Screening the Sahara
A season that counters the representation of the Sahara as empty and isolating, but as a place of abundance - abundance of narratives, peoples and environments.
Screening the Sahara counters the perceived emptiness and isolation of the Sahara, looking to the regions’ storytellers who recognise it as a plentiful site of pluralism and exchange in the African continent. Across three screenings in September, the desert is posited as central to contemporary geopolitics and environmental shifts, unifying the West and East of the continent and imbued with a dynamic hybridity against a dramatic and otherworldly backdrop. In the face of its political and artistic marginalisation, this season shares compelling and topical stories from the Maghreb to the Horn of Africa.
Ciné-Sahra is a project dedicated to sharing films from the breadth of the Saharan region, exploring the often obscured space as a site of social, environmental and narrative pluralism through contemporary, archival, and artists’ film.
Programme Notes
While the season eschews a romanticised or Orientalist imagining of the Sahara desert, it leans into its indigenous mythology and folklore, as well as its austere realities, sharing rare narrative, documentary and docu-fiction work from across 4 decades. The first screening, featuring films by the regions’ most prominent filmmakers, establishes the geohistories of the region interrupted by colonialism and expanded by diaspora.
The second turns to sites of encounter and transit, capturing the endless highways and bustling crossroads, with narratives centring the female perspective and a hidden gem from the Sudan Film Unit; while the third and final film weaves ancient Islamic folklore with Andalusian inflections producing a fable of haunting resonance regarding contemporary migration and a restless generation’s coming of age.
Events
Cinemas
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.
Location
Barbican Cinema 2 & 3 are located on Beech Street, a short walk from the Barbican’s Silk Street entrance. From Silk Street, you’ll see a zebra crossing that will take you over the road to the venue.
Address
Beech Street, London
EC2Y 8DS
Nearby public transport
We are within walking distance from a number of London Underground stations, the closest being Barbican, St Paul’s and Moorgate. The nearest train stations are Liverpool Street and Farringdon. Bus Route 153 runs directly past the Barbican along Chiswell Street
Car and bicycle parking
We have free bicycle spaces and paid car parking spaces available
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.
Access
Cinemas 2 & 3 are located at Beech Street, a short walk from the Barbican Centre’s main Silk Street entrance. There are a couple of steep, dropped kerbs and an incline to negotiate between the two sites. Level access from Beech Street.
Mobility
Each auditorium has three permanent wheelchair spaces (two in the third row and one in the front row) and 153 fixed seats with capacity for a further three spaces in the front row. Access to each auditorium is up a ramp. There are also a number of seats with step-free access.
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
An infrared system for hard of hearing customers is provided in each auditorium; headsets or neck loops can be collected from foyer staff. The ticket desk counter is fitted with an induction loop.
For more access information, please visit our Accessibility section.
