIDE SHUT d. Stanley Kubrick, 1999 + Short: NEVER JUST A DREAM: STANLEY KUBRICK & EYES WIDE SHUT d. Matt Wells, 2019 + Discussion with Composer Jocelyn Pook & Matt Wells at BFI Southbank (29 NOV 18:30):
- “The date of this re-release of EYES WIDE SHUT isn’t accidental; it’s time to reappraise it as a Kubrickian Christmas movie. Kubrick’s final film, released posthumously, is an incredible display of precision and suspense, featuring a fragile relationship played out by (then) real-life couple Kidman and Cruise.”
- The film enjoys a grind show run at the same venue.
SHREK 35mm d. Andrew Adamson & Vicky Jenson, 2001 + Live Podcast & Q&A with Dr. Christopher Holliday at The Cinema Museum (29 NOV 19:30):
- “The irreverent and anti-Disney fairy-tale film SHREK (2001) is a landmark of computer-animated cinema. Released a little over 5 years after Pixar Animation Studios’ ground-breaking TOY STORY (1995) and based loosely on William Steig’s 1990 book of the same name, SHREK is the second computer-animated film to be produced by DreamWorks Animation, a company co-founded by ex-Disney Chief Executive Jeffrey Katzenberg in 1994 alongside Steven Spielberg and David Geffen. Part of monthly screening series, FANTASY / ANIMATION.”
VIVE LE PUNK d. Roger K. Burton, 1993 + Panel with the director, Cathi Unsworth & punk icon Jordan at The Horse Hospital (29 NOV 19:30):
- “A rare screening of VIVE LE PUNK, a documentary featuring Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood talking in depth about their extraordinary collaboration together, the evolution of their Kings Road shops and those groundbreaking punk designs that took the fashion world by storm between 1971 and 1980. The couple were captured on film at the Horse Hospital on the eve of our very first exhibition, Vive Le Punk. All funds raised go towards the ‘Stop The Horse Hospital Closing’ campaign.”
More films in London today (A – Z):
- THE AMAZING JOHNATHAN DOCUMENTARY d. Ben Berman, 2019 at DocHouse (29 NOV 16:30). Between Stillness and Movement: Filming the Photographs of Bert Hardy at Birkbeck Cinema (29 NOV 18:00 – FREE!). THE BIGGEST LITTLE FARM d. John Chester, 2018 at Ciné Lumière (29 NOV 16:30 & 18:30). HITSVILLE: THE MAKING OF MOTOWN d. Benjamin Turner & Gabe Turner, 2019 presented by Screen25 at Harris Academy South Norwood (29 NOV 19:45 – Use exclusive promo “CIRCUS19” to book & save). HERE FOR LIFE d. Andrea Luka Zimmerman & Adrian Jackson, 2019 at ICA (29 NOV 12:30). INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS d. Don Siegel, 1956 Member Pick at BFI (29 NOV 20:55 – £6). THE IRISHMAN d. Martin Scorsese, 2019 at ArtHouse Crouch End (29 NOV 12:30). PURPLE RAIN d. Albert Magnoli, 1984 at Bernie Grant Arts Centre (29 NOV 19:00). RAFIKI d. Wanuri Kahiu, 2018 at Ink@84 (29 NOV 19:30). RAVING RIOT d. Stepan Polivanov, 2019 + Q&A with the director at Tate Modern (29 NOV 19:00 – FREE!). SHOOTING THE MAFIA d. Kim Longinotto, 2019 + Kim Longinotto at Barbican (29 NOV 18:20). THE STREET d. Zed Nelson, 2019 + Q&A with the director + participants at Arthouse Crouch End (29 NOV 19:00).
SAT 30
Exploding Cinema at The Cinema Museum (30 NOV 19:00):
- “Exploding Cinema is back at the Cinema Museum showing a programme of independent shorts submitted from all over the world. Drama, Documentary, Animation, Experimental, weird and wonderful share the main screen, while the rest of the walls (and the ceiling) play host to the Exploding Cinema’s legendary eclectic psychedelic visuals projection show.”
