This is a film still from SIEGFRIED 16mm d. Fritz Lang, 1924, presented by Kennington Bioscope at The Cinema Museum on Wednesday 11 January 2023.

SCREEN GUIDE: What’s on in London this week [06 to 12 JAN 2023]

Our RADIANT CIRCUS guide to what’s on in London this week across DIY, indie & alternative cinema, including one-off screen events, film seasons, film festivals & new releases.

By RADIANT CIRCUS // Twitter @radiantcircus / Instagram @radiantcircus

Welcome to another screen week and my first Screen Guide of 2023 (although I hope you’ve already discovered my epic roundup of the month’s rep seasons)!

It’s great to see so many film clubs projecting their love back onto our screens at the start of the year. The wonderful Ciné-Real 16mm Film Club gets started with two screenings of A MATTER OF LIFE & DEATH from 16mm at The Castle Cinema (08 & 12 JAN). Umit and Liam have also announced a series of events for 2023, so get clicking as their shows pretty much always sell out (now booking through to 26 MAR). Bounce Cinema are also back on Sunday with their popular programme (but their ‘luxury screening’ of KING RICHARD looks pretty much sold out at the time of posting…).

On Monday, Herb Shellenberger presents nearly five hours of Jonas Mekas’ AS I WAS MOVING AHEAD OCCASIONALLY I SAW BRIEF GLIMPSES OF BEAUTY at The Prince Charles. For a study in contrasts, Deeper Into Movies screens Zach Cregger’s BARBARIAN at Farr’s Dalston, whilst Transmissions presents JUNO at Dalston Superstore on the same day (all 09 JAN).

Tuesday sees several of London’s most reliable film clubs leap into action. Head to: Richmond Film Society for EVERYTHING WENT FINE, Tufnell Park Film Club for MYSTERY TRAIN, Wimbledon Film Club for OFFICIAL COMPETITION, and Sands Films Cine Club for GERMINAL (all 10 JAN). You can then wrap your week with a choice of either a free screening of BARBARELLA from Ms Fontaine’s Film Club at Fontaine’s in Dalston, or Jellied Reels’ first screening of the year, ROMY & MICHELE’S HIGH SCHOOL REUNION at The Castle Cinema (both 12 JAN).

In seasons, major new openings include a complete AKIRA KUROSAWA retrospective (featuring lots from 35mm) and the SIGHT & SOUND GREATEST FILMS OF ALL TIME 2022 at BFI Southbank (and a little later in the month at BFI IMAX). Elsewhere, there’s another strong showing from students on the NFTS curating MA, including Chris Cassingham’s BEYOND INTERPRETATION at ICA, and Heeyeon Park’s ‘I PURPLE U’ at The Prince Charles. 

JOHN SMITH: INTROSPECTIVE (1972–2022) – previously at ICA and Close-Up – was such a success in 2022 that two sold out programmes from ICA will be re-screened at Close-Up this month. And if that’s not enough for you, CELEBRATING JACK NICHOLSON opens at The Garden Cinema (there’s a season intro, party and screening of ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST on 06 JAN if you’re a member…). I’ve chosen MARK JENKIN’S THE CINEMATIC DNA OF ENYS MEN at BFI Southbank as my Featured Attraction of the Month. 

This week’s new releases include Carla Simón’s ALCARRÀS, François Ozon’s PETER VON KANT, Carlota Martínez-Pereda’s PIGGY, and Chinonye Chukwu’s TILL. The re-release of Akira Kurosawa’s RASHOMON screens at several venues across town and Sam Mendes’ love letter to cinema, EMPIRE OF LIGHT, gets a wide release from Monday (including some 35mm). The Prince Charles starts a long engagement with GLASS ONION from 35mm. Head to the GRIND SHOW section for all the details.

Getting back to film clubs, I’ve chosen Kennington Bioscope’s screening of Fritz Lang’s sublime SIEGFRIED from 16mm at The Cinema Museum as my featured attraction of the week (11 JAN). It’s one of the greatest works of fantasy cinema and should make for a spell-binding event.

See you in the darkness, and stay safe.

Richard // RADIANT CIRCUS

SIEGFRIED 16mm d. Fritz Lang, 1924 + Short: SUNKISSED 35mm d. Julia Vogl + Live piano accompaniment by Costas Fotopoulos, presented by Kennington Bioscope at The Cinema Museum (11 JAN 19:30).

