The 29th Chichester International Film Festival by NewParkCinema

•O VER 130 FILMS • GALAS •O PEN-AIR SCREENINGS • RETROSPECTIVES • PREMIERES •T ALKS & Q&A's WITH FILMMAKERS The Last Bus – with Timothy Spall & Phyllis Logan visit

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Délicieux – Vive La France

•S PECIAL EVENTS

Index 8 ½

Fellinopolis

Nashville

9,75

Ferroequinology

The Nest

Accident

Fires in the Dark

Never Too Late

Alex Wheatle

From The Vine

New Order

Amarcord

Gagarine

Night Ride

Annette

The Golem

Nights Of Cabiria

Another Paradise

Goodbye Europe

Orchestra Rehearsal

The Badger

GOSIA@TOMEK

Our Land, Our Altar

Being Dead

Helene

Persian Lessons

Bernard Tavernier Talk

Here We Are

Pieces of a Woman

Billie

How to Stop a Recurring Dream

The Bridge on the River Kwai 83

I’m Your Man

In My Dream

36 7

In the Heights

Annette

Insomnia

Interstellar

Jazz on a Summers Day

A Journey Through French Cinema

Bruno

Karajan: Maestro of the Salzburg Easter Festival 42

Bye Bye Morons

Killer News from Chukhloma 35

Cardboard Pier

La Strada

Censor

The Last Bus

Christopher Nolan Talk

Les Misérables

Clean Slate

Letters of Happiness

Code: Karim

The Conductor

Limbo

County Lines

The Lost Shoes

The Courier

A Love Supreme

DannyBoy

Lovers Rock

The Dark Knight Rises

The Man Who Ate the World

Daughters of the Dust

The Man Who Sold His Skin

Dawn of War

Mangrove

De Gaulle

Maquis

Death In Venice

Délicieux

Dirk Bogarde Talk

Django

The Duke

Education

The End

11 40

Escher: Journey into Infinity 44 An Evening of Billie Holiday

An Evening with Spike Wells and the QOW Trio

Fearless

Federico Fellini Talk

Fellini’s Casanova

Fellini’s Roma

Fellini Satyricon

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Predators

The Prestige

Pulse

The Reason I Jump

Red, White and Blue

Rocks

The Rose Maker

Round Midnight Sadan Hanim

81 50

Dunkirk Election Night

Inception

Django

Simply Black

Sisters

Sleeping in Ruins

Small Axe

Souad South Pacific Space Jam: A New Legacy Stillwater

31 6 7 14

Small Axe Talk

Summer of Soul

Summerland

A Sunday in The Country

Surprise Film

Tenet

Toprak

Towards the Unknown Region: Malcolm Arnold 83 Truman & Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation

Two Roads

Undergods

Unidentified

March for Dignity

Maria By Callas

Master Cheng

A Matter of Perspective

Merkel

Minamata

Misha and the Wolves

The Watchmaker of St Paul

The Most Beautiful Boy in the World

Whisper of Silence

The White Sheik

The War Below

13 80

Festival Contents Artistic Director Introduction

disABILITY

Sir Malcolm Arnold Centenary

Open Air Screenings

Fellini Centenary Anniversary

Special Events

Gala Screenings

Black Directors Matter / Small Axe

Talks & Visiting Filmmakers

Film Listings by Date

That Special Relationship: UK & US Cinema

Christopher Nolan Retrospective 65

Europe Calling: European Cinema 15

Treasures from the Archive

Vive La France

All That Jazz!

Window on the World

Dirk Bogarde Centenary

Independents

Covid Catch-Up

Focus on the Documentary

Bertrand Tavernier Tribute

Acknowledgements

Ticket Prices & Booking Form

Screening Locations

Index

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welcome to the

29th Chichester International Film Festival! Artistic Director Introduction We are delighted to open and close this year’s Festival with two cracking new British films. We welcome Timothy Spall to introduce the UK premiere of ‘The Last Roger Gibson Bus’, a road movie with a difference. ‘The Duke’ is our closing gala, a glorious Ealing-type comedy starring Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren, and we hope the director Roger Michell (‘Notting Hill’) will introduce his film. Other British films include ‘Censor’, ‘Minamata’, ‘Limbo’, ‘The Nest’ and the UK premiere of ‘The War Below’, an independent production about miners planting bombs in the trenches. Neil Monaghan will introduce his controversial political thriller ‘Election Night’. The lion’s share of the Festival goes to European Cinema, and I am particularly pleased to have imported eight major UK premieres via the Berlinale (online) Festival in February and September’s glorious Venice Festival all with physical screenings. Watch out for ‘Unidentified’ (Romania); ‘Code:

Steve McQueen’s ‘Small Axe’ ‘La Fine Fleur’ (pictured below left) on the streets promoting the premiere of the film. The strength of French films is reflected in a sub-strand of European Cinema ‘Vive la France’ containing ten new films including from our partner the Institute Français’ with the superb ‘De Gaulle’, and the wickedly funny and politically incorrect ‘Simply Black’. In our ‘Window on the World’ selection of ten films from the same number of countries, I would like to highlight the remarkable debut feature ‘The Badger’ – a thriller set in presentday Iran, ‘Souad’ from Egypt, and perhaps the most controversial film in the Festival, ‘New Order’ from Mexico, where a violent class struggle erupts during a lavish high society wedding – not for the squeamish!

An Evening of Billie Holiday

‘The Rose Maker’ in Cannes Karim’ and ‘Fellinopolis’ (Italy); ‘Dawn of War’ (Estonia); ‘Helene’ (Finland); ‘Merkel’ (Germany); and three from France: ‘Django’, the mouth-watering ‘Delicieux’ about the first pre-revolutionary restaurant in France, and ‘The Rose Maker’. In fact as I pen this in Cannes, I noticed the poster display of

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Moving on to the specialized strands, in the ‘Black Directors Matter’ collection, we are particularly proud to be showing all of Steve McQueen’s five ‘Small Axe’ TV masterpieces, with kind permission from the BBC – surely the greatest achievement of last year’s television. Also, part of this strand is the fantastic Harlem musical documentary, ‘Summer of Soul’. Our popular annual focus on Jazz presents a marvellous array of three live jazz gigs plus related documentaries with ‘An Evening with Spike Wells and his QOW trio’, ‘An Evening with Billie’, featuring sensational vocalist Vimala Rowe. Supporting the French film ‘Django’ will be the gypsy jazz duo ‘Balcon Manouche’ giving

Malcolm Arnold, Dirk Bogarde and Federico Fellini speak for themselves. The Fellini centenary was last year but having planned this opportunity to celebrate arguably the greatest Italian filmmaker ever, I could not resist resurrecting this section from 2020. To put these four retrospectives into context they will be supported by illustrated talks presented by experts in their own field. Christopher Nolan a 40-minute performance... and the perennial ‘Jazz on a Summers Day’ will be sneak previewed before its September release in a new 4k restoration. Another regular Festival live event is bringing to life a classic gothic silent film, this year with the 1921 ‘The Golem’, a typically creepy German expressionist film being screened in a new venue for us – the Guildhall in Priory Park – bringing plenty of atmosphere. The piano wizardry of John Sweeney will enliven the event with his inventive accompaniment. In the ‘disABILITY’ section, the eight unique films, both fiction and documentary, portray and explore different aspects of disability. Despite the serious subject matter, the films are positive, often uplifting and heartwarming, portrayed with grace, dignity and humour. As can be seen with the recent ‘The Father’ and ‘Supernova’, these subjects are now embraced into the mainstream.

In our last Festival, I focused on a strand celebrating female talent, introducing the ‘F Certificate’ for female directors. This year we are presenting a list of over a dozen female directors, whose films are featured in the different strands within the Festival. Whilst many Festivals during this difficult period have adopted an online or hybrid Festival, both Walter and I agree that coming to a cinema is a communal experience in which audiences immerse themselves in the film together. I admit that streaming offers convenience and choice and, in the future, we may have to accept that both co-exist – but I ain’t gonna encourage it!