THE STREET d. Zed Nelson, 2019 + Q&A with the director at Peckhamplex (30 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):
- BE-LONGING d. Mike McKenzie + Q&A with the director at The Lexi (30 NOV 14:45). THE BIGGEST LITTLE FARM d. John Chester, 2018 at Ciné Lumière (30 NOV 16:00). KUSAMA: INFINITY d. Heather Lenz, 2018 presented by Deeper Into Movies at Miranda at Ace Hotel Shoreditch (30 NOV 19:00). MEETING GORBACHEV d. Werner Herzog & André Singer, 2018 at DocHouse (30 NOV 16:30). NEVER LOOK AWAY d. Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, 2018 at The David Lean (30 NOV 13:30). THE SILENCE OF OTHERS d. Almudena Carracedo & Robert Bahar, 2018 at ICA (30 NOV 18:20). SO LONG, MY SON d. Wang Xiaoshuai, 2019 Guardian Preview Screeing at ArtHouse Crouch End (30 NOV 17:00 – FREE! Members Screening). WILDINGS d. Martin Makariev, 2019 presented by Wild Rose Events at Rio Cinema (30 NOV 14:30). WILD ROSE d. Tom Harper, 2018 presented by Talkies Community Cinema at Waterhouse Hall Theatre (30 NOV 19:30).
SUN 01
HEIMAT IS A SPACE IN TIME d. Thomas Heise, 2019 at Close-Up (01 DEC 18:00):
- “”Stretching from the dawn of World War I to the present day, Thomas Heise’s monumental essay film reflects on the fraught evolution of Germany’s national identity through the prism of one family’s history. The film, shot in monochrome black-and-white, combines a wealth of archival footage and materials – including letters written by Heise’s grandparents during the war – with new footage in which the director traces vestiges of his country’s national trauma to the very sites and landscapes that once played host to unspeakable violence.”
JOURNEY TO THE BEGINNING OF TIME 4K d. Karel Zeman, 1955 + Intro by John Stevenson at ICA (01 DEC 14:40 – Dubbed & 01 DEC 14:45 – Subtitled):
- SecondRun presents: “Four schoolboys embark on an epic voyage through prehistory in Czech filmmaker Karel Zeman’s 1955 JOURNEY TO THE BEGINNING OF TIME, now released in a new 4K digital restoration. Both screenings will be introduced by British animation filmmaker John Stevenson, best known for directing the Academy Award-nominated KUNG FU PANDA with Mark Osborne.”
SO LONG, MY SON d. Wang Xiaoshuai, 2018 at Rio Cinema (01 DEC 10:30 – FREE!):
- The Guardian & Curzon Film Distributors present: “Packing a powerful emotional punch SO LONG MY SON traces the lives of two families over three decades of social, political and human upheaval in China. Following the loss of a child in a tragic accident,paths separate, destinies ebb and flow, and fortunes are transformed under the impact of a country’s changing face. Yet even as their lives diverge, a common search for truth and reconciliation around the tragedy remains. But sometimes it can take a lifetime to say farewell…”
- Also: SO LONG, MY SON d. Wang Xiaoshuai, 2018 at ICA (01 DEC 16:50).