“Siegfried (1924). 16mm print, German with English titles. The film has been praised for Carl Hoffman and Gunter Rittau’s ground-breaking cinematography, Otto Hunte’s spectacular set designs, Paul Gerd Guderian’s extraordinary costumes and Lang’s exceptional sense of framing and composition. Die Nibelungen: Siegfried is part one of The Nibelungs’ Saga, part two being Kriemhild’s Revenge. The screenplays for both films were co-written by Lang’s then-wife Thea von Harbou, based upon the epic poem Nibelungenlied written around 1200 AD. Die Nibelungen received its UK premiere at the Royal Albert Hall in London, where it played for 40 performances between 29 April and 20 June 1924. As a curtain raiser, we are very pleased to welcome back the American social sculptor and silkscreen artist Julia Vogl, now living in South London with her latest multi-coloured silent film.” (Kennington Bioscope).

FRIDAY 06 JAN

SATURDAY 07 JAN

  • THE ADAMS FAMILY d. Barry Sonnenfeld, 1991 at The Garden Cinema (07 JAN 11:00 – Pay What You Can).
  • ALPHAVILLE d. Jean-Luc Godard, 1965 at Rio Cinema (07 JAN 18:15 / 08 JAN 13:30).
  • ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT d. Edward Berger, 2022 + Q&A with the director, make-up & SFX designer Heike Merker; composer Volker Bertelmann; sound designer Frank Kruse, cinematographer James Friend & VFX supervisor Frank Petzold at Curzon Soho (07 JAN 17:30).
  • THE DAY OF THE TREE Premiere + Q&A with Cast & Crew, climate workshops & an acoustic set from Dom Smyth at The Cinema Museum (07 JAN 15:00).
  • THE DRIVER 4K d. Walter Hill, 1978 at ICA (07 JAN 12:10 / 08 JAN 12:10 / 11 JAN 14:00).
  • LABYRINTH Movie Night & Bowie Disco! at The Clapham Grand (07 JAN 18:30).
  • THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING [Extended Version] d. Peter Jackson, 2001 at The Prince Charles (07 JAN 11:30).

TALKS etc.

SUNDAY 08 JAN

  • ALPHAVILLE d. Jean-Luc Godard, 1965 at Rio Cinema (08 JAN 13:30).
  • A MATTER OF LIFE & DEATH 16mm d. Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger, 1946 presented by Ciné-Real 16mm Film Club at The Castle Cinema (08 JAN 15:30 / 12 JAN 19:30).
  • THE DRIVER 4K d. Walter Hill, 1978 at ICA (08 JAN 12:10 / 11 JAN 14:00).
  • REBEL DYKES + SPACE DYKES & OTHER ADVENTURES ds. Harri Shanahan & Siân A. Williams, 2021 + Julian Konuk, 2022 at Avalon Cafe (08 JAN 17:00).
  • KING RICHARD d. Reinaldo Marcus Green, 2021 presented by Bounce Cinema at The Hoxton (08 JAN 19:00).
  • THE SEEDS OF VANDANA SHIVA d. Camilla Denton Becket & James Becket, 2022 + Q&A with Vandana Shiva at Picturehouse Finsbury Park (08 JAN 15:00).

MONDAY 09 JAN

  • AS I WAS MOVING AHEAD OCCASIONALLY I SAW BRIEF GLIMPSES OF BEAUTY d. Jonas Mekas, 2000 + Intermission presented by Herb Shellenberger at The Prince Charles (09 JAN 17:45).
  • BARBARIAN d. Zach Cregger, 2022 presented by Deeper Into Movies at Farr’s Dalston (09 JAN 19:30).
  • JUNO d. Jason Reitman, 2007 + In conversation with Jem Nash, presented by Transmissions at Dalston Superstore (09 JAN 19:00).
  • Monday Classic Matinée: SOUTH PACIFIC d. Joshua Logan, 1958 (09 JAN 13:00).

