This is a film still from SHOOT THE MESSENGER (2006), showing at BFI Southbank (29 July 2021).

JULY 2021: What’s on in London this month

Explore what’s on in London this month with our regular epic roundup of repertory film seasons & festivals, indoors & out.

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

Last week we introduced you to the duelling Tarkovskies, not an imported stage act from the latest series of BGT, but a brace of seasons dedicated to Andrei Tarkovsky at The Prince Charles and the newly reopened Close-Up. Now, with the reopening of the ICA and a new lineup at BFI, we end up with two versions of WONG KAR WAI. They both feature shiny new 4K restorations of some of the maestro’s key works which have only previously been seen on the BFI Player or ICA’s virtual Cinema 3. Both programmes also offer a clutch of 35MM projections to round out his repertoire. Full details below.

If you’ve been following RADIANT CIRCUS for a while, you’ll know that, for us, size isn’t everything… In fact, the bigger the blockbuster, the more anxious we get. Which is why we love a smaller showcase of extraordinary film works, where you can afford (in all meanings…) to follow curators on their journeys into fascinating new worlds. This is why we loved the RETURN TO THE CITY season at Barbican and are so excited about their next one, SPLASH, SCRATCH, DUNK! FILMS MADE BY HAND which gets underway this month (from 08 JUL).

On a similar theme of accessibility, we’re also delighted to see BFI offering multi-buys for Márta Mészáros’ autobiographical DIARY trilogy as part of their brilliant new season dedicated to her works, THE CINEMA OF MÁRTA MÉSZÁROS. It’s the sort of discounting we wish more venues would offer more of the time to help audiences take a deeper dive (without needing equally deep pockets…).

Which brings us to our Featured Attraction Of The Month, T A P E Collective’s BUT WHERE ARE YOU REALLY FROM? which opens at BFI from 01 July. It’s a programme of films and events “celebrating filmmakers who redefine, reject and re-establish identity and heritage labels” and is exactly the sort of accessible showcase for diverse, wide-ranging screen voices we’re in the mood for right now. And if you can’t make it to the BFI Southbank for whatever reason, there should be a complementary collection of shorts and features on BFI Player.

See you in the darkness again soon,

Richard // RADIANT CIRCUS

35MM PRESENTATIONS at The Prince Charles

70MM PRESENTATIONS at The Prince Charles

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): DUNE 70MM d. David Lynch, 1984 (03 JUL 11:40 / 05 JUL 20:30 / 10 JUL 20:30 / 14 JUL 20:30 / 17 JUL 14:30 / 21 JUL 17:25 / 23 JUL 20:45); 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY 70MM d. Stanley Kubrick, 1968 ‘unrestored print’ (28 JUL 20:15).

AGNÈS VARDA SELECTROSPECTIVE at The Prince Charles

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): L’UNE CHANTE, L’AUTRE PAS d. Agnès Varda, 1977 (06 JUL 20:30 / 08 JUL 12:40); VAGABOND aka Sans toit ni loi d. Agnès Varda, 1985 (20 JUL 12:45 / 21 JUL 18:30).

ANDREI TARKOVSKY at The Prince Charles

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): ANDREI RUBLEV 35MM d. Andrei Tarkovsky, 1966 (01 JUL 15:00 / 08 JUL 13:40); IVAN’S CHILDHOOD d. Andrei Tarkovsky, 1962 (03 JUL 15:30); SOLARIS d. Andrei Tarkovsky, 1972 (06 JUL 14:15 / 11 JUL 14:00 & 17:30 / 15 JUL 11:45); MIRROR d. Andrei Tarkovsky, 1975 (25 JUL 14:30 & 17:00 / 28 JUL 12:15).

ANIMA(C)TION at Ciné Lumière

ANIME SCREENINGS at The Prince Charles

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO d. Hayao Miyazaki, 1988 (01 JUL 12:55 – SUB); PAPRIKA d. Satoshi Kon, 2006 (01 JUL 15:30 & 18:45 / 05 JUL 12:30 – SUB); AKIRA d. Katsuhiro Ôtomo, 1988 (02 JUL 12:00 / 04 JUL 20:45 / 07 JUL 12:00 / 12 JUL 13:30); DEMON SLAYER THE MOVIE: MUGEN TRAIN d. Haruo Sotozaki, 2020 (09 JUL 12:45 / 14 JUL 12:00 / 15 JUL 20:45); KIKI’S DELIVERY SERVICE d. Hayao Miyazaki, 1989 (11 JUL 11:30 – SUB); ONLY YESTERDAY d. Isao Takahata, 1991 (18 JUL 11:30 – SUB); PORCO ROSSO d. Hayao Miyazaki, 1992 (25 JUL 12:00 – SUB).

