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Listen with your eyes 3: Experimental Films for Families

Open City Documentary Festival 2025

Listen with your eyes

Listen with your eyes is an ongoing series of screenings that aims to create a space for children of all ages to engage with and enjoy experimental forms of cinema.

Through a variety of techniques and approaches, the films in this programme reflect on ideas and experiences of play. Often set in familiar, everyday places, they each allow the time and space needed for a sense of play to unfold. Play is an invitation to explore freely without the pressure of reaching a destination.

Listen with your eyes is programmed by Hyun Jin Cho and Oliver Wright, hosted by the Barbican’s Family Film Club.

 

This film has been locally classified as U – but assessing suitability of any film is the responsibility of parent/guardian. Please see www.bbfc.co.uk for more information on film ratings and content. 

Please note: This screening is for families to attend as a group. Adults (over 18s) can only enter auditorium if they are bringing a child. Children (under 18s) can only attend if accompanied by an adult.

For our youngest film fans in the audience who may not be familiar with a cinema space - the lights in the auditorium will dimly lit during the film and the film sound will be kept on the low side. Babes in arms of 18months and under can be brought in on adults’ laps, but children over 18months need a seat purchased for them. 

This screening will allow movement/noise from young film fans, but please be mindful of other audience’s experience (and please switch off phones!) If your little one needs a break from the screening, please note we do have a selection of books, games and toys in the cinema foyer for you to use.

The Family Film Club programme aims to screen films from a range of countries, styles and times, introducing a young audience to historical/archive content as well as the latest new releases. 

£2.50 under 18s, £5 adults

(No group discounts or difference between adults/children)

NO UNACCOMPANIED ADULTS OR CHILDREN

No membership required.

Wheelchair spaces, free companion seats may now be booked online.

Please select the relevant preferences on the access registration page during your booking, so we can provide you with the correct information and discounts.

Booking a wheelchair space

Select a seat displaying the wheelchair user icon and then select 'wheelchair user' ticket type. The ticket will be priced at the lowest price for that event. If you need an essential companion, please select the E icon next to the wheelchair space you have selected.

Booking essential companion tickets

Please select at least two tickets and one of them will be automatically discounted to zero in the basket.

Booking British Sign Language or Captioned Seats

Select seats in the area appropriate to your needs.

*Excludes £1.50 booking fee

Programme

The Untroubled Mind

Belgium 2016 dir. Manon de Boer 7 min

A collection of elaborate constructions by the artist’s young son, filmed over a period of three years. 

 

Krasob

Thailand 2007 dir. Nitipong Thinthuptha 8 min

A group of children play with a krasob, a sack of rice on a pole.

 

Netball

UK 2013 dir. Rehana Zaman 2 min

An animation that initiates a delirious looping scenario from the premise that Netball is a ball sport played by two teams of seven players. 

 

Housework

UK 2014 dir. Margaret Salmon 6 min

Salmon’s film portrays daily household chores being completed by themselves – a supernatural phenomenon. 

 

Words, Planets

USA 2018 dir. Laida Lertxundi 11 min

A playful reflection on motherhood and composition, involving lemons and pop music. 

 

Play

UK 1970 dir. Sally Potter 5 min

In Sally Potter’s double screen film, cameras mounted above the street capture six children – three sets of twins – playing on the pavement below.

 

El nido del Sol

Mexico 2021 dir. Colectivo Los Ingrávidos 5 min

In the nest of the sun, three Aztec gods meet to recover the dance of radiation.

Let our screens bring you closer

So come for a date, come solo, come with your grandparents, come with your little one... And let our screens bring you closer.

Cinema 3