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.
Director Maysoon Pachachi joined Whitechapel Gallery’s moving image curator Gareth Evans at The Garden Cinema after a special preview screening of her first narrative feature film Our River… Our Sky.
Maysoon Pachachi is a London-based filmmaker of Iraqi origin. For many years, she was a documentary and drama film editor in the UK, and since setting up her production company, Oxymoron Films, in 1994, she has made independent feature documentary films, largely shot in the Middle East and often focusing on the lives of women.
Our River… Our Sky follows the stories of a small Baghdad community trying to find some semblance of normality and hope despite unpredictable violence, turmoil, and loss. Dedicated to the youth of Iraq, Maysoon Pachachi’s film offers a glance at the realities of ordinary life in Baghdad, a stark contrast to past Western media portrayals of the 2003 US-led invasion and its catastrophic aftermath. A raw and powerful display of humanity, Pachachi’s film explores identity and nationalism, and what it means to belong.
Anthony Badu joined our ongoing series of guest speakers for our Francophone West African Cinema season by introducing Djibril Diop Mambéty’s Hyenas (1992).
Anthony is a writer, photographer and filmmaker based in London. In 2020, he co-founded the non-profit community arts project flat 70, based in Elephant & Castle.
Hyenas tells the story of Colobane, Senegal, a once-charming village now shattered by poverty. Linguère Ramatou (Ami Diakhate) returns with fabulous wealth and a promise to save her people. But, attached to this promise is a deadly bargain: Draman Drameh (Mansour Diouf) ― the lover who had betrayed a 16-year-old, pregnant Linguère ― must be executed. The announcement comes during a celebratory banquet in honour of her return, and the villagers, who had long forgotten the incident, are at once horrified, astonished, and indignant. While appearing to maintain a good moral conscience, the villagers are unable to resist the dazzling array of consumer goods at their fingertips, and so they begin to purchase on credit. While Linguere remains unshakable in her pursuit of justice, Draman’s initial self-interest and fear for his life soon give way to resignation and disdain for his fellow villagers.
In February 2023, LGBT Poet Laureate Trudy Howson hosted a panel discussion at The Garden Cinema following a screening of Gateway’s Grind (2022) with the film’s director Jacquie Lawrence and producer Felicity Milton.
Gateway’s Grind is a documentary about Gateways, London’s longest-surviving lesbian club. Alongside a host of its patrons over the years, Sandi Toksvig highlights the legacy of the club from its original owner, who won it in a poker game, to its blossoming into a hot-spot and safe space for lesbian life. From its signature green door to the risque dance move that gives this film its name, Gateways was a crucial part of London’s queer history.
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 of his Palme d’Or winning film Secrets & Lies (1996).
Secrets & Lies is an exploration of the deceptions that shape our relationships. Hortense (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), a black optometrist who was adopted as a child, begins the search for her birth mother, leading her to Cynthia (Brenda Blethyn), a lonely white factory worker.
In February 2023, LGBT Poet Laureate Trudy Howson hosted a panel discussion at The Garden Cinema following a screening of Blue Jean (2022) with Hélène Sifre (producer of Blue Jean), Sarah Drummond, Director of Don’t Say Gay- a feature documentary uncovering the story of Section 28), and Laïla El-Métoui (Founder of Pride in Education).
Blue Jean is a searing portrait of life under Section 28 in 1980’s England. The panel discuss Section 28, the importance of education and the arts, and took comments and questions from the audience.
This event took place as part of our A Taste of Queer Cinema season. Following on from this, we are continuing our exploration of contemporary and future Queer classics in April. The season Celebrating Queer Cinema will include expert introductions, panel discussions, networking, a fundraiser, a Burlesque performance, and more.