Independent Cinema has always been a core element of our Festival: it is here that you discover the talent of the future film makers. With over 30 films, this is a wonderful showcase for undiscovered world talent. All five entries from Russia have high

Federico Fellini’s ‘8½’ production values, mainly back comedies, and I recommend ‘Cardboard Pier’, and ‘The End’, an extremely funny film about a Russian film director in midlife crisis. Watch these hidden gems in The Studio. The five Retrospectives/Tributes/Centenaries of Bertrand Taverner, Christopher Nolan,

Helene Our Festival is over a year in the making. I am writing this in Cannes where I am hunting films for next year. This year’s Festival has been especially tricky to curate, and I would especially like to thank Walter Francisco (Cinema Director & Programmer), who has had to put up with my changing plans and trying to decipher my scribblings. This 29th edition could not be staged without the enthusiastic support of our Partners (BFI and Greenwood Wealth Solutions), Carol Godsmark (Hospitality & Guest Relations), the Projectionists, Box Office Staff, New Park Centre, our partner venues and their teams, and the invaluable Volunteers that make everything possible. Roger Gibson Artistic Director July 2019 PS. See you all at the Open Air Screenings in Priory Park.

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Open Air Screenings at Priory Park Three Open Air Screenings in Chichester’s beautiful Priory Park. Following on from the previous years of Sold Out Priory Park Screenings, we bring you a classic musical, this year’s feel-good cult film in the making, and a treat for the family. Join us for the only open-air events where the films are screened from equipment just as you would get in a cinema. Book early if recent year’s screenings are anything to go by!

Brought to you by:

u Gates open 19:30 u Films start at Dusk (approx. 20:45) u Bring a Picnic Blanket or Chair, and a Picnic Basket filled with your favourite goodies u Fenwick’s Cafe will be open for drinks and snacks

Booking Ref

South Pacific

Fri 6 Aug 20:45 (approx) Advance Tickets £10 (£12 on the day if available) U15’s £7 (£8 on the day)

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When a young American nurse from Little Rock (Mitzi Gaynor) meets the handsome and mysterious French plantation owner (Rossano Brazzi) on a South Pacific island during World War II, they find refuge from the battles around them as their romance blooms, in this finely crafted, Oscar-winning musical. Rogers and Hammerstein wrote many great musicals, but the score of ‘South Pacific’ is one of the strongest, producing many ‘old standards’. ‘There is Nothing’ Like a Dame’, ‘Younger than Springtime’, ‘Bali Hai’, ‘Gonna Wash that Man Right outa my Hair’, and the eternal ‘Some Enchanted Evening’ are major highlights, but many other delightful and strong songs help fill this impressive musical. Its racial stance was also ahead of its time. The wonderful supporting cast included Ray Walston, Juanita Hall, and Bill Kerr. When it opened at the London Dominion in 1958 not surprisingly it ran for over 5 years – those were the cinema days! Presented in a newly restored digital version on our huge outdoor screen. USA 1958 Joshua Logan 157m

Booking Ref

In the Heights

Sat 7 Aug 20:45 (approx) Advance Tickets £10 (£12 on the day if available) U15’s £7 (£8 on the day)

The creator of ‘Hamilton’ invites you to the event of the summer, where the streets are made of music and little dreams become big. Casting, choreography, songs, and story all come together ‘In the Heights’ to offer pure joy in modern movie musical form. The streets are made of music and little dreams become big. Lights up on Washington Heights... The scent of a cafecito caliente hangs in the air just outside of the 181st Street subway stop, where a kaleidoscope of dreams rallies this vibrant and tight-knit community. At the intersection of it all is the likable, magnetic bodega owner Usnavi (Anthony Ramos), who saves every penny from his daily grind as he hopes, imagines and sings about a better life. ‘In the Heights’ fuses Lin-Manuel Miranda’s kinetic music and lyrics with director Jon M. Chu’s lively and authentic eye for storytelling to capture a world very much of its place, but universal in its experience. This is everything a movie musical should be – a gorgeous spectacle with likeable leads and memorable characters – a tasty ‘coquito’ (traditional Puerto Rican drink) in the summer heat. USA 2021 Jon M. Chu 143m

Booking Ref

Space Jam: A New Legacy

Welcome to the jam at Priory Park, where global NBA superstar LeBron James teams up with Bugs Bunny and the rest of the Looney Tunes for our family film open air screening. When LeBron and his young son Dom (Cedric Joe) are trapped in a digital space by a rogue A.I. (Artificial Intelligence), LeBron must get them home safe by leading Bugs, Lola Bunny and the whole gang of notoriously undisciplined Looney Tunes to victory over the A.I.’s digitized champions on the court: a powered-up roster of professional basketball stars as you’ve never seen them before. It is Tunes versus Goons in the highest-stakes challenge of his life, that will redefine LeBron’s bond with his son and shine a light on the power of being yourself. The ready-for-action Tunes destroy convention, supercharge their unique talents and surprise even “King” James by playing the game their own way. USA 2021 Malcolm D. Lee 115m Sun 8 Aug 20:45 (approx) Advance Tickets £10 (£12 on the day if available) U15’s £7 (£8 on the day)