TUESDAY 10 JAN

  • EVERYTHING WENT FINE d. François Ozon, 2021 presented by Richmond Film Society at The Exchange (10 JAN 20:00).
  • GERMINAL d. Claude Berri, 1993 presented in-venue & online by Sands Films Cine Club at Sands Films Studios (10 JAN 19:30 – Donation requested!).
  • MYSTERY TRAIN d. Jim Jarmusch, 1989 presented by Tufnell Park Film Club at The Lord Palmerston (10 JAN 20:00).
  • OCCUPIED a BBC Eye Investigation at Frontline Club (10 JAN 19:00).
  • OFFICIAL COMPETITION aka Competencia oficial d. Mariano Cohn & Gastón Duprat, 2021 presented by Wimbledon Film Club at Curzon Wimbledon (10 JAN 20:30).
  • RETURN TO DUST d. Ruijun Li, 2022 at The David Lean (10 JAN 19:30).
  • RRR d. S. S. Rajamouli, 2022 at The Prince Charles (10 JAN 19:45).

TALKS etc.

WEDNESDAY 11 JAN

  • THE DRIVER 4K d. Walter Hill, 1978 at ICA (11 JAN 14:00).
  • SIEGFRIED 16mm d. Fritz Lang, 1924 + Short: SUNKISSED 35mm d. Julia Vogl + Live piano accompaniment by Costas Fotopoulos, presented by Kennington Bioscope at The Cinema Museum (11 JAN 19:30).

THURSDAY 12 JAN

  • A MATTER OF LIFE & DEATH 16mm d. Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger, 1946 presented by Ciné-Real 16mm Film Club at The Castle Cinema (12 JAN 19:30).
  • BARBARELLA d. Roger Vadim, 1968 presented by Ms Fontaine’s Film Club at Fontaine’s (12 JAN 20:00 – FREE!).
  • THE MENU d. Mark Mylod, 2022 at The David Lean (12 JAN 14:30 HOH & 19:30).
  • MON ONCLE d. Jacques Tati, 1958 at The Garden Cinema (12 JAN 20:15).
  • ROMY & MICHELE’S HIGH SCHOOL REUNION d. David Markin, 1997 presented by Jellied Reels at The Castle Cinema (12 JAN 18:45).
  • TRIANGLE OF SADNESS d. Ruben Östlund, 2022 + Q&A with the director at Curzon Bloomsbury (12 JAN 18:45).

35MM PRESENTATIONS at The Prince Charles

70MM PRESENTATIONS at The Prince Charles

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): INTERSTELLAR 70mm d. Christopher Nolan, 2014 (09 JAN 20:20).

IMAX PRESENTATIONS at BFI IMAX

AKIRA KUROSAWA at BFI Southbank & BFI IMAX 

ANNIVERSARY SCREENINGS at The Prince Charles (Not listed elsewhere!)

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): DUCK SOUP d. Leo McCarey, 1933 (06 JAN 12:00 / 07 JAN 15:45 / 08 JAN 18:25 / 10 JAN 15:45 / 12 JAN 17:35); VERTIGO d. Alfred Hitchcock, 1958 (08 JAN 20:25 – 4K).

AU CONTRAIRE: JEAN-LUC GODARD at Close-Up

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): ALPHAVILLE d. Jean-Luc Godard, 1965 (08 JAN 18:25). 

BEST OF 2022 at Bertha DocHouse

  • Includes (check venue for listings): THE VELVET QUEEN: SNOW LEOPARD d. Marie Amiguet & Vincent Munier, 2021 (06 JAN 14:00 / 08 JAN 18:00 / 10 JAN 20:30 / 11 JAN 14:00); TAMING THE GARDEN d. Salomé Jashi, 2021 (06 JAN 16:20 / 08 JAN 14:00 / 09 JAN 18:10 / 12 JAN 14:00); ASCENSION d. Jessica Kingdon, 2020 (06 JAN 20:20 / 07 JAN 13:20 / 10 JAN 16:10 / 11 JAN 18:10); MOONAGE DAYDREAM d. Brett Morgen, 2022 (07 JAN 17:30 / 08 JAN 20:00 / 09 JAN 13:30 / 12 JAN 20:00).

BEYOND INTERPRETATION at ICA

  • Includes (check venue for listings): SLOW MACHINE d. Paul Felten & Joe DeNardo, 2020 UK Premiere + Intro by season curator Chris Cassingham & Q&A with the directors (12 JAN 18:30).
  • Curated by Chris Cassingham in partnership with the NFTS.

CELEBRATING JACK NICHOLSON at The Garden Cinema

CELLULOID SUNDAY at ICA

  • Includes (check venue for listings): THE BLUE KITE 35mm d. Tian Zhuangzhuang, 1993 (08 JAN 18:15).

