Press room

barbican.org.uk/whats-on/cinema 

Curated by the Barbican: 

• Experiments in Film: Taking the Horse to Eat Jalebis
  + ScreenTalk
• Silent Film & Live Music: People on Sunday
• Carolee Schneemann Film Series: Art in Flux –
  Radical Embodiment
• EFG London Jazz Festival 2022: Jazz on Screen
• In Focus: Young Filmmakers Screening
• Cinema Restored: Boat People
• Architecture on Film: Merry Christmas, Yiwu + ScreenTalk with Mladen Kovačević
• Family Film Club    

Event Cinema:

• Met Opera: La Traviata
• National Theatre Live: The Seagull
• The Bodyguard 30th Anniversary
• Royal Opera House: The Royal Ballet: A Diamond Celebration

Festivals:

• Doc’n Roll Film Festival
• London Palestine Film Festival 2022
• London International Animation Festival

The Barbican continues its commitment to show bold and diverse cinema this November, welcoming back a wealth of partner festivals including Doc’n Roll Film Festival, The London Palestine Film Festival and the London International Animation Film Festival.

Music fans will also be able to enjoy the EFG London Jazz Festival: Jazz on Screen which celebrates pioneers such as Thelonious Monk and Charles Mingus looking back across television broadcasts, features films and documentary to explore how the visual image of jazz has been crafted across cinema.

The five-part Carolee Schneeman Film Series, which celebrates this radical American artist, concludes in November with the programme Art in Flux – Radical Embodiment. Hosted and curated by the artists Maria Almena & Olive Gingrich of Art in Flux this event explores her legacy on today’s practicing media artists.

Silent Film & Live Music this month presents Robert Siodmak & Edgar G. Ulmer’s People on Sunday, a fascinating, near-documentary glimpse into how young Berliners – nearly a hundred years ago – spent their time away from the daily grind of work.

This month the bi-monthly Cinema Restored screening features one of the most important films to come out of the Hong Kong New Wave, Ann Hui’s Boat People which chronicles the plight of Vietnamese refugees in the 1980s. Architecture on Film presents Merry Christmas, Yiwu plus ScreenTalk with director Mladen Kovačević.

Other November highlights include Experiments in Film: Taking the Horse to Eat Jalebis  a captivating portrait of Old Delhi which reflects the vitality of the independent cinema scene in India, made by veteran theatre director, Anamika Haksar; and youth media organisation Mouth That Roars presents In Focus: Young Filmmakers Screening featuring young learning disabled filmmakers, focussing on representation and opportunities in film.

This month’s Event Cinema screenings include Met Opera’s La Traviata and Royal Opera House: The Royal Ballet: A Diamond Celebration; as well National Theatre Live – a broadcast of The Seagull, Anton Checkov’s classic play and a 30th anniversary screening of The Bodyguard, starring Whitney Houston.

Curated by the Barbican:

Experiments in Film: Taking the Horse to Eat Jalebis
(Ghode Ko Jalebi Khilane Le Ja Riya Hoon) (15) plus ScreenTalk
India 2018, Dir Anamika Haksar, 122 min
Thu 3 Nov 2022, 6.15 pm, Cinema 2

This elusive film by veteran theatre director, Anamika Haksar, is an astounding work which brings multiple modes of register to create a portrait of Old Delhi.

There has been a rise in production and visibility of contemporary independent filmmakers coming out of India, existing in contrast to the commercial filmmaking associated with Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai.

Her film playfully moves between realist and fantastical modes to capture the dreams and nightmares of those who populate the streets of Old Delhi, weaving together a story based on four characters constructed through 75 people the director had interviewed over two years. By drawing from recorded interviews, animation, folk art, painting and theatre actors, Haksar, has created a distinct film, celebrating the rich history of Old Delhi.

Silent Film and Live Music: People on Sunday + live music
by Haiku Salut & Meg Morley (PG )
Germany 1930, Dirs Robert Siodmak & Edgar G. Ulmer, 73 min digital presentation
Sun 6 Nov, 3pm, Cinema 1

One Saturday, man-about-town Wolfgang and record shop salesgirl Brigitte meet-cute outside a Berlin train station. After a drink at a nearby café, the two make plans to meet the following day. Each brings along a friend and – swimming costumes and portable gramophone at the ready – so begins a flirty lakeside double-date.