More films in London today (A – Z):
- THE BIGGEST LITTLE FARM d. John Chester, 2018 at Ciné Lumière (01 DEC 14:15). THE DARK CRYSTAL d. Jim Henson & Frank Oz, 1982 + Q&A with puppeteer/voice artist Louise Gold & art director Terry Ackland-Snow at Picturehouse Central (01 DEC 14:00). GLORIA BELL d. Sebastián Lelio, 2018 at Whirled Cinema (01 DEC 18:00). Haruki Murakami Screenings presented by Deeper Into Movies at SET (01 DEC 15:00). KUSAMA: INFINITY d. Heather Lenz, 2018 presented by Deeper Into Movies at Moth Club (01 DEC 14:00). MEETING GORBACHEV d. Werner Herzog & André Singer, 2018 at DocHouse (01 DEC 14:00). THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL d. Brian Henson at Catford Mews (01 DEC 11:00). Nightmare Americana: LEMORA A CHILD’S TALE OF THE SUPERNATURAL d. Richard Blackburn, 1973 + MESSIAH OF EVIL d. Willard Huyck & Gloria Katz, 1973 presented by World Wide Weird! at Helgi’s (01 DEC 18:00). PERMISSION d. Soheil Beiraghi, 2018 at ICA (01 DEC 12:40). THE SILENCE OF OTHERS d. Almudena Carracedo & Robert Bahar, 2018 at ICA (01 DEC 16:20). SINGING IN THE RAIN! d. Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly, 1952 at Ciné Lumière (01 DEC 18:15). YVES SAINT LAURENT: THE LAST COLLECTIONS d. Olivier Meyrou, 2018 at Ciné Lumière (01 DEC 16:35).
MON 02
THE DIRTY WAR ON THE NHS d. John Pilger, 2019 + Intro by the director at BFI Southbank (02 DEC 18:20):
- World Premiere: “Renowned BAFTA and Emmy-winning filmmaker and journalist John Pilger joins us to present his new documentary: ‘a tribute to a unique institution,’ he says at the start of the film. It’s also about the threat to democracy and, above all, a warning. Pilger investigates the dismantling ‘by stealth’ of the National Health Service; ‘a last bastion of true public service’.”
INDIA SPACE DREAMS d. Sue Sudbury, 2019 + Q&A with the director at DocHouse (02 DEC 18:30):
- “Scientists at Mumbai’s Tata Institute of Fundamental Research have been working since 2001 to build and launch the Astrosat. If successful, it will allow astronomers to study black holes as never before and get closer to discovering how our universe is formed. The stakes are big for everyone – but so are the obstacles in a country constantly struggling against the odds.”
More films in London today (A – Z):
- THE AMAZING JOHNATHAN DOCUMENTARY d. Ben Berman, 2019 at DocHouse (02 DEC 13:45). TRADING PLACES d. John Landis, 1983 at TT Liquor (02 DEC 18:30).
TUE 03
CLEANIN’ UP THE TOWN: REMEMBERING GHOST BUSTERS d. Anthony Bueno, 2019 at BFI IMAX (03 DEC 20:45):
- “This fascinating and funny documentary – 12 years in the making – charts the production of the original 1984 GHOSTBUSTERS through insightful interviews with the main cast and crew, and includes never-before-seen archive material from the personal collections of the creative team.”
NINOTCHKA d. Ernst Lubitsch, 1939 + Q&A with Nick Smedly at Curzon Wimbledon (03 DEC 20:30):
- Wimbledon Film Club presents: “Garbo stars in a comedy romance, yes, this is the film where she laughs for the first time on screen. Gone is any trace of the tragic actor as Garbo plays a serious Russian sent to Paris on official business. Inculcated with loathing for Western values, she meets a roué out to charm her, played by Mervyn Douglas. What could possibly go wrong?”
ODYSSEY d. Sabine Groenewegen, 2018 + Q&A with the director at ICA (03 DEC 19:00):
- “As two extra-terrestrial intelligences analyse visual material from the early 20th century in an effort to understand humanity, their signal is interrupted by a resistant matter which interferes with the flux of narratives they are attempting to decode. Confronting the rhetoric of colonialism and considering its impact across generations, Odyssey asks essential questions about the stories we’re told and how we might disrupt them.”
More films in London today (A – Z):
- 2040 d. Damon Gameau, 2019 + Q&A with local Extinction Rebellion members at The David Lean (03 DEC 19:30). ATLANTICS d. Mati Diop, 2019 + Talk by Kaleem Aftab + Poetry by Be Manzini at Curzon Soho (03 DEC 18:15). BEDAZZLED d. Stanley Donen, 1967 presented by Tufnell Park Film Club at The Lord Palmerston (03 DEC 20:00). THE HUNDRED YEAR-OLD MAN WHO CLIMBED OUT OF THE WINDOW AND DISAPPEARED d. Felix Hemgren, 2013 part of Nordic Film Nights at Deptford Cinema (03 DEC 19:30). MEETING GORBACHEV d. Werner Herzog & André Singer, 2018 at DocHouse (03 DEC 16:30). THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW d. Jim Sharman, 1975 presented by Deeper Into Movies at Peckham Levels (03 DEC 19:30 – FREE!).