ANNIVERSARY SCREENINGS at The Prince Charles

BEST OF CÉSAR 2021 at Ciné Lumière

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): LA NUIT VENUE aka Night Ride d. Frédéric Farrucci, 2020 (02 JUL 20:35 / 13 JUL 18:25); LOOKING FOR GILLES CARON aka Gilles Caron: Histoire d’un regard d. Mariana Otero, 2020 (03 JUL 18:30 / 07 JUL 18:30); A SON aka Un Fils d. Mehdi Barsaoui, 2020 (03 JUL 20:35); SIMPLY BLACK aka Tout simplement noir d. John Wax & Jean-Pascal Zadi, 2020 (16 JUL 20:35 / 18 JUL 17:20 / 21 JUL 20:35); BYE BYE MORONS aka Adieu les cons d. Albert Dupontel, 2020 (daily 16 to 22 JUL various).

BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: TOGETHERNESS at BFI Southbank (from 01 JUL):

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN aka Bronenosets Potemkin d. Sergei Eisenstein, 1925 at BFI Southbank (01 JUL 14:30 / 15 JUL 18:00 / 24 JUL 11:50); HOPE & GLORY d. John Boorman, 1987 (01 JUL 17:30 / 05 JUL 14:30 / 23 JUL 18:00); CASABLANCA d. Michael Curtiz, 1942 (02 JUL 14:30 / 17 JUL 13:00 / 24 JUL 14:40 / 29 JUL 18:00); ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER aka Todo sobre mi madre d. Pedro Almodóvar, 1999 (02 JUL 20:40 / 06 JUL 20:45 / 10 JUL 21:00 / 22 JUL 14:30); HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY d. John Ford, 1941 (03 JUL 11:30 / 08 JUL 14:15 / 16 JUL 17:50); WILD STRAWBERRIES aka Smultronstället d. Ingmar Bergman, 1957 (03 JUL 18:10 / 05 JUL 20:45 / 11 JUL 12:50 / 27 JUL 14:30); ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN d. Alan J Pakula, 1976 (04 JUL 11:50 / 20 JUL 14:15 / 31 JUL 20:20); REAR WINDOW d. Alfred Hitchcock, 1954 (04 JUL 15:40 / 09 JUL 14:30 / 20 JUL 17:50 / 26 JUL 18:00 / 31 JUL 11:10); THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS 35MM d. Orson Welles, 1942 (05 JUL 20:50 / 25 JUL 15:00); DISTANT VOICES, STILL LIVES 4K d. Terence Davies, 1988 + Recorded Intro by film critic Thirza Wakefield (07 JUL 18:00); 35 SHOTS OF RUM 35MM aka 35 Rhums d. Claire Denis, 2008 (12 JUL 20:45); MAN ABOUT TOWN aka Le Silence est d’or d. René Clair, 1947 (13 JUL 14:15 / 18 JUL 12:30 / 26 JUL 14:20); THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS 35MM d. Orson Welles, 1942 + Recorded Intro by Geoff Andrew, Programmer-at-Large (14 JUL 18:00); DISTANT VOICES, STILL LIVES 4K d. Terence Davies, 1988 (18 JUL 12:45 / 19 JUL 20:50 / 30 JUL 14:30); WILD STRAWBERRIES aka Smultronstället d. Ingmar Bergman, 1957 + Recorded Intro by Geoff Andrew, Programmer-at-Large (21 JUL 18:00); 35 SHOTS OF RUM 35MM aka 35 Rhums d. Claire Denis, 2008 + Recorded Intro by Be Manzini, poet and director of Caramel Film Club (28 JUL 17:40).