Only lightly scripted, and featuring a cast of non-professionals, the film captures the day’s antics – pedalos, picnics and stolen kisses – with a wonderful naturalness. In 1929 “the weekend” was still a new-fangled concept.

With a new live score by band Haiku Salut and pianist extraordinaire Meg Morley.
With thanks to Flatpack Festival

New East: The Balcony Movie (15) + ScreenTalk with director Paweł Łoziński
Mon 7 Nov 2022, 6.05 pm, Cinema 2 
Poland 2021, Dir Paweł Łoziński, 100 min

When Polish director Paweł Łoziński was short on ideas for a new film, he made lemonade and took his camera to uncharted territory: his balcony.

 Both an extension of an interior and, as The Balcony Movie attests, a platform from which to watch and interact with the outside world, the balcony is a singular sliver of architecture that facilitates equally unique exchanges. From his fixed vantage point, Łoziński encounters a cynical but sprightly widow, a recently released convict, and countless strangers who reflect on lives lived – whether as hoped or otherwise.

 Łoziński is variously an agent, agitator and observer in his incisive documentary, which paints a cubist portrait of both a nation and humanity, through chinks of often unprecedented insight into the lives of passers-by. Winning the Grand Prix Semaine de la Critique prize at last year’s Locarno Film Festival, the film creates a streetside confessional and turns over two years of footage into a quotidian tableau vivant.

Carolee Schneemann: Art in Flux – Radical Embodiment (15) 
Thu 10 Nov, 6.45pm, Cinema 3, 90min 

Transcendence, UK 2020, Dir Maria Almena, 8 min, digital, sound 
Metaverse Divinations, UK 2022, Dir Maria Almena, 4 min, digital, sound 
INTER/her, UK 2021, Dir Camille Baker, 10 min, digital, sound 
Tiffany Trenda: Ubiquitous States Performance at Broad Art Museum, US 2016, Dir Eric Minh Swenson, 2 min, digital, sound 
Proximity Cinema: New Media Performance Art by Tiffany Trenda, US 2013, Dir Glen Campbell, 2 min, digital, sound 
Tiffany Trenda Body Code Live Performance at Times Square, US 2013, Dir Tiffany Trenda, 3 min, digital, silent 
UN/SEEN Performance at LA Art Show, US 2021 Dir Eric Minh Swenson 3 min digital, sound 
The (Un)Holy Trinity, UK 2020, Dir Laura Jean Healey, 3 min, digital, sound 
Big City Relationship, UK 2015, Dir Paul Kindersley, 9 min, digital, sound 
KIMA Voice by Analema Group, UK 2022, Dirs Evgenya Emets, Olive Gingrich, Alain Renaud & David Negrao, 3 min, digital, sound 
Lovers, UK 2022, Dir Oliver Gingrich, 3 min, digital, sound 
Dressed to Kill, UK 2022, Dir Oliver Gingrich, 5 min, digital, sound 
Down There The Seafolk Live, UK 2020 Dirs Ro Greengrass & Maddy James, 16 min, digital, sound 

Curated and hosted by the artists Maria Almena & Olive Gingrich of Art in Flux, this interactive programme includes media art, film screenings, demos, and a discussion with curators and filmmakers on ritual embodiment and the politics of gender. 

 The programme highlights the legacy of Carolee Schneemann for today’s media artists, and asks how can technologies reveal new experiences of the body, of self and other. The line-up includes work by artists Tiffany Trenda, Kimatica Studio, Paul Kindersley, Camille Baker, Olive Gingrich, Laura Jean Healey, Ro Greengrass & Maddy James and The Analema Group. Other special guests to be announced.  

EFG London Jazz Festival 2022: Jazz on Screen
Sat 12—Sun 20 Nov 2022
Cinemas 2&3

This year’s programme brings together a range of film’s celebrating pioneers such as Thelonious Monk and Charles Mingus, looking back across television broadcasts, features films and documentary to explore how the visual image of jazz has been crafted across cinema.