WED 04
Cuba: Haunted by History + Q&A with Coco Fusco at Tate Modern (04 DEC 18:30):
- “We are pleased to welcome artist, activist and writer Coco Fusco back to Tate Modern to present the UK premiere of her films LA CONFESIÓN and TO LIVE IN JUNE WITH YOUR TONGUE HANGING OUT. Continuing Fusco’s thirty-year exploration into Cuban history, this programme considers resonances of the country’s historical tensions between poetry and politics.”
THE DIRTY WAR ON THE NHS d. John Pilger, 2019 + Q&A with the director at Curzon Soho (04 DEC 18:15):
- “Renowned BAFTA and Emmy-winning filmmaker and journalist John Pilger joins us to present his new documentary: ‘a tribute to a unique institution,’ he says at the start of the film. It’s also about the threat to democracy and, above all, a warning. Pilger investigates the dismantling ‘by stealth’ of the National Health Service; ‘a last bastion of true public service’.”
JONATHAN AGASSI SAVED MY LIFE d. Tomer Heymann, 2018 + Q&A with the director at ICA (04 DEC 20:50):
- Fringe! Flings presents: “Jonathan Agassi is one of the world’s most successful gay adult film star. His rise to fame was stratospheric and revolutionised the industry. The man behind the performer says that it saved his life, but at what cost? Filmed over eight years, the film provides a rare and intimate insight into the world of erotica and escorting, and one man’s attempts to find love, family and happiness in a world of hedonism and fantasy.”
More films in London today (A – Z):
- 1940s Noir With A Female Gaze Talk + Book Launch by Helen Jacey at The Cinema Museum (04 DEC 19:00). A FANTASTIC WOMAN d. Sebastián Leilo, 2017 part of Latin American Cinema Nights at Deptford Cinema (04 DEC 20:00). ATLANTICS d. Mati Diop, 2019 at ICA (04 DEC 21:10). The Big Blend short films & networking presented by Shorts On Tap & London Filmmaking Network at 93 Feet East (04 DEC 19:00 – FREE!). THE CAVE d. Feras Fayyad, 2019 + Q&A with the director at Picturehouse Central (04 DEC 18:30). Discovery: THE SOUVENIR d. Joanna Hogg, 2019 presented by Screen25 at Harris Academy South Norwood (04 DEC 19:45 – Use exclusive promo “CIRCUS19” to book & save). FISHERMAN’s FRIENDS d. Chris Foggin, 2019 presented by Pitshanger Pictures at St Barnabas Church (04 DEC 20:15). INFRACTIONS d. Rachel O’Reilly, 2019 + Panel at ICA (04 DEC 18:30). THE IRISHMAN d. Martin Scorsese, 2019 at ArtHouse Crouch End (04 DEC 16:45). JUDY d. Rupert Goold, 2019 at The David Lean (04 DEC 19:30). YVES SAINT LAURENT: THE LAST COLLECTIONS d. Olivier Meyrou, 2018 at Ciné Lumière (04 DEC 20:30).
THU 05
IMPRISONING A GENERATION d. Zelda Edmunds, 2018 + Discussion at The Cinema Museum (05 DEC 19:30):
- The Kennington Bethlehem Link presents: “a documentary film by Zelda Edmunds following the stories of young Palestinians who have been imprisoned under the Israeli military and political systems. Their perspectives, along with the voices of their families, combine to form a lens into the entangled structures of oppression that expand well beyond the prison walls.”
