THE BALLY #139: What to see in London this week [04 to 10 FEB 2022]

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

Welcome to another screen week! Bringing you right up to speed, we’ve published our latest epic monthly roundup with comprehensive coverage of London’s new rep seasons for February (we haven’t spotted any new festivals at this stage…). 

It’s LGBT History Month and BFI has dedicated large swathes of screen estate via the medium of their BIG SCREEN CLASSICS to celebrate. Also at BFI, THE ABC OF ASTA NIELSEN is an absolute gem of a season programmed by Pamela Hutchinson that will introduce you to “silent cinema’s Danish diva”. The other big opener is WHAT LIES BENEATH, a study of the “dark mind in Japanese cinema” and the 19th Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme. From “crime films to charming dramas”, these 20 titles embrace a wide range of cinematic styles and influences, turning the ICA into a Japanese multiplex for two weeks.

We chose HOMELAND: FILMS BY AUSTRALIAN FIRST NATIONS DIRECTORS at Barbican as our Featured Attraction Of The Month, “a thrilling selection of the very best movies by Indigenous Australian filmmakers from the last three decades”.

In this week’s film club offerings, Kung Fu Cinema kicks open your weekend with a screening of Sammo Hung’s THE PRODIGAL SON aka Baai ga jai proceeded by gaming and music in the bar at Genesis (04 FEB). On the same evening, Lambeth Libraries presents a free screening and discussion of REBEL DYKES at Clapham Library (also 04 FEB but looking ‘sold out’ at the time of posting…). 

Brace yourself for a busy Tuesday: Twickenham Cinema Club returns with Nicholas Ray’s IN A LONELY PLACE at The Venue, Heatham House; Tufnell Park Film Club screens their tribute to Peter Bogdanovich with PAPER MOON at The Lord Palmerston; Wimbledon Film Club presents Céline Sciamma’s TOMBOY for LGBT History month at Curzon Wimbledon; and, Double Wonderful presents their first playlist programme VG High-Score + s01e03 at Venue MOT (all 08 FEB).

Wrap your indie screen week on Thursday (10 FEB) with Crofton Park Pictures‘ pop-up double-bill of BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S and A STAR IS BORN (2018) at Rivoli Ballroom, or you can embrace the fluffy pink puppy madness of DIAMANTINO from Jellied Reels at The Castle Cinema. Also on Thursday, Austrian Cultural Forum presents a FREE screening of MÄDCHEN IN UNIFORM which they’re pairing with Evi Romen’s WHY NOT YOU aka Hochwald (23 FEB) for LGBT History Month .

In special screenings, Close-Up presents a deep dive into Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s MEMORIA with a recorded Q&A and the launch of a new book about the film (05 FEB). Chiswick Cinema and Picturehouse are the only indies we’ve spotted carrying the B&W version of Guillermo del Toro’s latest, NIGHTMARE ALLEY: VISIONS OF DARKNESS AND LIGHT (various dates). The Lexi Cinema has a tribute screening of GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER for the late Sidney Poitier (06 FEB).

I’ve chosen Mamoru Hosoda’s anime BELLE, Michael Showalter’s THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE, and Joanna Hogg’s THE SOUVENIR PART II as my new releases of the week. BELLE screens in both subtitled and dubbed versions, so check what’s screening with your venue of choice. You can catch Joanna Hogg giving good Q&A about her film this weekend at Picturehouse Central (05 FEB) and Everyman Belsize Park (06 FEB).

I’ve chosen Ko Nakahira’s 1964 film THE HUNTER’S DIARY which projects from 35mm as part of WHAT LIES BENEATH at ICA (06 FEB) as my featured attraction of the week. Simply because it sounds so fascinating.

See you in the darkness, and stay safe.

Richard // RADIANT CIRCUS

THE HUNTER’S DIARY 35mm d. Ko Nakahira, 1964 (06 FEB 18:10) / Part of WHAT LIES BENEATH: THE INTRICATE REPRESENTATIONS OF A ‘DARK MIND’ IN JAPANESE CINEMA at ICA.

“Misogynist and philanderer Ichiro Honda (Noboru Nakaya) has an insatiable sexual appetite which is not being satisfied by his distant wife whom he only really sees on weekends. While he is away from Osaka for work, his time is spent living a double life in Tokyo, filling his nights with consecutive sexual conquests, the details of which he meticulously records in his ‘hunter’s diary’. One day, he reads about the murder of a woman in the paper; she is one of his previous ‘preys’. A few days later, another such woman dies in mysterious circumstances. Suddenly, a string of women he has bedded start dropping like flies in a calculated killing spree, with Ichiro as the only suspect.

Adapting a novel written by Masako Togawa, who portrays the role of the deceived wife, silver screen master Ko Nakahira (Plants from the Dune) directs this stylish suspense drama which we are happy to present in glorious 35mm format.” (Japan Foundation)

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FRIDAY

THE PRODIGAL SON aka Baai ga jai d. Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, 1981 + Games & music in the bar presented by Kung Fu Cinema at Genesis Cinema (04 FEB 20:00+).

SATURDAY

HOUSE OF HUMMINGBIRD aka Beolsae d. Kim Bora, 2018 (05 FEB 20:20) / Part of SEEN & HEARD at BFI Southbank.

SUNDAY

THE HUNTER’S DIARY 35mm d. Ko Nakahira, 1964 (06 FEB 18:10) / Part of WHAT LIES BENEATH: THE INTRICATE REPRESENTATIONS OF A ‘DARK MIND’ IN JAPANESE CINEMA at ICA.

This is a film still from DUNE d. Denis Villeneuve, 2021.

MONDAY

DUNE d. Denis Villeneuve, 2021 at Whirled Cinema (07 FEB 20:00 / 08 FEB 20:00 / 09 FEB 20:00 / 13 FEB 17:00).

This is a film still from TOMBOY d. Céline Sciamma, 2011.

TUESDAY

TOMBOY d. Céline Sciamma, 2011 + Short: BEAUTIFUL d. Emma Frayne-Ford + Intro presented by Wimbledon Film Club & Free2B for LGBT History Month at Curzon Wimbledon (08 FEB 20:30).

This is a film still from GO FISH dir Rose Troche 1994.

WEDNESDAY

GO FISH 35mm d. Rose Troche, 1994 (09 FEB 20:40) / Part of BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: LGBT HISTORY MONTH at BFI Southbank.

This is a film still from DIAMANTINO dir Daniel Schmidt & Gabriel Abrantes, 2018

THURSDAY

DIAMANTINO d. Daniel Schmidt & Gabriel Abrantes, 2018 + Surprise Short presented by Jellied Reels at The Castle Cinema (10 FEB 21:00).

Full daily listings in this week’s SCREEN GUIDE.
LIFE: UNTITLED (2019), part of WHAT LIES BENEATH at ICA (04 to 13 FEB 2022).

WHAT LIES BENEATH: THE INTRICATE REPRESENTATIONS OF A ‘DARK MIND’ IN JAPANESE CINEMA at ICA 

More rep seasons listed in this week’s SCREEN GUIDE.

BELLE aka Ryû to sobakasu no hime d. Mamoru Hosoda, 2021.

THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE d. Michael Showalter, 2021.

THE SOUVENIR PART II d. Joanna Hogg, 2021.

More new releases in this week’s SCREEN GUIDE.

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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. //.