THE BALLY #141: What to see in London this week [18 to 24 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! Let me guide you to your seat…

The Gothique Society presents another of their signature Friday double-bills with a couple of “homegrown thrillers”, SPACEWAYS + THE SHADOW OF THE CAT at The Cinema Museum, EFN offers a ‘Best of’ Screening & Networking Event at the soon-to-open to the public Garden Cinema, and Black Ink Cinema invites you to gather for a social and screening of TWO CAN PLAY THAT GAME at Genesis (all 18 FEB). 

Women & Cocaine will totally make your Saturday with their presentation of SUSAN LENOX at The Cinema Museum, featuring the “divine [Greta] Garbo, a woman who’s portrayal of love and sacrifice makes every other human emotion or endeavour seem trivial” (19 FEB). On Sunday, Ciné-Real 16mm Film Club starts their latest trio of screenings at The Castle with Les Blank’s legendary doc about an infamous film shoot, BURDEN OF DREAMS, and Deeper Into Movies presents reunion concert recording VELVET UNDERGROUND LIVE MCMXCIII at Moth Club (both 20 FEB).

On Tuesday, Wimbledon Film Club continues their excellent season with Ben Sharrock’s LIMBO (including a recorded intro from the director), and We Are Black Journos introduce LINGUI, THE SACRED BONDS at Genesis (both 22 FEB). Migration Film Festival team up with Goethe-Institut for an in-venue and online screening of Burhan Qurbani’s BERLIN ALEXANDERPLATZ, John Sweeney provides the live piano accompaniment for Kennington Bioscope’s CHICAGO at The Cinema Museum, and Austrian Cultural Forum continues their LGBT History Month with a free presentation of Evi Romen’s WHY NOT YOU (all 23 FEB). Thursday 24 FEB goes nuts… you’d expect me to choose the Terror Vision screening of Wes Craven’s THE PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS at BFI, but do check the full day’s listings for all your amazing options. 

Now that 2022 is well underway, we’re starting to see more new seasons emerge. This week, THE FILMS OF PATRICK WANG happens at ICA whilst FASHION & CINEMA: THE ALLURE OF THE REBEL gets started at Ciné Lumière. Elsewhere, HOMELAND: FILMS BY AUSTRALIAN FIRST NATIONS DIRECTORS concludes at Barbican, whilst both ESSENTIAL CINEMA at Close-Up and BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: LGBT HISTORY MONTHat BFI continue to celebrate exceptional moving pictures. There’s so much that’s wonderful on-screen at The Prince Charles but I feel the need to highlight another absolute favourite, THE DEVIL’S BACKBONE aka El espinazo del diablo, as part of their GUILLERMO DEL TORO showcase. See SEASONS for all the details. 

London’s been a little short of festivals of late, but several have announced their programmes for next month, including: Cinema Made in Italy (03 to 07 MAR); Nordic Focus Film Festival (12 MAR); BFI Flare (16 to 27 MAR); and, Essay Film Festival (19 MAR to 23 APR). This week, BFI Future Film Festival continues (17 to 20 FEB, NB: ages 16 to 25 only!), and the Kendal Mountain Festival Tour returns to the city (22 FEB).

In this week’s new releases, a 65min concert chunk of Peter Jackson’s epic BEATLES doc gets assorted engagements, with some venues taking it for the full week, others for just a couple of screenings: follow the link to your favourite venues for options. I also really like the look of Stacey Gregg’s HERE BEFORE which opens at Curzon Cinemas, and THE REAL CHARLIE CHAPLIN which gets a wider release. Jane Campion’s THE POWER OF THE DOG continues its 35mm run at The Prince Charles and, for fans of LICORICE PIZZA, the film gets a limited 35mm engagement at the Rio.

My Featured Attraction of the Week is Tufnell Park Film Club’s presentation of “revisionist Western” and Sidney Poitier’s directorial debut (he helmed 9 features in total…), BUCK & THE PREACHER (22 FEB).

See you in the darkness, and stay safe.

Richard // RADIANT CIRCUS

BUCK & THE PREACHER d. Sidney Poitier, 1972 in tribute to Sidney Poitier presented by Tufnell Park Film Club at The Lord Palmerston (22 FEB 20:00):

“Sidney Poitier’s directorial debut is a revisionist Western that sees him paired for the first time with equally legendary Harry Belafonte.”

“Poitier stars as Buck, an ex-Union Army Cavalry sergeant who becomes a scout for freed slaves heading to the Colorado frontier. Tagging along with him are his wife (Ruby Dee in a scene-stealing performance) and a Bible-thumping con artist known as the Preacher (Belafonte). Attacked by racist bounty hunters determined to return the former slaves to a life of sharecropping in Louisiana, Buck and his followers must summon all the courage they have in order to reach their destination and help settle the Wild West.”

“A refreshing change from many typical Western tropes and a testament to Poitier’s ongoing desire to shake up the Hollywood status quo.” (Tufnell Park Film Club)

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Full daily listings in this week’s SCREEN GUIDE.

THE FILMS OF PATRICK WANG at ICA

• Includes (check venue for full listings): THE BREAD FACTORY PART ONE: FOR THE SAKE OF GOLD d. Patrick Wang, 2018 (19 FEB 14:45); THE BREAD FACTORY PART TWO: WALK WITH ME A WHILE d. Patrick Wang, 2018 (20 FEB 14:45); THE GRIEF OF OTHERS d. Patrick Wang, 2015 (22 FEB 20:40); IN THE FAMILY d. Patrick Wang, 2011 (24 FEB 20:35).

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

• BFI Future Film Festival (17 to 20 FEB – Ages 16 to 25 only).
• Kendal Mountain Festival Tour (22 FEB).

More new releases in this week’s SCREEN GUIDE.

• 
  Sine Screen presents Vulnerable Histories at Close-Up & The Garden Cinema (19 to 26 AUG 2023)
• 
  Lost Reels presents 16mm & 35mm screenings at The Cinema Museum & ICA (19 & 31 AUG 2023)
• 
  The Duke Mitchell Film Club presents DukeFest 2023: A Brave New World (13 to 16 AUG 2023)
• 
  Cinema Mentiré launches with OLHAR PERIFERICO season (AUG 2023)

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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. //.