JONATHAN AGASSI SAVED MY LIFE d. Tomer Heymann, 2018 + Q&A with the director at Genesis Cinema (05 DEC 18:20):
- Fringe! Flings presents: “Jonathan Agassi is one of the world’s most successful gay adult film star. His rise to fame was stratospheric and revolutionised the industry. The man behind the performer says that it saved his life, but at what cost? Filmed over eight years, the film provides a rare and intimate insight into the world of erotica and escorting, and one man’s attempts to find love, family and happiness in a world of hedonism and fantasy.”
THE STREET d. Zed Nelson, 2019 + Q&A with the director + participants at Catford Mews (05 DEC 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 JOHNATHAN DOCUMENTARY d. Ben Berman, 2019 at DocHouse (05 DEC 20:30). ATLANTICS d. Mati Diop, 2019 at ICA (05 DEC 18:35). INDIA SPACE DREAMS d. Sue Sudbury, 2019 at DocHouse (05 DEC 16:30). THE IRISHMAN d. Martin Scorsese, 2019 at ArtHouse Crouch End (05 DEC 12:15). THE LOBSTER d. Yorgos Lanthimos, 2015 + Live Score by Solem Quartet at Picturehouse Ritzy (05 DEC 20:30). THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON d. Tyler Nilson & Mike Schwartz, 2019 + Short: LIBERTÉ d. Dora Paphides at The David Lean (05 DEC 14:30 & 19:30). THE ROOM d. Tommy Wiseau, 2003 at The Prince Charles (05 DEC 20:45). WOMAN AT WAR d. Benedikt Erlingsson, 2018 presented by Talkies Community Cinema at The Dugdale Centre (05 DEC 19:45).
> SIGN UP for free Friday emails highlighting 7 days of sensational screens.
MUSEUM SHOWS PART 1
SEASONS (by event/venue)
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:
- THE MATRIX d. d. Lana Wachowski & Lilly Wachowski, 1999 (30 NOV 15:00 & 17:30); and, MAN ON THE MOON d. Milos Forman, 1999 (01 DEC 14:00 & 16:00).
70mm PRESENTATIONS at The Prince Charles (ongoing):
“Bringing regular 70mm presentations back to the West End with”:
- 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY 70mm d. Stanley Kubrick, 1968 (30 NOV 20:30); and, DIE HARD 70mm d. John McTiernan, 1988 (01 DEC 20:45 / 04 DEC 20:45).
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:
- CHICAGO d. Rob Marshall, 2002 + Short (02 DEC 19:00).
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:
- NOCTURNO 29 d. Pere Portabella, 1968 + Intro by Ona Balló Pedragosa (30 NOV 16:00 – ICA); and, THE SUPPER d. Pere Portabella (05 DEC 17:30 – Brixton Prison – Sales ended!).
BAFTA SCREENWRITERS LECTURE SERIES at Curzon Cinemas (30 NOV to 12 DEC):
“The Screenwriters’ Lecture Series exists to celebrate screenwriters’ authorial contribution to film and gives esteemed writers a platform to share highlights and insights from their careers with an audience of film-lovers and their peers.” Includes:
- Pedro Almodóvar (30 NOV 15:30 – Currently Looking SOLD OUT!); Céline Sciamma (02 DEC 18:15); and, Noah Baumbach (05 DEC 17:30).
BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: GETTING TOGETHER at BFI Southbank (DEC):
“Since Christmas is seen by many as an opportunity for getting together, it’s timely to look at gatherings of various sorts.” Includes:
- THE PHILADELPHIA STORY 4K d. George Cukor, 1940 (01 DEC 17:10 / 02 DEC 20:45); ROPE d. Alfred Hitchcock, 1948 (03 DEC 14:30 / 05 DEC 21:10); and, BLACK ORPHEUS 35mm aka Orfeu Negro d. Marcel Camus, 1958 + Intro by Kevin Le Gendre (04 DEC 17:35).
BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: REAL TO REEL at BFI Southbank (OCT to DEC):
“Exploring how directors have sought an aura of verisimilitude.” Includes:
- JOURNEY TO ITALY aka Viaggio in Italia d. Roberto Rossellini, 1954 (29 NOV 18:00); THE GENERAL 4K d. Buster Keaton & Clyde Bruckman, 1926 (30 NOV 18:30); and, APOCALYPSE NOW: FINAL CUT 4K d. Francis Ford Coppola, 1979 (03 DEC 17:10 – BFI IMAX).
CHRISTMAS AT THE PCC at The Prince Charles (NOV to DEC):
- THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER d. Ernst Lubitsch, 1940 (30 NOV 12:45 / 05 DEC 18:25); THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL d. Brian Henson, 1992 (01 to 24 DEC – various formats/check venue); IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE 35mm d. Frank Capra, 1946 (01 to 24 DEC – some digital/check venue); LOVE ACTUALLY d. Richard Curtis, 2003 (02 DEC 20:30 + sparkling wine!); and, ELF d. Jon Favreau, 2003 (04 DEC 18:35).
- The Naughty List: EYES WIDE SHUT d. Stanley Kubrick, 1999 (29 NOV to 05 DEC); NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION d. Jeremiah S. Chechik, 1989 (29 NOV 21:00); DIE HARD 70mm d. John McTiernan, 1988 (01 DEC 20:45 / 04 DEC 20:45); A CHRISTMAS STORY d. Bob Clark, 1983 (02 DEC 18:30); HOOK d. Steven Spielberg, 1991 (02 DEC 20:45); TRADING PLACES d. John Landis, 1983 (03 DEC 12:15); DIE HARD 2: DIE HARDER d. Renny Harlin, 1990 (03 DEC 21:00); and, THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT d. Renny Harlin, 1996 ( 05 DEC 21:00).
CLOSE-UP ON RAINER WERNER FASSBINDER at Close-Up (until 06 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:
- IN A YEAR OF 13 MOONS d. Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1978 (30 NOV 20:30); and, FEAR EATS THE SOUL d. Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1974 (02 DEC 20:30).
- See also: HEIMAT IS A SPACE IN TIME d. Thomas Heise, 2019 at Close-Up (01 DEC 18:00).
DELEUZE’S CINEMA: MOVEMENTS IN TIME at Close-Up (01 to 10 DEC):
“Close-Up is pleased to present the launch of Christopher Kul-Want’s book, Philosophers on Cinema, From Bergson to Badiou, A Critical Reader (Columbia University press) on 05 DEC 19:00. Accompanying the launch Christopher has selected a programme of four films inspired by the philosopher Gilles Deleuze’s two seminal books: Cinema I: The Movement-Image and Cinema II: The Time-Image.” Includes:
- LE JOUR SE LÈVE d. Marcel Carné, 1939 + Intro by Christopher Kul-Want (01 DEC 16:00); and, VAMPYR d. Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1932 + Intro by Christopher Kul-Want (05 DEC 20:30).
HISTORICAL FILM SERIES – A TRIBUTE TO ANNA GMEYNER & PAUL HENREID at Austrian Cultural Forum (12 NOV to 03 DEC – FREE!/Booking required):
- Includes: HOLLOW TRIUMPH d. Steve Sekely & Paul Henreid, 1948 (03 DEC 19:00).
IT’S PANTO SEASON! at BFI Southbank (DEC):
“A look at the star-studded, staple of the seasonal schedules: the TV pantomime.” Includes:
- ALADDIN & HIS WONDERFUL LAMP d. David Croft, 1966 (01 DEC 14:50).
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:
- UNE FEMME EST UNE FEMME d. Jean-Luc Godard, 1961 (29 NOV 19:30).
MAURICE PIALET AND THE NEW FRENCH REALISM at BFI Southbank (OCT to DEC):
“A two-part exploration of an uncompromising director and the impact he’s made on recent French cinema and its actors.” Includes:
- POLICE d. Maurice Pialat, 1985 (01 DEC 20:30); and, SOUS LE SOLEIL DE SATAN aka Under the Sun of Satan d. Maurice Pialat, 1987 (04 DEC 20:45).