BUT WHERE ARE YOU REALLY FROM? presented by T A P E Collective at BFI Southbank (from 01 JUL):

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): EYIMOFE aka This is My Desire d. Arie Esiri & Chuko Esiri, 2020 at BFI Southbank (01 JUL 20:30 / 09 JUL 17:40); BLACK GIRL aka La noire de… d. Ousmane Sembène, 1966 + Short: I BIT MY TONGUE d. Nina Khada, 2020 (03 JUL 11:40 / 12 JUL 18:20); BURNING AN ILLUSION 35MM d. Menelik Shabazz, 1981 + Short: BUT YOU’RE NOT BLACK d. Danielle Ayow, 2019 (03 JUL 14:20 / 08 JUL 17:45); WHILE WE LIVE aka Medan vi lever d. Dani Kouyaté, 2016 + Short: LIKE A FISH OUT OF WATER d. Roxy Rezvany, 2020 (03 JUL 17:30 / 20 JUL 20:30); BINTI d. Frederike Migom, 2019 + Short: YASMINA d. Ali Esmili & Claire Cahen, 2018 (04 JUL 18:20 / 19 JUL 20:40); PINKY d. Elia Kazan, 1949 + Short: TWO d. Daisy Ifama, 2017 (10 JUL 20:50 / 24 JUL 11:40); HEAD-ON aka Gegen die Wand d. Fatih Akin, 2004 + Short: SORRY, MY SOMALI IS NOT VERY GOOD d. Warda Mohamed, 2020 (11 JUL 18:30 / 27 JUL 20:40); THE NAMESAKE 35MM d. Mira Nair, 2006 + live spoken-word performance (14 JUL 17:40); WHAT WILL PEOPLE SAY aka Hva vil folk si d. Iram Haq, 2017 + Short: THE LONG GOODBYE d. Aneil Kura, 2020 (16 JUL 20:30 / 31 JUL 17:30); THE NAMESAKE 35MM d. Mira Nair, 2006 (21 JUL 20:40); In Conversation with Nikesh Shukla (23 JUL 18:20); LILTING d. Hong Khaou, 2009 + Short: TAAROF: A VERBAL DANCE d. Alannah Olivia, 2018 (24 JUL 17:20 / 30 JUL 20:40); SHOOT THE MESSENGER d. Ngozi Onwurah, 2006 + Q&A with the director hosted by T A P E’s Angela Moneke (29 JUL 17:45); Culture Shock: Short Film Programme + Q&A with UNDR LNDN (30 JUL 17:40).

THE CINEMA OF MÁRTA MÉSZÁROS at BFI Southbank (from 05 JUL)

CLOSE-UP ON ANDREI TARKOVSKY at Close-Up

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): IVAN’S CHILDHOOD d. Andrei Tarkovsky, 1962 (02 JUL 20:15); SOLARIS d. Andrei Tarkovsky, 1972 (03 JUL 19:15 / 18 JUL 19:15 / 24 JUL 19:15); STALKER d. Andrei Tarkovsky, 1979 (04 JUL 19:15 / 17 JUL 19:15 / 01 AUG 19:15); MIRROR d. Andrei Tarkovsky, 1974 (09 JUL 20:15 / 23 JUL 20:15); THE SACRIFICE d. Andrei Tarkovsky, 1986 (10 JUL 19:30 / 31 JUL 19:30); ANDREI RUBLEV d. Andrei Tarkovsky, 1966 (11 JUL 19:00 / 25 JUL 19:00); NOSTALGHIA d. Andrei Tarkovsky, 1983 (16 JUL 20:00).

DOCUMENTARIES at The Prince Charles (from 09 JUL)

ÉRIC ROHMER at The Prince Charles

FEMALE LEADS at Everyman Broadgate

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): UNDER THE SKIN d. Jonathan Glazer, 2013 (17 JUL 21:00); LADY BIRD d. Greta Gerwig, 2017 (24 JUL 21:00); KILL BILL: VOL. 1 d. Quentin Tarantino, 2003 (31 JUL 21:00).

