Seasons and festivals are a major part of our in-venue programme, and over the summer (while we were closed) we put together some specially-curated collections for you to enjoy at home. From work by homegrown directors to the best in Japanese cinema there’s plenty to discover.
The landmark BFI Japan 2020 season is running online on BFI Player, but we’re hoping to have some screenings at Phoenix in late 2020. Here’s our pick of Japan 2020’s archive rarities, contemporary works and cult classics.
“★★★★★ – Visually and dramatically breathtaking” – Observer. An epic reimagining of Shakespeare’s King Lear set in 16th century Japan, Ran is Akira Kurosawa’s final masterpiece. Featuring incredible colour and sweeping scale, the director of Seven Samurai delivers a feast for the senses in this enduring tale of power, corruption and betrayal.
Nagisa Ôshima’s (In the Realm of the Senses, Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence) stinging excoriation of 1960s youth culture focuses on the exploitative relationship between a pretty high-school pupil and her university student boyfriend who uses her as bait in his increasingly ruthless blackmail schemes to make easy money.
★★★★★ – Slant Magazine. Mikio Naruse’s undisputed masterpiece follows the turbulent love affair between Yukiko, who is seeking to carve out a new identity amid the devastation of post-war Japan, and her lover Tomioka, who craves a more socially conventional life in the newly democratised country. A heartbreaking study of memory and loss.
★★★★ – the stomach-turning birth of J-horror” – Guardian. Takashi Miike’s chilling, bloody vengeance tale is credited with launching an entire film genre at the turn of the millennium. Seeking a new wife, a widower decides to ‘audition’ candidates and becomes enchanted by a young woman, with deadly consequences.
★★★★ – Empire. With humour and tenderness, acclaimed director Hirokazu Kore-eda challenges the viewer to reflect on what makes a life worth living in this lyrical fantasy. A group of people who have recently died find themselves in limbo where, with the help of trained counsellors, they have just one week to choose a single memory to take with them into the afterlife and keep for eternity.
★★★★ – Empire. Winner of the Special Jury Prize at the 1965 Cannes Film Festival and nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, Masaki Kobayashi’s stunning anthology of Japanese ghost stories features some of the most ravishing imagery in Japanese cinema.
★★★★★ – Empire. Akira Kurosawa’s humanist classic reflects on mortality and how the inevitability of death affects an individual. When a bureaucrat (Takashi Shimura) is diagnosed with terminal cancer he is forced to take stock of his life and seek some way to give it meaning.
“★★★★★ – as subtle and exquisite as anything he ever made” – Guardian. A group of businessmen decide to match-make for the daughter and beautiful widow of their friend. Though seemingly well-intentioned, their meddling has unintended consequences. Yasujiro Ozu’s tender examination of familial upheaval expertly blends comedy and pathos.
★★★★★ – Guardian. Yasujiro Ozu’s masterpiece is a timeless exploration of filial duty, expectation and regret. An elderly couple’s visit to see their grown-up children – who are too busy to look after them – contrasts the measured dignity of age with the hurried insensitivity of a younger generation.
★★★★ – Slant Magazine. Disillusioned with the constant chatter of their elders, two brothers take a vow of silence when their parents refuse to buy them a TV. Yasujiro Ozu’s cheerful comedy simultaneously mocks seemingly meaningless chit-chat whilst gently acknowledging its fundamental role in daily life.
★★★★★ – Empire. Topping the world cinema charts, Akira Kurasawa’s groundbreaking 1954 masterpiece was a blockbuster in every sense and continues to be a major influence on today’s action films. A village under threat from marauding bandits calls upon a group of samurais to protect them.
“One of the most arresting and haunting films you will ever see” – Mark Kermode. Kaneto Shindo’s erotic horror about an impoverised and murderous mother and daughter-in-law who sell the belongings of their victims to buy food. When a messenger brings news of her son’s death, the mother fears she will be left alone and attempts to scare her daughter-in-law into staying.
We’ve been delving into the treasure trove that is BBC iPlayer, and have picked these fascinating but under-seen documentaries – all free to watch now.
Tina Brown and Dyana Winkler’s gem received a a rapturous reception at London Film Festival. When America’s last remaining roller rinks are threatened with closure, a community of thousands battles in a racially charged environment to save an underground subculture that has remained undiscovered by the mainstream for generations, yet has given rise to some of the world’s greatest musical talent.
Between 2009 and 2013, England’s cricket team rose from the depths of the rankings to become the first and only English side to reach world number one. Compelling, funny and emotional, Barney Douglas’s film tells the story of a special band of brothers’ rise to the top, their unmatched achievements and the huge toll it would take. The Edge is the rollercoaster story of a team that went above and beyond the call of duty.