- Sight & Sound Deep Focus: MY SEX LIFE… OR HOW I GOT INTO AN ARGUMENT d. Arnaud Desplechin, 1996 (30 NOV 19:30).
MED HONDO: AFRICA FROM THE SEINE at BFI Southbank (DEC):
“Every film lover should experience the wide palette and unique vision of Med Hondo’s cinema.” Includes:
- The Life and Times of Med Hondo Panel Discussion (03 DEC 18:00); SOLEIL Ô aka Oh Sun! d. Med Hondo, 1970 + Intro by Kunle Olulode (03 DEC 20:30); and, WEST INDIES: THE FUGITIVE SLAVES OF LIBERTY 35mm aka West Indies ou les nègres marrons de la liberté d. Med Hondo, 1979 + Intro by Kevin Le Gendre (05 DEC 20:40).
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:
- THE BELLE OF NEW YORK 35mm d. Charles Waters, 1952 (02 DEC 20:30).
- Singalongs: Singalong: LA LA LAND d. Damien Chazelle, 2016 (30 NOV 13:30).
- World AIDS Day Special Presentation: RENT 35mm d. Chris Columbus, 2005 + Live Performances/Participation (01 DEC 17:00).
- Doris Day: IT’S MAGIC 35mm aka Romance on the High Seas d. Michael Curtiz & Busby Berkeley (02 DEC 18:10).
- Talks: Tommy Steele presents Magical Moments of the Musicals (01 DEC 16:00); and, Sondheim at the Movies (04 DEC 18:20).
- Judy Garland: THE WIZARD OF OZ d. Victor Fleming, 1939 + Intro by Kerry Ellis (04 DEC 20:40).
- ICO Archive Screening Day: Race in the Hollywood Musical (05 DEC 16:00); BROADWAY RHYTHM 35mm d. Roy Del Rey, 1944 + Intro by Robin Baker (05 DEC 18:10); and, WEST INDIES: THE FUGITIVE SLAVES OF LIBERTY 35mm aka West Indies ou les nègres marrons de la liberté d. Med Hondo, 1979 + Intro by Kevin Le Gendre (05 DEC 20:40).
- Re-releases: TOMMY d. Ken Russell, 1975 (22 NOV to 05 DEC).
THE TALENTED MR DELON at Ciné Lumière (20 OCT to 30 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:
- PLEIN SOLEIL d. René Clément, 1960 (29 NOV 20:30 / 30 NOV 20:00).
TRIBUTE TO DELPHINE SEYRIG – ACTRESS, DIRECTOR AND ACTIVIST at Ciné Lumière (01 DEC 2019 to 04 FEB 2020):
“From being a film icon to supporting emerging women directors, Delphine Seyrig (1932-1990) increasingly got involved in the women’s rights and social struggles of her times, both in France and internationally, especially via the making of activist videos with her collective ‘Les Insoumuses’ (Defiant Muses) and through co-founding the Simone de Beauvoir Audiovisual Centre in Paris.” Includes:
- L’ANNÉE DERNIÈRE À MARIENBAD aka Last Year at Marienbad d. Alain Resnais, 1961 (01 DEC 14:00 / 03 DEC 18:30).
UKRAINIAN FILM DAYS at Ciné Lumière (05 to 08 DEC):
“The Institut français du Royaume-Uni and the Ukrainian Institute London team up to offer you a film series showcasing the country’s fine tradition of film-making.” Includes:
- MR JONES d. Agnieszka Holland, 2019 (05 DEC 19:30).
> Plan ahead with our monthly roundup of London’s rep seasons & film festivals.
MUSEUM SHOWS PART 2
FILM FESTIVALS (by date/duration)
Film festivals in London this week include:
- Climate Crisis Film Festival (28 NOV to 01 DEC).
- Czech Velvet 1989-2019 (01 to 29 NOV).
- French Film Festival (07 NOV to 14 DEC).
- London Film Week (02 to 08 DEC).
- London International Animation Festival (29 NOV to 08 DEC).
