SCREEN GUIDE: What’s on in London this week [19 to 25 NOV 2021]

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

There’s a busy start to this screen week with Black Ink Cinema presenting a ‘Surprise Screening‘ of a Black-led new release at Genesis Cinema (…the tennis racket graphics might be a spoiler!), T A P E Collective continuing their But Where Are You Really From? short film tour at Screen25 Cinema, and Crofton Park Pictures presenting Antonioni’s BLOW-UP at Rivoli Ballroom (all 19 NOV).

Then, The Habibi Collective continues their run of events dedicated to FILM COLLECTIVES & POLITICAL LIBERATION at The Castle Cinema (20 NOV – see SEASONS for details), and World Wide Weird! presents an evening dedicated to Sergio Martino that’s also raising funds for MacMillan Cancer Support (also 20 NOV). Those glorious people at Ciné-Real 16mm Film Club celebrate their 10th Anniversary of – occasionally precarious – original format screenings with SUNSET BOULEVARD at The Castle (21, 25 & 28 NOV) – Happy birthday boys! No Bollox Film Club presents Bergman’s AUTUMN SONATA also at The Castle, Tufnell Park Film Club presents legendary Rolling Stones doc GIMME SHELTER, and Wimbledon Film Club make their contribution to the Ukrainian Film Festival with a special screening of Agnieszka Holland’s MR. JONES (all 23 NOV).

Other value-added screenings that have caught our magpie eyes this week include FUNERAL PARADE OF ROSES with an intro and free shot of sake at Riverside Studios (20 NOV), THE AMERICAN SECTOR with directors Q&A as part Architecture On Film at Barbican (23 NOV), Soviet sci-fi silent AELITA: QUEEN OF MARS with Juliet Merchant performing her new score at Ciné Lumière (25 NOV), and Nick Walker soothing away your trauma with a post-screening discussion of SALÒ, OR THE 120 DAYS OF SODOM at Genesis (also 25 NOV).

Film festivals wrapping this week include EFG London Jazz Festival (12 to 21 NOV), From Venice To London (18 to 22 NOV), Irish Film Festival London (17 to 21 NOV), London Korean Film Festival (04 to 19 NOV), Native Spirit Festival (12 OCT to 20 NOV), and Ocean Film Festival (16 to 24 NOV). Festivals joining our listings this week include Frames Of Representation (25 NOV to 04 DEC), London Migration Film Festival (25 NOV to 01 DEC), and Ukrainian Film Festival (22 NOV to 06 DEC). See FILM FESTIVALS for all the links.

Three gala/special presentations from this year’s BFI LFF get their general releases this week: Jane Campion’s THE POWER OF THE DOG, Reinaldo Marcus Green’s KING RICHARD, and Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s DRIVE MY CAR. The only one of these I’ve seen (so far…) is the Campion film which was one of my absolute highlights of LFF2021 and a film I can’t wait to see again (for reasons of its gorgeous score, stunning visuals and, well, spoilers…). A rare season of Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s work also starts this week with CLOSE-UP ON RYÛSUKE at Close-Up (from 19 NOV). For some reason Céline Sciamma’s PETITE MAMAN was more plainly presented at LFF (in their ‘Love’ strand), but the TOMBOY director’s latest certainly seems to have found the attention it deserves since… The other significant release this week – with a regular run at the Prince Charles and a few recorded Q&A screenings across town (24 NOV) – is surely a ‘director’s cut’ that very few people were asking for…? The ROCKY IV clamour had certainly passed us by… See GRIND SHOWS for details.

For our Featured Attraction of the Week we’re heading back to The Prince Charles to welcome the return of two of London’s most inspiring exponents of 35mm. If I wasn’t away celebrating my Mum’s 80th (Happy birthday Mum!), I’d already be powering-up my busker’s battered sound system amidst the preternatural scrum of Leicester Square to celebrate their return… First up, after a two-year hiatus, The Badlands Collective presents William Wyler’s THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (21 NOV), “winner of seven Oscars, including Best Picture [and] to this date, one of the top ten UK box office champs in terms of tickets sold”. Then, The Celluloid Sorceress concludes her “alternative trilogy celebrating the early superstardom of BACK TO THE FUTURE’s Michael J. Fox” with a truly special screening of DOC HOLLYWOOD complete with Q&A with director Michael Caton-Jones (25 NOV). You really can’t ask for more than that!