The Cry of Jazz + American Revolution 2 (15)

Sat 12 Nov, 4pm, Cinema 3
USA 1959, Dir Edward Bland, 34 min
USA 1969, Dir Howard Alk, 76 min

The Cry of Jazz, and American Revolution 2 showcase different portrayals of Chicago, race relations and politics throughout the 1960s, providing a back-drop to the radical jazz movements that would emerge across the decade.

All Night Long (15)

Wed 16 Nov, 6.30pm, Cinema 2
UK 1962, dir Basil Dearden, 91 minutes.

This is Basil Dearden’s stunning London noir that celebrates the centenary of Charles Mingus; and is a reworking of Shakespeare’s Othello and a snapshot of the local1960s jazz scene. Mingus makes an appearance in All Night Long in a small cameo, joining the cast as he happened to be in town performing.

Jazz 625 (PG)
Sun 20 Nov, 2 pm, Cinema 2

Jazz on Screen concludes with two episodes of the television programme Jazz 625, which celebrates the legacy of the show and reflects on the role it played in introducing a host of musicians to British audiences.

First broadcast in April 1964, Jazz 625 would be filmed across sites including the iconic Marquee Club and many being filmed from the CTS studio in Bayswater.

The programme was notable for its distinct look, characterised by the black and white photography, the suited attire of the performers and the smokey interiors; it helped establish a visual language to complement the music of the era.

This event will feature performances from Ben Webster (first broadcast on 16/01/65) and the great Thelonious Monk Quartet "Jazz 625" Thelonious Monk Quartet  (originally screened on 21/04/65).

In Focus: Young Filmmakers Screening (U)
Sat 19 Nov, 3.30pm, Cinema 3

Youth media organisation Mouth That Roars presents a screening, panel discussion and quiz from In Focus, a group of young learning-disabled filmmakers, focussing on representation and opportunities in film.

Cinema Restored: Boat People (15)
Hong Kong 1982, Dir Ann Hui, 111 min  
Thu 24 Nov, 6.30 pm, Cinema 2

Among the most important films to come out of the Hong Kong New Wave, Ann Hui’s drama focuses on the aftermath of the Vietnam War, a period in which many Vietnamese would flee from the country by sea.

A deeply humanist film, Hui documents the hopelessness felt by many and how the severity of life post War had led to people to take the dangerous decision to step into boats in hope of a better existence. 

Boat People, as well as being notable for being one of the first film roles for Andy Lau, one of the most celebrated actors of his generation, is a film which due to its sensitive portrayal of the legacies of war remains one of the key works exploring the experiences and conditions of Vietnamese refugees.

Architecture on Film:  Merry Christmas, Yiwu (U) plus ScreenTalk
with director Mladen Kovačević
Wed 30 Nov, 6.15 pm, Cinema 1
Sweden, Serbia, Germany, Franc & Qatar 2020, Dir Mladen Kovacevic, 93 min

With 600 factories dedicated to festive decorations, Yiwu, China, fabricates Christmas for the world. Following several Yiwu workers, this beautiful, human film looks beyond the glitter, into the ‘Chinese Dream’.

Family Film Club
11am every Saturday, Cinema 2

The best in new releases, international gems, archive classics and specially curated shorts programmes every Saturday morning. Young people can also enjoy regular Show and Tell introductions and free monthly workshops.

Event Cinema:

Met Opera Live: La Traviata
Sat 5 Nov, 4.55pm, Cinema 1

Soprano Nadine Sierra stars as the self-sacrificing courtesan Violetta, in Michael Mayer’s vibrant production of Verdi’s beloved tragedy. Tenor Stephen Costello is her self-centered lover, Alfredo, alongside baritone Luca Salsi as his disapproving father.

National Theatre Live: The Seagull
Tue 8 Nov, 7pm, Cinema 1

Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) makes her West End debut in this 21st century retelling of Anton Chekhov’s tale of love and loneliness.

A young woman is desperate for fame and a way out. A young man is pining after the woman of his dreams. A successful writer longs for a sense of achievement. An actress wants to fight the changing of the times. In an isolated home in the countryside, dreams lie in tatters, hopes are dashed, and hearts broken. With nowhere left to turn, the only option is to turn on each other.