CINEMATIC JUKEBOX / CLASSIC FILM SEASON at The Prince Charles (not listed elsewhere!)

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): EL TOPO d. Alejandro Jodorowsky, 1970 (09 JAN 12:50); THE HOLY MOUNTAIN d. Alejandro Jodorowsky, 1973 (10 JAN 13:00); McCABE & MRS MILLER d. Robert Altman, 1971 (11 JAN 20:30 – 4K).

DRUMROLL FOR FORTUITOUS HEROES at Ciné Lumière

ESSENTIAL CINEMA at Close-Up Film Centre

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): STALKER d. Andrei Tarkovsky, 1979 (07 JAN 17:15); BLUE VELVET d. David Lynch, 1986 (07 JAN 20:15).

THE FILMS OF DAVID LYNCH at The Prince Charles 

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): MULHOLLAND DR. 35mm d. David Lynch, 2001 (07 JAN 20:15).

FROM THE REQUEST BOARD at The Prince Charles

‘I PURPLE U’ at The Prince Charles

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): YUNI d. Kamila Andini, 2021 (10 JAN 18:00).
  • Curated by Heeyeon Park in partnership with NFTS.

JEAN-LUC GODARD: PERSPECTIVES at Ciné Lumière

JOHN SMITH: INTROSPECTIVE (1972–2022) 50 FILMS FROM 50 YEARS at Close-Up Film Centre

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): Programme 4 (1985-92) + Q&A with John Smith (12 JAN 20:15).

MARK JENKIN’S THE CINEMATIC DNA OF ENYS MEN at BFI Southbank

MOVIE MARATHONS at The Prince Charles

SCI-FI SELECTIONS at The Prince Charles

SIGHT & SOUND GREATEST FILMS OF ALL TIME 2022 at BFI Southbank & BFI IMAX

STAFF PICKS at The Garden Cinema

STEVEN SPIELBERG FROM 35MM at Everyman Screen On The Green

THROWBACK SEASON at Everyman Cinemas

  • Includes (check venue for listings): FORREST GUMP d. Robert Zemeckis, 1994 (08 JAN various / 10 JAN various).

TRINTIGNANT: THE NON-CONFORMIST at Ciné Lumière

THE WORLD OF WONG KAR WAI at The Prince Charles

  • Includes (check venue for listings): IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE d. Wong Kar Wai, 2000 (06 JAN 21:00); AS TEARS GO BY d. Wong Kar Wai, 1988 (07 JAN 17:45 – 4K / 09 JAN 15:40 – 4K / 10 JAN 20:30 / 12 JAN 15:00 – 4K); CHUNGKING EXPRESS d. Wong Kar Wai, 1994 (11 JAN 18:15 – 4K).

WUXIA SELECTROSPECTIVE at The Prince Charles

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): DRAGON INN d. King Hu, 1967 (08 JAN 15:10).

YASUJIRŌ OZU: NORIKO TRILOGY at Close-Up Film Centre

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): EARLY SUMMER d. Yasujiro Ozu, 1951 (06 JAN 20:15); TOKYO STORY d. Yasujiro Ozu, 1953 (08 JAN 20:15).

ALCARRÀS dir Carla Simón, 2023

EMPIRE OF LIGHT dir Sam Mendes, 2023

PETER VON KANT dir François Ozon, 2022

PIGGY aka Cerdita dir Carlota Martínez-Pereda, 2022

RASHOMON dir Akira Kurosawa, 1950

TILL dir Chinonye Chukwu, 2023

Also 06 to 12 JAN (various dates / times / venues):

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*THE SMALL PRINT: Opinions author’s own. // As accurate as we could make it. Apologies for any errors. Updates & corrections will be made to the online version only. // Event dates/times/formats are subject to change by the venue/organiser. Events may already be sold out at the time of posting, so please click quickly. // We try to list as many original format screenings as we can (8 to 70MM), but sometimes formats change due to age of the print, availability, logistics etc, so please check ahead with your venue if the format is your thing. // All images are used in the spirit of fair use for reporting & review – no ownership is implied or intended / unless otherwise credited to RADIANT CIRCUS as the original rights holder. We will remove any images immediately upon request – just get in touch. // We don’t filter our listings by age/certification: all readers & subscribers should therefore be 18+. // Finally, we always try to follow The Carny Code by “not screwing up anyone else’s game”, but everyone can make mistakes… If something does go wrong, we will always do our best to put it right. //.