Mike Leigh in Conversation – Part 1: Episode 6
Mike Leigh and Gary Yershon’s ongoing discussion of the acclaimed director’s films continued at The Garden Cinema with a screening and Q&A for Vera Drake (2004).
Vera Drake lives with her husband Stan and their grown-up children, Sid and Ethel. They are not rich, but they are a happy, close family. But selfless Vera has a secret: without accepting payment, she helps young women to end unwanted pregnancies.
On Wednesday 17 May 2023, a murder was committed in The Garden Cinema. This footage was recovered shortly after…
To celebrate the launch of our major retrospective of the legendary master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, we transformed our cinema into the scene of a dastardly crime. The cunning sleuths amongst our members were recruited to solve the case. After hunting for clues and interviewing our 6 suspects over the course of the launch party, the detectives bustled into the screen for a showing of Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps, but not before we revealed whodunnit!
Director Maryam Touzani joined Abla Kandalaft for a live Q&A after a screening of her latest film The Blue Caftan.
Following its FIPRESCI prize–winning premiere at Cannes, Touzani asserts her expertise in capturing the intimacy and tenderness in human relationships. In the film, Halim and Mina run a traditional caftan store in one of Morocco’s oldest medinas. In order to keep up with the commands of the demanding customers, they hire Youssef. Slowly Mina realizes how much her husband is moved by the presence of the young man.
The Blue Caftan is now showing as part of Mukhrijat: Arab Women Filmmakers.
We chat to a panel of producers, actors and directors about the current film scene in the Arab world, what is means to be an “Arab film”, what the sources of funding tend to be, the themes and genres that appeal most internationally, the intricacies of subtitling and other topics our audience asked about. The event was held as a launch night for the Arab women filmmakers season at the cinema and involved producer and curator Elhum Shakerifar, actress and programmer Sarah Agha and filmmaker Soudade Kaadan.
Mike Leigh and Gary Yershon’s ongoing discussion of the acclaimed director’s films continued at The Garden Cinema with a screening and Q&A for All or Nothing (2002).
In All or Nothing, Penny’s love for her partner, taxi-driver Phil, has run dry. He is a gentle, philosophical guy, and she works on the checkout at a supermarket. Their daughter Rachel cleans in a home for elderly people, and their son Rory is unemployed and aggressive. The joy has gone out of Phil’s and Penny’s life, but when an unexpected tragedy occurs, they are brought together to rediscover their love.
Director Toby Amies joined our projectionist Ryan Bellett for a live Q&A after a screening of his latest documentary In the Court of the Crimson King: King Crimson at 50. They discuss the difficulties of making a film about a band with such a devoted following, his approach to documentary making, and the relationship between music, time, and death.
The film speaks to an audience beyond (and including) the fanbase. Flirting with mockumentary, In the Court of the Crimson King ultimately transcends the genre by exploring friendship, grief, and the artistic process. Pertinent here are also questions about the role of narcissism in art: did Robert Fripp’s perfectionism contribute to King Crimson’s success, or did it contribute to a joyless experience and the band’s demise?
To mark Italy’s Liberation Day, we screened documentary Bella Ciao: Song Of Rebellion. The documentary traces the origins of the revolutionary song, the myths around it, its international appeal and use, its potential commercialisation. Directors Paul Russell and Andrea Vogt joined us to chat about making indie films, Bella Ciao and the deeply moving meanings behind it with Mydylarama journalist Steve Topple.
Watch the trailer for the first act of our upcoming season: Alfred Hitchcock, a major retrospective of the legendary master of suspense. Arranged in three parts, this season provides an overview of Hitchcock’s career and contains his most revered films.