Following his critically acclaimed five-star production of Cyrano de Bergerac, Jamie Lloyd brings Anya Reiss’ adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s classic play to stage.

The Bodyguard 30th Anniversary (15)
Wed 9 Nov, 6pm, Cinema 2

In her spectacular film debut, Whitney Houston plays Rachel Marron, a music/movie superstar at her peak. Fans want to see her. Hear her. Touch her. But one wants to kill her –and that’s where security expert Frank Farmer (Kevin Costner) comes in.

Royal Opera House: The Royal Ballet: A Diamond Celebration
Sun 20 Nov, 2pm, Cinema 3

Live on screen, a dazzling showcase marking 60 years of the Friends of the Royal Opera House. The Royal Ballet’s dazzling Principals lead an evening not to be missed, their sparkling talents a perfect fit for a diamond anniversary. Celebrating the 60th anniversary of The Friends of Covent Garden, this programme recognises the amazing support of all ROH Friends past and present.

The showcase will demonstrate the breadth and diversity of The Royal Ballet’s repertory in classical, contemporary and heritage works. It will also include world premieres of short ballets by choreographers Pam Tanowitz, Joseph Toonga and Valentino Zucchetti as well as The Royal Ballet’s first performance of For Four by Artistic Associate Christopher Wheeldon and a performance of George Balanchine’s Diamonds.
 

Festivals:

Doc’n Roll Film Festival
27 Oct – 6 Nov, Cinemas 1 & 2

The ninth edition of Doc’n Roll Film Festival, returns to the Barbican with a compelling line-up of documentaries about music, musicians and the worlds they inhabit. Highlights this month include the European Premiere of Omar Sosa’s 88 Well-Tuned Drums (USA 2022, Dir Soren Sorensen) on the life and music of Omar Sosa, the Cuban-born pianist and composer, plus ScreenTalk; and the UK Premiere of Alain Gomis’ Rewind & Play (France/ Germany 2022), plus ScreenTalk, which focuses on an infamous Q&A with Thelonious Monk, where the jazz legend faced down a disrespectful interviewer.

Further programme highlights include the World Premiere of: Lee Fields: Faithful Man (USA 2022, Dir Jessamyn Ansary and Joyce Mishaan) plus ScreenTalk; about the legendary soul singer whose voice was often compared to James Brown; and the European Premiere of Hargrove (USA 2022, Dir Eliane Henri) plus ScreenTalk, a vérité style documentary which chronicles the last year of trumpet legend Roy Hargrove’s life.

Tickets and full programme available from Mon 19 Sep: www.docnrollfestival.com

London Palestine Film Festival
11–17 Nov, Cinemas 1 & 2

The London Palestine Film Festival presents an eclectic selection of new films, art house cinema, and newly-restored old gems, along with exclusive presentations and urgent discussions issues relating to Palestine.

The festival opens with the long-awaited sophomore feature by Maha Haj, Mediterranean Fever (Germany/ France/ Palestine 2022), a dark comedy exploring masculinity and mental well-being. Artist and filmmaker Jumana Manna is back with a meditative documentary, Foragers (Palestine 2022), questioning Israeli nature protection laws. And to mark 50 years since the assassination of Palestine’s revered author, Ghassan Kanafani, we present Kassem Hawal’s newly-restored classic adaptation of his novel, Return to Haifa. (Lebanon 1982).

Mediterranean Fever + Pre-recorded ScreenTalk

Fri 11 Nov 8:30pm, Cinema 1, Opening Gala
Sat 12 Nov 2:10pm, Cinema 2
Palestine 2022 Dir Maha Haj 108 minutes 15 (LC)  

Winner of a Best Screenplay award at Cannes this year, Maha Haj’s dark buddy comedy/drama explores psychological well-being, aspiration, and masculinity within an oppressive political framework.

Waleed, a stay-at-home dad living in Haifa, is balancing his dream of being a novelist and his battle with chronic depression. Just as his frustration is settling into writer’s block, Waleed sees light in the unlikeliest of places.