See you in the darkness,

Richard // RADIANT CIRCUS

THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES 35mm d. William Wyler, 1946 presented by The Badlands Collective at The Prince Charles (21 NOV 12:25).

  • “Made shortly after the end of World War II, THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES follows three servicemen as they return home from overseas and attempt to re-integrate into the new normal of a changed society, while struggling with the physical and psychological trauma of war.”

DOC HOLLYWOOD 35mm d. Michael Caton-Jones, 1991 + Q&A with the director presented by The Celluloid Sorceress at The Prince Charles (25 NOV 18:00).

  • “Benjamin Stone is on his way to L.A. where he is going to make big bucks as a plastic surgeon. But when he takes a detour through a small town he finds himself attached to the place and people there.”

FRIDAY 19 NOV

  • Black Ink Cinema: Surprise Screening at Genesis Cinema (19 NOV 20:30).
  • BLOW-UP d. Michelangelo Antonioni, 1966 presented by Crofton Park Pictures at Rivoli Ballroom (19 NOV 19:30).
  • But Where Are You Really From? short film programme + spoken word performance presented by T A P E Collective at Screen25 Cinema at Harris Academy South Norwood (19 NOV 19:45).
  • KING RICHARD d. Reinaldo Marcus Green, 2021 + Panel discussion with Jaydee Dyer, Marvin Sordell, Nina Malone & More at Genesis Cinema (19 NOV 20:00).

ONLINE

SATURDAY 20 NOV

  • BLACK RETROSPECTIVE AT THE RIO fund-raising event for The Liberation Movement at The Rio Cinema (20 NOV 15:30).
  • Double-bill: INDEPENDENCE DAY + MEN IN BLACK d. Roland Emmerich, 1996 + Barry Levinson, 1997 at Riverside Studios (20 NOV 14:45).
  • DUCK SOUP d. Leo McCarey, 1933 at The Prince Charles (20 NOV 12:15).
  • FUNERAL PARADE OF ROSES d. Toshio Matsumoto, 1953 + Recorded intro by Jasper Sharp at Riverside Studios (20 NOV 14:00 – Free Japanese sake taster!).
  • MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND d. Brian Henson, 1996 at The Prince Charles (20 NOV 12:30).
  • PIRATES d. Reggie Yates, 2021 + Q&A with the director & actors Elliot Edusah, Jordan Peters & Reda Elazouar at BFI Southbank (20 NOV 20:40).
  • Sergio Martino in Action! presented by World Wide Weird! Talk by Eugenio Ercolani + double bill: SILENT ACTION (1975) + 2019: AFTER THE FALL OF NEW YORK (1983) at The King & Queen (20 NOV 18:30 – FREE/ Donation requested for MacMillan Cancer Support).
  • SOUND OF METAL d. Darius Marder, 2019 at The David Lean (20 NOV 14:00).

SUNDAY 21 NOV

MONDAY 22 NOV

TUESDAY 23 NOV

  • THE AMERICAN SECTOR d. Courtney Stephens & Pacho Velez, 2020 + Q&A with the directors & Dr Martin Brady at Barbican (23 NOV 19:00) / Part of Architecture on Film.
  • AUTUMN SONATA d. Ingmar Bergman, 1978 presented by No Bollox Film Club at The Castle Cinema (23 NOV 19:00).
  • THE FATHER d. Florian Zeller, 2020 at Whirled Cinema (23 NOV 20:00).
  • GIMME SHELTER d. Albert Maysles, David Maysles & Charlotte Zwerin, 1970 presented by Tufnell Park Film Club at The Lord Palmerston (23 NOV 20:00).
  • LAST NIGHT IN SOHO d. Edgar Wright, 2021 at The David Lean (23 NOV 19:30).
  • MR. JONES d. Agnieszka Holland, 2019 presented by Wimbledon Film Club + Q&A with Dr. Daria Mattingley at Curzon Wimbledon (23 NOV 20:30) / Part of Ukrainian Film Festival.
  • NEVER GONNA SNOW AGAIN d. Małgorzata Szumowska & Michał Englert, 2020 at The David Lean (23 NOV 14:30).