- London Migration Film Festival (28 NOV to 04 DEC).
- London Palestine Film Festival (15 to 30 NOV).
- Russian Film Week (24 NOV to 01 DEC).
- Utopia Portuguese Film Festival (30 NOV 09 DEC).
- Women of The Lens Film Festival (29 to 30 NOV).
> SUBSCRIBE to get our full listings emailed & support #LDNindieFILM.
GRIND SHOWS
REGULAR RUNS & MAINSTREAM MARVELS (by title)
THE DIRTY WAR ON THE NHS d. John Pilger, 2019 at ArtHouse Crouch End (29 NOV to 05 DEC):
- “The new documentary from renowned BAFTA and Emmy-winning film-maker and journalist John Pilger. “This film is a tribute to a unique institution,” says Pilger at the start of DIRTY WAR, which is about threatened democracy. Above all, it is a warning. Pilger investigates the dismantling “by stealth” of the National Health Service, “a last bastion of true public service”.”
EYES WIDE SHUT d. Stanley Kubrick, 1999 + Short: NEVER JUST A DREAM: STANLEY KUBRICK & EYES WIDE SHUT d. Matt Wells, 2019 at BFI Southbank (29 NOV to 05 DEC):
- “The date of this re-release of EYES WIDE SHUT isn’t accidental; it’s time to reappraise it as a Kubrickian Christmas movie. Kubrick’s final film, released posthumously, is an incredible display of precision and suspense, featuring a fragile relationship played out by (then) real-life couple Kidman and Cruise.”
THE NIGHTINGALE d. Jennifer Kent, 2019 at ICA (29 NOV to 05 DEC):
- “Set in 1825, Clare, a young Irish convict woman, chases a British officer through the rugged Tasmanian wilderness, bent on revenge for a terrible act of violence he committed against her family. On the way she enlists the services of an Aboriginal tracker named Billy, who is also marked by trauma from his own violence-filled past.”
More films in London this week (A – Z):
- THE AMAZING JOHNATHAN DOCUMENTARY d. Ben Berman, 2019 at The Castle Cinema (29 NOV to 05 DEC). BIRDS OF PASSAGE d. Cristina Gallego & Ciro Guerra, 2018 at Whirled Cinema (02 to 08 DEC). HARRIET d. Kasi Lemmons, 2019 at Catford Mews (29 NOV to 05 DEC). HEIMAT IS A SPACE IN TIME d. Thomas Heise, 2019 at ICA (until 04 DEC). JAY & SILENT BOB REBOOT d. Kevin Smith, 2019 at The Prince Charles (29 NOV to 05 DEC). KNIVES OUT d. Rian Johnson, 2019 at Rich Mix (29 NOV to 05 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 05 DEC). RETABLO d. Alvaro Delgado Aparicio, 2019 at The Castle Cinema (until 05 DEC). RONNIE WOOD – SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME d. Mike Figgis, 2019 at DocHouse (until 04 DEC). SHOOTING THE MAFIA d. Kim Longinotto, 2019 at ArtHouse Crouch End (30 NOV to 05 DEC). THE STREET d. Zed Nelson, 2019 at DocHouse (29 NOV to 05 DEC). THE TWO POPES d. Fernando Meirelles, 2019 at JW3 (29 NOV to 05 DEC).
Subscribe & support
RADIANT CIRCUS – “Home of alternative screen culture in London” (Film London) – is supported entirely by readers’ monthly subscriptions. Subscribers get our listings emailed directly as well as other great rewards. With enough subscribers backing us, we will be able to: 1) establish RADIANT CIRCUS as a permanent resource; 2) fund a full site rebuild to make our listings more social and searchable; and, 3) stage free events for subscribers as our way of saying a huge thank you! Our target? One thousand passionate film fans sharing what they love so that many more can discover it. Subscribe at patreon.com/radiantcircus
“I love everything you’re doing with RADIANT CIRCUS, the output is brilliant. And just so great to see it grow. Kudos to you.” (A fan via email!).
#LDNindieFILM
*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+.