THE BALLY #151: What to see in London this week [29 APR to 05 MAY 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 a new screen week! I’ll try not to step on your toes as I head to my seat…

This week’s Screen Guide is a bit late because I was working on a new epic roundup for May. Strong festival openings this month include ICA’s Frames Of Representation, Queer East Film Festival, and Tongues On Fire’s UK Asian Film Festival. In terms of seasons, I think a lot of the excitement this month hails from Anna Bogutskaya’s exhibition of CRUEL FLESH at BFI, examining the films of the ‘New French Extremity’ movement. Which is also my Featured Attraction of the Month.

Other new season openings this week include, BFI’s RETURN OF THE OUTSIDER: THE FILMS OF MIKE HODGES, CELEBRATING SIDNEY POITIER at The Garden Cinema, a return to ESSENTIAL CINEMA at Close-Up (including a RADIANT CIRCUS favourite, John Waters’ MULTIPLE MANIACS), and a season of venue staff favourites, CULTITUDE, at Catford Mews (of which my pick of the bunch would be Walter Hill’s THE WARRIORS). Whilst it might not quite seem warm enough, Rooftop Film Club returns to skylines in Peckham and Stratford East this week. And don’t forget, Genesis Cinema continues their 23rd birthday celebrations with a season where every film is £2.50 (including some from 35mm!) and ticket holders can also get a pint of Truman’s from the bar for the same price. Which is a reason to celebrate.

In Film Clubs and other indie special events, start your weekend with CABARET at Stow Film Lounge, DUNE at Newham Community Cinema, or EAST IS EAST c/o Film Scope at The Yellow (all 29 APR). The Young Programmers at Barbican present BIG NIGHT on Saturday (30 APR), and there’s another few chances to see our featured attraction from last week (minus the special features), HESTER STREET, at Curzon Bloomsbury (from 30 APR). Ciné-Real 16mm Film Club returns to The Castle Cinema with THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS 16mm, and The Vito Project LGBTQ+ Film Club continue their season Re-Opening The Celluloid Closet with TEA & SYMPATHY at The Cinema Museum (both 01 MAY). There’s also a very special Sunday screening of 1915 film FILIBUS with a live electronic score by Sam Enthoven and Arkadiusz Potyka at ArtHouse Crouch End (also 01 MAY). I would mention the FREE screening of THE SPARKS BROTHERS at the new Triangle LGBTQ+ Cultural Centre in Deptford, but that’s already ‘sold out’!

Start your regular week with Werner Herzog’s FAMILY ROMANCE LLC at Whirled Cinema (from 02 MAY), or see THE FRENCH DISPATCH with Deeper Into Movies if you’re Wes Anderson inclined… On Tuesday, Double Wonderful showcase a new work by Johnny Clyde, DO YOU REMEMBER DREAMING? at Venue MOT, Fringe! and MUBI present GREAT FREEDOMat Genesis followed by a Q&A with the Bent Bars Project, and No Bollocks Film Club projects SMALL BODY at The Castle (all 03 MAY). Heading into the home straight, Kennington Bioscope delivers the silent cinema goods with GREATER THAN LOVE at The Cinema Museum, and there may or may not be a few tickets left for the EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCEpreview + Q&A with the Daniels at BFI Southbank (both 04 MAY). Then, let your week come to a premature rest (and grab yourself a tote full of merch!) with WEEKEND projected by 6876 and Rebel Reel Cine Club at Archway Tavern (05 MAY).

I’m making new release WE’RE ALL GOING TO THE WORLD’S FAIR directed by Jane Schoenbrun my Featured Attraction of the Week (and I’m just hoping I get on with it better than I did DASHCAM…). Other new releases this week include Nabil Ayouch’s CASABLANCA BEATS and wildlife doc THE VELVET QUEEN by Marie Amiguet and Vincent Munier. As usual, there’s a fascinating clutch of micro/exclusive engagements on offer at specialist venues across town, so do make sure you scroll all the way down.

See you in the darkness, and stay safe.

Richard // RADIANT CIRCUS

WE’RE ALL GOING TO THE WORLD’S FAIR dir. Jane Schoenbrun, 2021 at: Barbican / BFI / Curzon Cinemas / Rio Cinema.

“A refreshingly original look at the anxieties of the internet age from writer-director Jane Schoenbrun is a daring and exciting debut from both the filmmaker and actor Anna Cobb who gives a mercurial tour-de-force performance as teenage vlogger Casey.”

“Adolescent Casey escapes from a mundane and lonely reality to immerse herself in the uncertain world of mysterious online role-playing game ‘The World’s Fair.’ Guided by the unsolicited guidance of a middle-aged man, she begins to lose herself between dream and reality…”

“Deliberately ambiguous to the last frame, WE’RE ALL GOING TO THE WORLD’S FAIR is a haunting amalgamation of the creepy, the absurd, and the bizarre that cleverly combines a tender coming of age story with glimpses of the existential hell beneath its mysterious, disturbing and consistently surprising surface.”

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Full daily listings in this week’s SCREEN GUIDE.

CRUEL FLESH: FILMS OF THE NEW FRENCH EXTREMITY at BFI Southbank

• Includes (check venue for full listings): CARNE 35mm + LA BOUCHE DE JEAN-PIERRE d. Gaspar Noé, 1991 + Lucile Hadžihalilović, 1996 (01 MAY 11:50); BAISE-MOI d. Virginie Despentes, Coralie Trinh Thi, 2000 (01 MAY 18:20); THE ORDEAL 35mm aka Calvaire d. Fabrice du Welz, 2004 (02 MAY 12:30); MAN BITES DOG 35mm aka C’est arrivé près de chez vous d. Benoît Poelvoorde, André Bonzel & Rémy Belvaux, 1992 (02 MAY 15:10); TROUBLE EVERY DAY 35mm d. Claire Denis, 2001 + Intro by Sophie Monks Kaufman (03 MAY 20:30); CRIMINAL LOVERS 35mm aka Les Amants criminels d. François Ozon, 1999 (04 MAY 20:50); POLA X 35mm d. Leos Carax, 1999 (05 MAY 20:25).
• Focus on: Gaspar Noé: I STAND ALONE 35mm aka Seul contre tous d. Gaspar Noé, 1998 (01 MAY 18:10); IRREVERSIBLE: THE STRAIGHT CUT d. Gaspar Noé, 2002 (02 MAY 18:30).
• Talks etc: Sex and Death, but Make It Arthouse illustrated talk by Anna Bogutskaya (03 MAY 18:10).

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

• Frames Of Representation (05 to 12 MAY).
• UK Asian Film Festival (04 to 15 MAY 2022).
• Unrestricted View Film Festival (25 APR to 01 MAY).
• Women Of The Lens Film Festival (23 & 30 APR).

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. //.