WEDNESDAY 24 NOV

THURSDAY 25 NOV

  • A BOUT DE SOUFFLE aka Breathless d. Jean-Luc Godard, 1960 presented by Highgate Film Society at Highgate Literary & Scientific Institution (25 NOV 20:00).
  • AELITA: QUEEN OF MARS d. Yakov Protazanov, 1924 + Live performance of Juliet Merchant’s new score at Ciné Lumière (25 NOV 19:00).
  • DOC HOLLYWOOD 35mm d. Michael Caton-Jones, 1991 + Q&A with the director presented by The Celluloid Sorceress at The Prince Charles (25 NOV 18:00).
  • DYING TO DIVORCE d. Chloe Fairweather, 2021 + Q&A with producer Sinead Kirwan & guests at Picturehouse Hackney (25 NOV 18:30).
  • INTO YOUR LIGHT d. Tara Darby & The Fandangoe Kid + Q&A with the filmmakers at Crossrail Place E14 (25 NOV 19:00 – Donation requested).
  • LAST NIGHT IN SOHO d. Edgar Wright, 2021 at The David Lean (25 NOV 19:30).
  • SALÒ, OR THE 120 DAYS OF SODOM d. Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1975 + Intro/Salon with Nick Walker presented by Cult Classic Collective at Genesis Cinema (25 NOV 18:15).
  • SHONGRAM d. Munsur Ali, 2019 at Kiln Theatre (25 NOV 19:00).
  • SOUND OF METAL d. Darius Marder, 2019 at The David Lean (25 NOV 14:30).
  • Ciné-Real 10th Anniversary: SUNSET BOULEVARD 16mm d. Billy Wilder, 1950 at The Castle Cinema (25 NOV 19:30).
  • TALES FROM THE HOOD 35mm d. Rusty Cundieff, 1995 at BFI Southbank (25 NOV 20:40).

ONLINE

35MM PRESENTATIONS at The Prince Charles

100 YEARS: SIMONE SIGNORET, THE POLITICAL STAR – PART I at Ciné Lumière

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): THE CONFESSION aka L’Aveu d. Costa-Gavras, 1970 (21 NOV 14:45 / 23 NOV 17:45).

2007: A VINTAGE YEAR FOR CINEMAat The Prince Charles

ARNIE CLASSICS at The Prince Charles

BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: WATCHING THE DETECTIVES at BFI Southbank

BRIAN DE PALMA at The Prince Charles 

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): CARLITO’S WAY d. Brian De Palma, 1993 (22 NOV 20:30).

CLOSE-UP ON RYÛSUKE at Close-Up

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): PASSION d. Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, 2008 (19 NOV 20:15); THE DEPTHS d. Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, 2010 (20 NOV 20:15); INTIMACIES d. Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, 2012 (21 NOV 18:00).

CRUISE CONTROL at Picturehouse Finsbury Park

EDGAR WRIGHT’S LONDON AFTER DARK at BFI Southbank

EXPERIENCE THE FLAVOURS OF JAPAN at Picturehouse Cinemas

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): THRONE OF BLOOD aka Kumonosu-jô d. Akira Kurosawa, 1957 (21 NOV various / 25 NOV various).

FILM COLLECTIVES & POLITICAL LIBERATION IN THE UK (1963–2020) at The Castle Cinema 

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): BHANGARA JIG d. Pratibha Parmar, 1990, WHO TAKES THE RAP: IMMIGRATION d. Women + The Law Collective, 1986, YOU’ll NEVER WALK ALONE d. WiTCH, 1984 + BITTER WAGES d. The Woman and Work Hazards Group, 1984 (20 NOV 16:00).
  • Programmed by The Habibi Collective.

THE FILMS OF PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON at The Prince Charles

THE FILMS OF QUENTIN TARANTINO at The Prince Charles

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): PULP FICTION 35mm d. Quentin Tarantino, 1994 (20 NOV 20:15).