Foragers
Sun 13 Nov 6:30pm, Cinema 2
Palestine 2022 Dir Jumana Manna 64 min 12A

With wry humour and a meditative pace, Foragers follows how Israeli nature protection laws impact the Palestinian custom of foraging for wild edible plants.

For Palestinians, these laws, which result in fines and court orders, constitute an ecological veil for legislation that further alienates them from their land. Israeli state representatives insist on their scientific expertise and duty to protect.

Shot in the Golan Heights, the Galilee and Jerusalem, artist and filmmaker Jumana Manna follows the plants from the wild to the kitchen, catching the chases between the foragers and the nature patrol. Foragers gracefully weaves together fiction, documentary and archival footage, with an ominous sound design accentuating resilience against the omnipresent settler-colonial backdrop.

Return to Haifa + ScreenTalk
Thu 17 Nov 8.45pm, Cinema 2
Palestine 1982 Dir Kassem Hawal 77 mins 12A (LC)

Kassem Hawal’s adaptation of Ghassan Kanafani’s novella, Return to Haifa, is a rarely seen gem.

This seminal allegory tells the story of Safia and Saeed who were expelled from their home in Haifa in 1948 and forced to leave their 5-month-old son, Khaldoun, behind. Twenty years on, with the 1967 War, the couple are finally able to travel to Haifa. They discover that Khaldoun, now 20-year-old Dov, was adopted by Jewish immigrants and has recently enlisted in the Israeli army.

The story, and the film, which remains true to Kanafani’s style and purpose, proceeds to pursue impossible questions: who is the real mother? Who is the real father? What is a homeland, and whose is it?

Today, 50 years after the assassination of Kanafani, the London Palestine Film Festival presents this newly-restored, classic literary adaptation, followed by a ScreenTalk with the director.

Further info:
www.palestinefilm.org.uk/

London International Animation Festival (LIAF 2022)
Fri 25 Nov – Sun 4 Dec
Cinema 1 & 2

The UK’s largest animation festival, the London International Animation Festival, returns for its 19th year with a celebratory feast of forums, ScreenTalks and hundreds of the best animated shorts and features from all around the world.

Opening Night 
A Cat Called Dom + ScreenTalk with filmmakers Will Anderson & Ainslie Henderson (15*)
Fri 25 Nov, 6.10 pm, Cinema 1
UK 2022, Dirs Will Anderson & Ainslie Henderson, 85 min
                                                                                     
A mix of animation and live-action documentary from Will Anderson and Ainslie Henderson, the recent winners of the prestigious best feature film award at the Edinburgh International Film Festival; the filmmakers will take part in a ScreenTalk to discuss their film.

British Showcase + Filmmaker Introduction (15*) 
Fri 25 Nov, 9pm, Cinema 1

A healthy snapshot of the state of British animation, this programme paints a vibrant picture of a spirited and imaginative animation nation. A mix of several LIAF regulars whose films have screened at the festival over the years alongside some of the most promising film school graduates and first-time filmmakers.

Framed Film Club: Amazing Animations for 0-7 year-olds (U*)
Sat Nov 26, 11 am, Cinema 2

This carefully chosen programme for younger audiences contains 14 of the best, most recent short animated films, full of joy, from all around the world. These films are suitable for all age-groups but mostly 1-7 year-olds.

Disrupting the Narrative - Black voices, British lives (15*)
Sat Nov 26, 6.10pm, Cinema 2                                                                                   

A selection of short animated films by under-represented black-identifying animators and filmmakers, featuring a mix of hidden talents.

Figures in Focus – The Magical World + panel discussion
Tues Nov 29, 6pm, Cinema 2                                                                                     

A programme of contemporary animations in recognition of the under-representation of female and non-binary animators and their stories within independent animation.

Following the screening, a panel discussion will take place with featured filmmakers Anna Bunting-Branch, Reka Bucsi and Renee Zhan, academic Carmen Hannibal, and programmer Abigail Addison.

For further information: www.liaf.org.uk

The Barbican believes in creating space for people and ideas to connect though its international arts programme, community events and learning activity. To keep its programme accessible to everyone, and to keep investing in the artists it works with, the Barbican needs to raise more than 60% of its income through ticket sales, commercial activities and fundraising every year.
Donations can be made here: barbican.org.uk/donate