FILM4 CLASSICS at Everyman Cinemas

THE FILMS OF QUENTIN TARANTINO at The Prince Charles

JAMES BOND 007 at The Prince Charles

THE FILMS OF PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON at The Prince Charles

THE FILMS OF WES ANDERSON at The Prince Charles

JOIN THE #BONGHIVE at The Prince Charles

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): MEMORIES OF MURDER d. Salinui chueok d. Bong Joon-ho, 2003 (02 JUL 12:25); OKJA d. Bong Joon-ho, 2017 (14 JUL 18:00); PARASITE d. Bong Joon-ho, 2019 (26 JUL 12:15 / 29 JUL 18:00).

KRZYSZTOF KIESLOWSKI’S THREE COLOURS TRILOGY at The Prince Charles (from 13 JUL)

L.A. NIGHTS at Backyard Cinema

  • Continues at Capital Studios (check venue for listings).

MIAMI BEACH at Backyard Cinema

  • Continues at Capital Studios (check venue for listings).

MOVIE MARATHONS at The Prince Charles

ROBERT ALTMAN: AMERICAN OUTSIDER at BFI Southbank

SPLASH, SCRATCH, DUNK! FILMS MADE BY HAND at Barbican Cinema (from 08 JUL)

STUDIO GHIBLI at The Prince Charles

TALES OF TOMORROW: SCI-FI SELECTIONS at The Prince Charles

TEEN MOVIES at The Prince Charles

THAT’S KINO, BABY! at The Prince Charles

WOMEN PIONEERS OF FRENCH CINEMA at Ciné Lumière

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): LA FIANCÉE DU PIRATE aka A Very Curious Girl d. Nelly Kaplan, 1969 (04 JUL 14:00 / 06 JUL 18:20); WOMEN PIONEERS OF SILENT CINEMA + Intro by Bryony Dixon & Live Accompaniment by John Sweeney (15 JUL 18:20); LA CAPTIVE d. Chantal Akerman, 2000 (18 JUL 14:00 / 20 JUL 18:10).

WONG KAR WAI at BFI Southbank (from 07 JUL)

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): AS TEARS GO BY 4K aka Wong Gok ka moon d. Wong Kar Wai, 1988 (07 JUL 14:30 / 17 JUL 20:30 / 19 JUL 20:45); DAYS OF BEING WILD 4K aka Ah Fei jing juen d. Wong Kar Wai, 1990 + Recorded Intro by season programmer Ann Lee (08 JUL 20:50); FALLEN ANGELS 4K aka Do lok tin si d. Wong Kar Wai, 1995 (09 JUL 20:50 / 14 JUL 14:30 / 25 JUL 18:30); ASHES OF TIME REDUX 35MM aka Dung che sai duk d. Wong Kar Wai, 2008 + Recorded Intro by season programmer Ann Lee (10 JUL 11:20); CHUNGKING EXPRESS 4K aka Chung Hing sam lam d. Wong Kar Wai, 1994 (10 JUL 18:15 / 12 JUL 20:50 / 20 JUL 20:45 / 29 JUL 14:30); HAPPY TOGETHER 4K aka Chun gwong cha sit d. Wong Kar Wai, 1997 (11 JUL 15:40 / 16 JUL 14:30 / 23 JUL 18:10); DAYS OF BEING WILD 4K aka Ah Fei jing juen d. Wong Kar Wai, 1990 (12 JUL 14:30 / 19 JUL 18:00); IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE 4K aka Fa yeung nin wah d. Wong Kar Wai, 2000 (14 JUL 20:45 / 17 JUL 13:30 / 21 JUL 14:30 / 29 JUL 20:45); 2046 4K d. Wong Kar Wai, 2004 (15 JUL 20:20 / 17 JUL 16:10 / 31 JUL 14:30); THE GRANDMASTER aka Yi dai zong shi d. Wong Kar Wai, 2013 (20 JUL 18:00 / 22 JUL 20:50 / 26 JUL 20:50); ASHES OF TIME REDUX 35MM aka Dung che sai duk d. Wong Kar Wai, 2008 (21 JUL 20:45 / 30 JUL 20:45); THE HAND [Extended Cut] d. Wong Kar Wai, 2004 (22 JUL 18:30 / 30 JUL 18:20); MY BLUEBERRY NIGHTS d. Wong Kar Wai, 2007 (23 JUL 20:50 / 28 JUL 20:40).