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Opening Gala

Booking Ref

The Last Bus

UK Premiere We are delighted to open the 29th Chichester International Film Festival with the UK premiere of this wonderful British film starring Timothy Spall and Phyllis Logan. A touching story of an old man who crosses the country just using local buses. A heart-warming tale of Tom (Timothy Spall), a pensioner whose wife Mary (Phyllis Logan) has just passed away, who travels from Britain’s most northerly point, John O’Groats, to his original home town at its most southerly point, Land’s End, using his free bus pass. He carries with him his wife’s ashes in a small suitcase, travelling the length of the country to take her back home. Along the way, his adventures are recorded by the people he meets and helps, and by the end of his trip he has unwittingly become a social media celebrity. UK 2021 Gillies MacKinnon 86m It gives us great pleasure to welcome Timothy Spall, Phyllis Logan and Gillies MacKinnon to open the Festival with the British Premiere of their film. Our thanks to Parkland Entertainment for this screening.

Thu 12 Aug: Gala Dinner 18:30 – film at 20:30 approx Also screens Fri 13 Aug 15:30 (Film Only – Normal Prices) Gala Tickets £34

OPENING & CLOSING GALA FOOD Hosted by BRASSERIE BLANC – Thu 12 Aug 18:30 & Sun 29 Aug 18:30 The cinema has forged an excellent relationship with Brasserie Blanc over the last seven years and continues the tradition of holding the two Gala Dinners at the restaurant. The festival is delighted to be hosting this year’s opening and closing dinners at the brasserie again. The chefs, under the direction of executive head chef Clive Fretwell, will offer two special set meals for each Gala dinner with a glass of wine included in the price, the menu highlighting chef owner Raymond Blanc’s classic dishes with the strong French regional influences of his youth. We are grateful for the generous support of Brasserie Blanc and its manager and staff who look forward to sharing the evenings with you. Dinner will be from 18:30, followed by the film at 20:30. Book your place early to avoid disappointment. Tickets £34.

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Closing Gala

Booking Ref

Sun 29 Aug: Gala Dinner 18:30 – film at 20:30 approx Also screens Sun 29 Aug 10:30 (Film Only – Normal Prices) Gala Tickets £34

The Duke

Preview We are proud to close our 29th Chichester International Film Festival with the special preview of this superb British film, starring Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren, which premiered in last year’s Venice Film Festival. Roger Michell’s warm take on the true story of how Kempton Bunton acquired the National Gallery’s new Goya, features a glorious performance by Jim Broadbent. In 1961, Kempton Bunton, a 60-year-old taxi driver, stole Goya’s portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in London. He sent ransom notes saying that he would return the painting on condition that the government invested more in care for the elderly. What happened next became the stuff of legend. Broadbent’s wonderful Kempton Bunton is a wannabe playwright and soapbox revolutionary, a man who prefers Chekhov to Shakespeare because he feels that the Bard wrote too many plays about kings. By night he is sitting up in bed reading books by George Orwell. By day he is tilting at windmills, squabbling with shop-floor managers and getting under the feet of his pinched, knackered wife (a wonderfully un-regal Hellen Mirren). An uplifting true story about a good man who set out to change the world and managed to save his marriage. What a lovely, rousing, finally moving film this is. ‘The Duke’ is unashamedly sentimental and resolutely old-fashioned in the best sense of the term: a design classic built along the same lines as 50’s Ealing comedies. UK 2020 Roger Michell 96m We hope to welcome director Roger Michell’s (‘Notting Hill’) to Chichester to introduce his film. Our thanks to Warner Bros for this screening.

