Preview: Orlando, My Political Biography (15*) + Conversation with Paul B. Preciado and Erika Balsom
In partnership with Fitzcarraldo Editions, we present a preview of the highly anticipated film by writer Paul B. Preciado based on the novel Orlando.
The film is a reimagining of Virginia Woolf’s famed Orlando, centring around a young man who grows up to become a 36-year-old woman.
In his response to Woolf’s text, Paul B. Preciado reflects on how the fictional character has transcended literature to become a tangible reality. Preciado explores the transformation of Orlando's body as a symbol that resonates with non-binary individuals worldwide.
Through the voices of young people undergoing similar journeys, Preciado narrates his own transformation in a poetic odyssey where life, literature, theory, and imagery blend in the pursuit of truth. He emphasizes that individuals like Orlando, who identify as transgender, face daily challenges navigating norms, legal systems, historical contexts, psychiatric perspectives, familial expectations, and the influence of pharmaceutical corporations.
98 mins, 2023, France
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£1.50 booking fee per online/phone transaction.
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Cinema 1
Location
Barbican Cinema 1 is located within the main Barbican building on Level -2. Head to Level G and walk towards the Lakeside Terrace where you’ll find stairs and lifts to take you down to the venue floor.
Address
Barbican Centre
Silk Street, London
EC2Y 8DS
Public transport
The Barbican is widely accessible by bus, tube, train and by foot or bicycle. Plan your journey and find more route information in ‘Your Visit’ or book your car parking space in advance.
We’ve plenty of places for you to relax and replenish, from coffee and cake to wood-fired pizzas and full pre-theatre menus
Access
Level access from the Pit floor foyer only to the two boxes (see Mobility below). All other seats lead off stepped aisles.
Mobility
Two boxes at the rear of the auditorium each have space for one wheelchair user and a companion. Please book early and ask for these seats.
Assistance dogs
Assistance dogs may be taken into the cinema – please tell us when booking, to ensure your seat has enough space. If you prefer, you may leave your dog with a member of the foyer staff during the performance.
Hearing facility
There is an induction loop in the auditorium. You can use this by adjusting your hearing aid to the ‘T’ setting.
For more access information, please visit our Accessibility section.
Bios
Paul B. Preciado is the author of Counter-Sexual Manifesto (Columbia University Press), Testo Junkie: Sex, Drugs and Biopolitics (The Feminist Press) and Pornotopia (Zone Books), for which he was awarded the Sade Prize in France. He was Head of Research of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona (MACBA) and Director of the Independent Studies Program (PEI) from 2011 to 2014. From 2014 to 2017 he was the Curator of Public Programmes of documenta 14. He is currently Curator of Public Programmes at the Palais de Tokyo and lives in Paris.
Erika Balsom is a Reader in Film Studies at King's College London and the author of four books, including TEN SKIES (2021).
