THE BALLY #120: What to see in London this week [03 to 09 SEP 2021]

Welcome to THE BALLY where we help you find what to see in London this week across DIY, indie & alternative cinema events, online, outdoors & in venues.

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

And we’re back…!

This week continues to fall into that quieter time with fewer indie exhibitors operating beyond venues. But that still leaves some amazing gems to be enjoyed. New rep seasons continue to open with THE TIME IS NEW: SELECTIONS FROM CONTEMPORARY ARAB CINEMA and a packed weekend of THE FILMS OF SAINT ETIENNEjoining the September lineup at BFI Southbank. Elsewhere you can find IN FOCUS: RENATE SAMI at Goethe-Institut, NO BASS LIKE HOME at Lexi Cinema, ELLIOTT GOULD IN THE SEVENTIES at The Prince Charles, and ESSENTIAL CINEMA at Close-Up. Find everything listed and linked in our SEASONS section.

Continuing film festivals this week include CASA Festival (01 to 29 SEP) and Open City Documentary Festival (08 to 14 SEP in venues / 13 to 23 SEP online). Opening nights include Crystal Palace International Film Festval (09 SEP to 02 OCT) and Peckham & Nunhead Free Film Festival (09 to 19 SEP). Sci-Fi-Londonreturns to setting their 48hr Film Challenge (04 to 06 SEP), with the full festival in October (19 to 24 OCT). 

Even though it’s a quiet week, we’re delighted to welcome two new DIY film exhibitors to our listings. Double Wonderful are determined to shake London’s indie scene up a bit, starting with their screening of 0S & 1S at Venue MOT Unit 18 (07 SEP). Then Jellied Reels starts a new series of surprise and special screenings at The Castle Cinema with A WONDERFUL CLOUD (09 SEP). Both film screenings feature live appearances from their directors. If you’re looking to turn the volume up a little, Baby Lame’s latest extravaganza SHOWGIRLS LIVE! at Rio Cinema should blow your cobwebs off… (09 SEP).

Of course, RADIANT CIRCUS exists to get excited about DIY screen events, so we’re spectacularly excited to announce that our Featured Attraction of the Week is Zodiac Film Club’s presentation of Jane Campion’s “criminally under-screened erotic thriller” IN THE CUT at Mama Shelter (07 SEP 18:30+). The screening launches our Revive The Dark initiative and is the first event to be supported with funds from our monthly subscribers at Patreon. We hope you’ll be able to join us to celebrate the power of DIY, diverse and distinctive cinema.

See you in the darkness,

Richard // RADIANT CIRCUS

IN THE CUT d. Jane Campion, 2003 + Intro presented by Zodiac Film Club at Mama Shelter E2 (07 SEP 18:30+) / Part of Revive The Dark.

• “When a body is discovered in her back garden, English teacher Frannie (Meg Ryan) meets Detective Malloy (Mark Ruffalo) and is drawn from her introverted world of language, observation and sisterly bonds to one of sex, danger and emotional ambivalence. The steamy, softly lit older sister to Campion’s blockbuster TV show TOP OF THE LAKE, IN THE CUT was dismissed by critics on its release, but has since been reevaluated as a provocative feminist masterpiece.”
• Revive The Dark is an audience-backed campaign to promote alternative screen culture in London, powered by funding from monthly subscribers at RADIANT CIRCUS. Together, we are creating an Exhibitor Fund by redirecting 40% of the income we get from monthly fees to sponsor the thing we love: DIY, diverse, distinctive cinema. We are then inviting film exhibitors to pitch for funding to help them return to in-venue screenings after the pandemic. JOIN US!

THE TIME IS NEW: SELECTIONS FROM CONTEMPORARY ARAB CINEMA at BFI Southbank

• Includes (check venue for full listings): THE MAN WHO SOLD HIS SKIN aka L’Homme qui a vendu sa peau d. Kaouther Ben Hania, 2020 + Recorded Q&A with the director (04 SEP 17:40); 200 METERS d. Ameen Nayfeh, 2019 (07 SEP 20:50); AS ABOVE, SO BELOW aka Kama fissamaa’, kathalika ala al-ard d. Sarah Francis, 2020 (08 SEP 20:45).

• CASA Festival (01 to 29 SEP).
• Crystal Palace International Film Festval (09 SEP to 02 OCT).
• Open City Documentary Festival (08 to 14 SEP in venues / 13 to 23 SEP online).
• Peckham & Nunhead Free Film Festival (09 to 19 SEP).
• Sci-Fi-London 48hr Film Challenge (04 to 06 SEP).

RADIANT CIRCUS is powered by monthly subscribers. Get great rewards & help #ReviveTheDark. JOIN US!

*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. //.