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UK & USA Cinema

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That Special Relationship – Premieres, Previews & New Releases Booking Ref

Minamata

Fri 13 Aug 20:45 (Auditorium) Wed 18 Aug 17:45 (Auditorium)

New Release A nearly unrecognizable Johnny Depp plays Life war photographer W. Eugene Smith in this earnest look at his mission to document a pollution-ravaged Japanese community. In documenting what came to be known as Minamata disease, Smith showed the world what toxic chemicals were doing to a community, paving the way for a different kind of war, one of personal political activism carried forward by Andrew Levitas’ impressive look at this high-impact last-act triumph in Smith’s career. The drama finds him in his declining years, drunk, depressed, impossible to work with – and of course ripe for redemption. By chance, he finds himself befriended by Japanese-American Aileen (Minami Hinase) who alerts him to an environmental atrocity in Japan that he could do something about, if he chose to rouse himself from his grumpy self-indulgent ennui. ‘Minamata’ is a forthright, heartfelt movie, an old-fashioned “issue picture” with a worthwhile story to tell about how communities can stand up to overweening corporations and how journalists dedicated to truthful news can help them. Great support from master composer Ryuichi Sakamoto in top form. UK/USA/Japan 2020 Andrew Levitas 115m

Booking Ref

Censor

Preview After viewing a strangely familiar video nasty, a film censor sets out to solve the past mystery of her sister’s disappearance. 1985. When film censor Enid Baines (Niamh Algar) discovers an eerie horror that speaks directly to her sister Debbie’s (Erin Shanagher) mysterious disappearance, she resolves to unravel the puzzle behind the film and its enigmatic director Doug Smart (Michael Smiley); a quest that will blur the lines between fiction and reality in terrifying ways. The film takes pride in her meticulous work, and her sense of duty to protect is amplified by guilt over her inability to recall details of the longago disappearance of her sister, recently declared dead in absentia. When Enid is assigned to review a disturbing film from the archive that echoes her hazy childhood memories, she begins to unravel how this creepy work might be tied to her past. UK 2021 Prano Bailey-Bond 84m Our thanks to Vertigo for this screening Sat 14 Aug 20:45 (Auditorium)

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Booking Ref

Limbo

New Release Ben Sharrock’s delicious culture-clash chamber piece finds the wit as well as the heartache in four migrants’ exile to the dampest corner of Europe. Written and directed by Ben Sharrock, ‘Limbo’ exquisitely explores the experience of asylum seekers. The film is staggeringly poignant and thoughtful as it weaves together a story of a Syrian refugee who is stuck in, well, limbo. Omar can’t go back to his past life in Syria, where it’s still in the throes of civil war and devastating human loss, but he doesn’t know what’s in store for his future. The film is set on an unnamed remote island in Scotland. Population: very few. Omar (the brilliant Amir El-Masry) is awaiting news on his asylum papers – whether or not they are approved could change his life even more than it already has. He keeps in touch with his parents, who are now living in Turkey, over the phone, while his estranged brother remained in Syria to fight in the war. ‘Limbo’ handles its themes with enormous grace, balancing despair with levity and a realism that makes this drama emotionally intense and worthwhile. UK 2020 Ben Sharrock 103m Sun 15 Aug 20:45 (Auditorium)

Our thanks to MUBI for this screening.

Booking Ref

Election Night

UK Premiere + Q&A A political home invasion thriller which explores the horrors our world could face if society stays as divided as it is today. The Britain of ‘Election Night’ is a society where the public are fed up with traditional politicians and the “establishment”. Many believe in a new optimism coming from Lucy Brabbant’s alliance of left-leaning parties. But worryingly a new populist far-right movement is on the rise, the New Britain Party, headed by former newspaper baron Dominic Drummond. As the election results pour in, five liberal-minded friends gather to watch the TV coverage. It is a drink-fuelled night of celebration. But outside NBP supporters are rioting, claiming a rigged election. And then there’s a knock on the door. Three people desperately seeking shelter from the violence. It is only when the visitors are welcomed in that they show their true colours. As the tight election result turns in favour of the NBP, the visitors seize control and suddenly we’re into a fullon home-invasion movie. UK 2021 Neil Monaghan 95m We hope to welcome the director Neil Monaghan to introduce his film. Fri 20 Aug 18:00 (Auditorium)

Our thanks to Phoenix Films for this screening.