THE WORLD OF WONG KAR WEI at ICA (from 07 JUL)

Archlight Outdoor Cinema on the Coaling Jetty, Battersea

Deeper Into Movies at Dalston Roof Park

  • Includes (check promoter for full listings): BELLY d. Hype Williams, 1998 (05 JUL 19:30); PERSEPOLIS d. Vincent Paronnaud & Marjane Satrapi, 2007 (12 JUL 20:00); NOMADLAND d. Chloé Zhao, 2020 (19 JUL 19:30).

The Luna Cinema at various venues

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): KNIVES OUT d. Rian Johnson, 2019 at Brockwell Park (01 JUL 21:15); PRETTY WOMAN d. Garry Marshall, 1990 at Brockwell Park (02 JUL 21:15); GREASE d. Randal Kleiser, 1978 at Brockwell Park (03 JUL 21:15); BLACK PANTHER d. Ryan Coogler, 2018 at Brockwell Park (04 JUL 21:15); KNIVES OUT d. Rian Johnson, 2019 at Old Royal Naval College (08 JUL 21:15); GREASE d. Randal Kleiser, 1978 at Danson House (09 JUL 21:15); PRETTY WOMAN d. Garry Marshall, 1990 at Old Royal Naval College (09 JUL 21:15); THE GREATEST SHOWMAN d. Michael Gracey, 2017 at Old Royal Naval College (10 JUL 21:15); ROCKETMAN d. Dexter Fletcher, 2019 at Danson House (10 JUL 21:15); A STAR IS BORN d. Bradley Cooper, 2018 at Old Royal Naval College (11 JUL 21:15); ROMEO + JULIET d. Baz Luhrmann, 1996 (11 JUL 21:15); MEAN GIRLS d. Mark Waters, 2004 at Marble Hill (13 JUL 21:15); THE GOONIES d. Richard Donner, 1985 at Marble Hill (14 JUL 21:15); THE BODYGUARD d. Mick Jackson, 1992 at Marble Hill (15 JUL 21:15); CINEMA PARADISO d. Giuseppe Tornatore, 1988 at Kenwood House (21 JUL 21:15); THE DARK KNIGHT d. Christopher Hampton, 2008 at Hampton Court Palace (21 JUL 21:15); JOKER d. Todd Phillips, 2019 at Clapham Common (22 JUL 21:15); PRETTY WOMAN Garry Marshall, 1990 at Kenwood House (22 JUL 21:15); TOP GUN d. Tony Scott, 1986 at Hampton Court Palace (22 JUL 21:15); DIRTY DANCING d. Emile Ardolino, 1987 at Hampton Court Palace (23 JUL 21:15); DIRTY DANCING d. Emile Ardolino, 1987 at Clapham Common (23 JUL 21:15); KNIVES OUT d. Rian Johnson, 2019 at Kenwood House (23 JUL 21:15); THE GREATEST SHOWMAN Sing-A-Long d. Michael Gracey, 2017 at Hampton Court Palace (24 JUL 21:15); THE GREATEST SHOWMAN Sing-A-Long d. Michael Gracey, 2017 at Kenwood House (24 JUL 21:15); THE GREATEST SHOWMAN d. Michael Gracey, 2017 at Clapham Common (24 JUL 21:15); BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY d. Bryan Singer, 2018 at Hampton Court Palace (25 JUL 21:15); NOTTING HILL d. Roger Michell, 1999 at Kenwood House (25 JUL 21:15); TOP GUN d. Tony Scott, 1986 at Clapham Common (25 JUL 21:15); KNIVES OUT d. Rian Johnson, 2019 at Westminster Abbey (29 JUL 21:00); THE DARK KNIGHT d. Christopher Hampton, 2008 at Westminster Abbey (30 JUL 21:00); TOP GUN d. Tony Scott, 1986 at Wimbledon Park (30 JUL 21:00); THE GREATEST SHOWMAN d. Michael Gracey, 2017 at Westminster Abbey (31 JUL 21:00); THE GREATEST SHOWMAN Sing-A-Long d. Michael Gracey, 2017 at Wimbledon Park (31 JUL 21:00).

Rooftop Cinema at Bar Elba SE1

Rooftop Film Club, Peckham

Rooftop Film Club, Stratford East

Sunset Screening Sessions at The Homestead Cafe at Beckenham Park Place (02 JUL to 06 AUG):

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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. //.