IN FOCUS: RADU JUDE at ICA

JAPAN 2021 at BFI Southbank

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): Japanese Film Posters: An Illustrated Talk by Hidenori Okada (19 NOV 13:00 – FREE online event); YOJIMBO d. Akira Kurosawa, 1961 + Inside Cinema: Akira Kurosawa (19 NOV 14:30); GODZILLA aka Gojira d. Ishirô Honda, 1954 (19 NOV 18:15 / 23 NOV 20:40); ONIBABA 35mm d. Kaneto Shindô, 1964 (19 NOV 20:50); AN ACTOR’S REVENGE 4k d. Kon Ichikawa, 1963 (20 NOV 12:15); EARLY SPRING 4k aka Sôshun d. Yasujirô Ozu, 1956 (20 NOV 14:50 / 23 NOV 17:40); TOKYO OLYMPIAD aka Tôkyô orinpikku d. Kon Ichikawa, 1964 (20 NOV 16:40 / 24 NOV 18:40); EARLY SUMMER 4k aka Bakushû d. Yasujirô Ozu, 1951 (21 NOV 11:30); LOVE LETTER 35mm aka Koibumi d. Kinuyo Tanaka, 1953 + Intro by Irene González-López, co-editor of Tanaka Kinuyo: Nation, Stardom and Female Subjectivity (21 NOV 14:40); TOKYO STORY 4k aka Tôkyô monogatari d. Yasujirô Ozu, 1953 (21 NOV 17:20); AN INN AT OSAKA 35mm aka Ôsaka no yado d. Heinosuke Gosho, 1954 + Recorded intro by Professor Hiroshi Kitamura (21 NOV 18:00); SEVEN SAMURAI aka Shichinin no Samurai d. Akira Kurosawa, 1954 (24 NOV 13:15); MARITAL RELATIONS 35mm d. Shirô Toyoda, 1955 + Recorded intro by Professor Hideaki Fujiki (25 NOV 18:00).

JEAN-PAUL BELMONDO LE MAGNIFIQUE at Ciné Lumière

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): PIERROT LE FOU d. Jean-Luc Godard, 1965 (25 NOV 18:15); L’HOMME DE RIO aka That Man from Rio d. Philippe de Broca, 1964 (25 NOV 20:30).

MIKE LEIGH at BFI Southbank 

  • Includes (check venue for listings): ANOTHER YEAR d. Mike Leigh, 2010 + Q&A with the director, Ruth Sheen & Lesley Manville (19 NOV 17:30); FOUR DAYS IN JULY d. Mike Leigh, 1985 + Q&A with the director & Bríd Brennan (20 NOV 11:50); PETERLOO d. Mike Leigh, 2018 + Q&A with the director & cinematographer Dick Pope (20 NOV 16:20); HIGH HOPES d. Mike Leigh, 1998 (20 NOV 20:30); MR. TURNER d. Mike Leigh, 2014 + Q&A with the director, Marion Bailey & Dorothy Atkinson (21 NOV 13:10); ALL OR NOTHING 4k d. Mike Leigh, 2002 + Q&A with Q&A with the director, Lesley Manville & Marion Bailey (21 NOV 17:10); CAREER GIRLS d. Mike Leigh, 1997 + Q&A with the director (23 NOV 18:00); LIFE IS SWEET d. Mike Leigh, 1990 (23 NOV 20:50); FOUR DAYS IN JULY d. Mike Leigh, 1985 (24 NOV 14:15).

MIKE LEIGH’S CHOICES at BFI Southbank

MOVIE MARATHONS at The Prince Charles

THE WORLD OF WONG KAR WAI at The Prince Charles

  • Includes (check venue for listings): CHUNGKING EXPRESS d. Wong Kar Wai, 1994 (19 to 25 NOV).
DRIVE MY CAR aka Doraibu mai kâ d. Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, 2021.
This is a film still from PETITE MAMAN d. Céline Sciamma, 2021.
PETITE MAMAN d. Céline Sciamma, 2021.
THE POWER OF THE DOG d. Jane Campion, 2021.

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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. //.