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UK & USA CINEMA: PREMIERES, PREVIEWS & NEW RELEASES

Booking Ref

The Nest

Sun 22 Aug 18:00 (Auditorium) Tue 24 Aug 15:00 (Auditorium)

Preview Life for an entrepreneur and his American family begins to take a twisted turn after moving into an English country manor. A beautifully understated film starring Jude Law and Carrie Coon. Rory (Jude Law) is an ambitious entrepreneur who brings his American wife (Carrie Coon) and kids to his native country, England, to explore new business opportunities, with dreams of profiting from booming 1980’s London. After abandoning the sanctuary of their safe American suburban surroundings, the family is plunged into the despair of an archaic ‘80’s Britain and their unaffordable new life in an English manor house threatens to destroy the family. ‘The Nest’ is a complex movie. At first glance, it is simply the story of a family moving, and not finding what they like in their new environment. But what writer/director Durkin does so smartly is fill the picture with a creeping atmosphere that implies deeper, danker things beyond what we are seeing in literal form. Movies rarely deal with the intricacies of marriage: finances, schooling and finding the right work-life balance. Impressive and mesmerising. UK/Canada Sean Durkin 107m Our thanks to Picturehouse for this screening.

Booking Ref

The Courier

New Release The gripping true story of an unassuming British businessman Greville Wynne recruited into one of the greatest international conflicts in history – The Cuban Missile Crisis. Benedict Cumberbatch plays Wynne, an engineer and a family man, recruited by MI6 in 1960 to connect with a member of Russian military intelligence named Oleg Penkovsky – here played by the superb Georgian actor Merab Ninidze – who, alarmed by escalating tensions between the U.S.S.R. and the West, had offered secret information about his country’s nuclear capabilities. The movie is honest about the decidedly unglamorous side of spying: chiefly, that it’s a line of work in which human beings are often treated as easily discarded pawns. There are echoes here of Spielberg’s ‘Bridge of Spies’ and Cumberbatch delivers a compelling performance in a film that brilliantly encapsulates the time that it is set. UK 2020 Dominic Cooke 112m Our thanks to Lionsgate for this screening. Tue 24 Aug 11:45 (Auditorium) Sat 28 Aug 14:30 (Auditorium) Brought to you by:

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Booking Ref

The War Below

Tue 24 Aug 18:00 (Auditorium) Wed 25 Aug 11:45 (Auditorium)

UK Premiere During World War I, a group of British miners are recruited to tunnel beneath No Man’s Land and set off bombs from below the German front in hopes of breaking the deadly stalemate of the Battle of Messines. ‘The War Below’ captures the despair and claustrophobia of trench warfare and the tension and terror of working deep beneath the battlefield. The miners known as Claykickers left vital work in British coal mines to tunnel under German lines in order to plant vast amounts of explosives. The tunnel scenes were filmed only in candlelight which gives the film an authentic and oppressive mise-enscene. The cast includes Sam Hazeldine (Peaky Blinders), Tom Goodman-Hill and Kris Hitchen. UK 2020 J.P Watts 96m Our thanks to Vertigo for this screening.

Also Steve McQueen’s Small Axe

Summerland

From Sat 14 Aug

See Covid Catch-Up for full details on pg77. Wed 25 Aug 13:30 Fri 27 Aug 18:30

Rocks

See Black Directors Matter for full details on pg60.

See Covid Catch-Up for full details on pg77.

Fri 13 Aug 21:00

Thu 26 Aug 18.45

Danny Boy Sat 21 Aug 10:00

How to Stop a Recurring Dream

See Independent Cinema for full details on these three films above on pg34. Sun 22 Aug 20:45

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UK & USA CINEMA: PREMIERES, PREVIEWS & NEW RELEASES

Booking Ref

Stillwater

New Release An American oil-rig roughneck travels to Marseille, France, to visit his estranged daughter, in prison for a murder she claims she didn’t commit. Director Tod McCarthy’s first film since ‘Spotlight’ stars Matt Damon as Bill Baker, a man out of his depth in a foreign country beset by cultural differences, a language barrier and a complex legal system. Nevertheless, he makes it his mission to exonerate his daughter. Enlisting help from a French woman he must decide how far he will go for justice. USA 2021 Tod McCarthy 140m Our thanks to Entertainment One for this film.