Bing Liu’s sublime Oscar nominated documentary is the coming-of-age saga of three skateboarding friends in their Rust Belt hometown. Trying to piece together how they ended up where they are in their lives, Bing has assembled all his skating home-video footage, cut with present day interviews. A devastating, uplifting and honest portrayal of growing up in recession hit America.
Though his feature length film Last and First Men debuted on BFI player this summer, Jóhann Jóhannsson was mainly known for his work as a composer. Discover more of his work with our mini-season of movies featuring soundtracks by this Icelandic genius, who received Oscar nominations for his work on The Theory of Everything and Sicario.
Based on Olaf Stapledon’s cult science fiction novel, Last and First Men is the first and only feature-length film directed by Jóhannsson. Two billion years ahead of us, a future race of humans finds itself on the verge of extinction. Almost all that’s left in the world are lone and surreal monuments, beaming their message into the wilderness…
Jóhannsson’s soundtrack to Denis Villeneuve’s blistering thriller secured him his second Oscar nomination. Emily Blunt stars as Kate Macer, an FBI agent caught up in the chaos of fighting Mexican drug cartels. After a tragic incident during a raid, Kate is seconded to a mysterious unit where, faced with the utter ruthlessness of the gangs, she finds that the line between good and evil disappears.
James Marsh’s powerful biopic of Stephen Hawking follows the young scientist from his days studying theoretical physics at Cambridge to meeting and falling in love with literature student Jane, and their subsequent struggles dealing with his diagnosis of motor neurone disease. Refusing to revel in sadness, it’s an inspiring tale of love and courage in the face of adversity, and the film’s score saw Jóhannsson receive his first Oscar nomination.
Our New British Cinema season started with a mini-season of films from director Ben Wheatley, one of the UK’s “most dazzling and prolific cinematic talents” (bfi.org.uk).
The next instalment is a trio of films from BAFTA winning screenwriter and director Amma Asante. Born in London to Ghanaian parents, Amma began her screen career in front of the camera as a child actor BBC’s Grange Hill before moving into writing at the age of 23. She made her directorial debut in 2004 with A Way of Life, and has gone on to win numerous awards. In 2017 Amma was awarded an MBE for services to film.
“★★★★ – a raw and immensely moving drama” – bbc.co.uk. 17-year-old single mother Leigh-Anne is struggling to care for her baby in a dilapidated Welsh council flat, surrounded by crime, racism and poverty. Fearing that her Turkish neighbour Hassan has reported her to social services, she enlists the help of three friends to teach him a lesson, with devastating consequences. A gritty, and at times brutal, social-realist drama for which Amma won the Carl Foreman Award for the Most Promising Newcomer at the 2005 BAFTAs.
★★★★ – Observer. Amma’s second feature is based on the remarkable true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle Lindsay, the illegitimate daughter of a Royal Navy captain and an enslaved African woman in the West Indies. Growing up in the household of her great-uncle Lord William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield, Dido (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) enjoys certain privileges but the colour of her skin prevents her from entering 18th century aristocratic society. Meeting an idealistic young man seeking change, Dido plays a key role in the abolition of slavery in England.
“★★★★ – finds personal moments amid the political storms” – Empire. Making it into Mark Kermode’s top ten films of 2016, Asante’s sweeping drama is based on the incredible real-life events surrounding the marriage of the future king of Botswana to a London office worker in 1947. Finishing his law studies in the UK, Prince Seretse Khama (David Oyelowo) falls in love with Ruth Williams (Rosamund Pike). But their marriage is challenged by their families, and also the British and South African governments.
“★★★★ – chilling and transgressive” – Guardian. Much to the annoyance of her manipulative mother, introvert Tina (Alice Lowe) and her new caravan-enthusiast boyfriend Chris (Steve Oram) embark on a round-Britain touring holiday, in Wheatley’s oh-so-black comedy of manners. But thanks to litterbugs, noisy teenagers, and other holidaymakers, it quickly turns into a cagoule-clad killing spree.
★★★★ – Empire. Evoking both classic British horror and Werner Herzog’s brand of metaphysical arthouse cinema, Wheatley’s “grisly slice of English civil-war psychedelia” (Guardian) sees a group of deserting soldiers forced into a search for magical treasure by a sinister and sadistic necromancer (Michael Smiley) they encounter as they flee the battle ground.
★★★★ – Financial Times. Premiering at the 2018 London Film Festival, Wheatley’s perfectly observed tragicomedy was picked up by the BBC and consequently never released in cinemas. The Bursteads have rented a swanky mansion for a big New Year get-together with 18 of their nearest and dearest. But when Colin’s (Neil Maskell) estranged brother arrives, long held resentment and bitterness surfaces.
From balcony concerts to virtual discos, music has helped people remain connected all over the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. Film has a unique power to embody the immediacy, intensity and sense of community that makes music so special, and with the experience of live gigs still missing from our lives, we present a season of films exploring music and its ability to move, connect and elicit change.
Talk + DJ set available online now
A universal story of friendship, rebellion, and the irresistible power of music set against the backdrop of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act of 1994, which banned unlicensed raves across the UK.
Q&A available online now
This multi award-winning film from Zoya Akhtar follows the life of an aspiring street rapper from the Dharavi slums, and is based on real-life Mumbai rappers Divine and Naezy.
Q&A available online now
Flamenco is synonymous with Spanish culture, but since its inception, theorists have sidelined the fundamental contribution of Afro-Andalusians for whom music and dance were a fundamental affirmation of their identity. This is their story.
Available to stream now
Winner of the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at Sundance Film festival, this documentary follows young Afghan refugee Sonita, who works as a cleaner at a children’s charity in Iran but dreams of making it as a rapper.
Available to stream now
Franco Rosso’s incendiary 1980 film follows a young dancehall DJ (Brinsley Forde, frontman of landmark reggae group Aswad) in Thatcher-era South London as he pursues his musical ambitions while battling fiercely against the racism and xenophobia.
Available to stream now
She began as Matangi, daughter of the founder of Sri Lanka’s armed Tamil resistance. When her family fled to the UK, she became Maya, a precocious immigrant teenager in London. Finally, the world met her as M.I.A. when she emerged on the global stage.
Available to stream now
Jeanie Finlay’s wonderful portrait of the last surviving vinyl record shop in Teesside is a distinctive, funny and intimate film about men, the North East and the irreplaceable role music plays in our lives.
Available to stream now
Widely acknowledged as among the best concert films ever, Jonathan Demme's inventive film of Talking Heads' thrilling live show was shot over the course of four nights at Hollywood's Pantages Theater in December 1983.
Available to stream now
Everything: The Real Thing Story charts the rise of Liverpool’s musical pioneers, who fought discrimination to become the biggest-selling black group in UK pop history.
Following the phenomenal success of Parasite, which became the first foreign-language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, we’ve put together a special “lockdown” season of six must-see South Korean films from some of the best directors in the business.
★★★★ – Empire. South Korea’s first zombie movie is delirious fun, mixing elements of classic zombie horrors with Snowpiercer survivalism and great action sequences. People board the fast train from Seoul to Busan, unaware that a virus is spreading through the carriages, slaughtering those onboard.
“★★★★★ – A beautifully blood-spattered modern classic” – Guardian. An undisputable must-see, the middle of Park Chan-wook’s ‘Vengeance Trilogy’ weaves a web of conspiracy and violence, offering a breath of fresh air from formulaic Hollywood thrillers. Years before Parasite, Oldboy set the benchmark for South Korean cinema.
“★★★★★ – A superlative thriller and a deeply erotic character study” – Empire. A milestone of LGBT cinema in ultra-conservative South Korea, Park Chan-wook’s acclaimed erotic psychological thriller is a tale of deceit and desire set in the 1930s. When a pair of petty criminals attempt to con a Japanese heiress, feelings start to get in the way and it’s unclear exactly who is being conned.
“★★★★★ – a daring study of class conflict and sexual longing that blazes with mystery” – Telegraph. Director Lee Chang-dong explores toxic masculinity in this incendiary thriller. Budding writer Jong-soo is a loner, but he begins a relationship with old school friend Hae-mi. When Hae-mi returns from a trip away with Ben (Steven Yeun) in tow, Jong-soo’s suspicions spiral into paranoia and delusion.
“★★★★★ – Giant Korean pig plus Tilda Swinton equals glorious family adventure” – Guardian. Young Mija has been caring for her gigantic hippo-like pet Okja for 10 years, at her idyllic mountain home. But the hard-hearted CEO of a food tech conglomerate (Tilda Swinton) has big plans for the creature.
“The defining monster movie of the 21st century” – IndieWire. Lauded by the likes of Quentin Tarantino, The Host broke all box office records in South Korea on its release. The government appears powerless when, after toxic waste is dumped into the Han River, a squid-like mutant emerges from its depths and begins to attack people.