Fri 20 Aug 14:00 (Auditorium)

Booking Ref

Annette

Sat 28 Aug 20:30 (Auditorium)

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Preview A globally acclaimed opera singer and a stand-up comedian have their first child, and their lives are completely changed. Served as perfect curtain-raiser for the recent 74th Cannes Film Festival. Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard – both absolutely terrific – star as celebrated standup comedian Henry McHenry, and worldfamous opera singer Ann Defrasnoux. In the guise of a musical, we follow their initial passionate, overwhelming love for one another, before moving to the next step and having a daughter, their beloved Annette, who is represented by a creepy doll that might have dropped in from a horror film. But things begin to go wrong. Henry is accused by six women of historic abuse and his career starts to stutter while Ann’s continues to fly. The musical format proves a natural fit for Leos Carax’s love of the visual fantasies created by the cinema’s most basic means of illusion. A dreamy, delicate dance between farce and fantasia, ‘Annette’ is a magnificently ludicrous rock opera with an experimental approach to its emotional extremes. The musical format proves a natural fit for Carax’s love of the visual fantasies in this ambitious, if not peculiar, return since his ‘Holy Motors’ (2012). USA 2021 Leo Carax 139m

Europe Calling Premieres, Previews & New Releases of European Cinema

Booking Ref

Germany

I’m Your Man

Ich Bin Dein Mensch – New Release Alma, a scientist, is to live with a humanoid robot, created to make her happy in Maria Schrader’s immensely enjoyable picture. Alma (Maren Eggert) is a scientist at the famous Pergamon Museum in Berlin. In order to obtain research funds for her work, she is persuaded to participate in an extraordinary study. For three weeks, she has to live with a humanoid robot (Dan Stevens) tailored to her character and needs, whose artificial intelligence is designed to be the perfect life partner for her. When the odd couple begins to cohabit, the robot is a catalyst for self-reflection and self-doubt in this comedy-drama that’s as thought-provoking as it is funny. A comictragic tale about the questions of love, longing and what makes a human being human, this is a sensationally funny and gentle science-fictional German rom-com. (Subtitles) Germany 2020 Maria Schrader 105m Our thanks to Curzon for this film. Fri 13 Aug 18:00 (Auditorium)

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EUROPE CALLING

Booking Ref

Germany

Merkel

Sat 14 Aug 14:00 (Auditorium) Mon 16 Aug 18:00 (Auditorium)

Die Getriebenen (The Driven Ones) – UK Premiere German newspaper correspondent Robin Alexander’s meticulously researched account of government policies around the fall of 2015, when Angela Merkel opened the borders to refugees, is a page-turner – and now a fascinating movie. Yet what would appear to be well-planned activity is in reality a policy of muddling along, chance, trial and error. ‘The Driven Ones’ is a chronicle of the refugee crisis which shows that the political actors are being driven along, crushed between selfimposed constraints and events that have spun out of control. The film develops a certain pull, a dramaturgy of simultaneity. In some places the screen is divided into several frames, which emphasize the interconnectedness of the various decisions and the protagonists who have to react on the spur of the moment. Imogen Kogge’s portrayal of Angela Merkel is particularly reminiscent of Helen Mirren’s Elizabeth II in Stephen Frears’ ‘The Queen’, a mixture of the private with the public and the professional is inevitable. (Subtitles) Germany 2020 Stephan Wagner 118m Our thanks to Bavarian Media for this film.

Booking Ref

Italy

Code: Karim

UK Premiere The protagonist, after years spent in wartorn Syria, decides to return to Italy, to finally put behind his terrible experiences, and recover his life. But in order to do so, he will have to pay a very high price. ‘Code: Karim’, like the film ‘Traitor’ (2008) which also follows an undercover Muslim secret agent, opens up the discussion about the role of Muslims infiltrating terrorist groups. But what crimes and sins must be committed in getting to the position to help the security services? There are no simple answers to these complex questions. ‘Code Karim’ touches on these topics, but it is steadfastly an action thriller. The story moves at a fast pace, the directing is sharp, the cinematography and editing are excellent. Mohamed Zouaoui’s performance is charismatic, subtle, and unmissable – a combination of Omar Sharif’s talent and Steve McQueen’s charisma. (Subtitles) Italy/Syria 2021 Federico Alotto 103m Our thanks to Minerva Sales for this film. Mon 16 Aug 15:00 (Auditorium) Thu 19 Aug 21:00 (Auditorium)

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Booking Ref

Finland

Helene

UK Premiere The story of renowned Finnish painter Helene Schjerfbeck, and the love affair between her and a younger art critic Einar Reuter. 1915, Helene Schjerfbeck (Laura Birn) lives as a forgotten artist with her elderly mother in the countryside. It has been years since her last exhibition, but Helene continues to paint. Change arrives in the form of art dealer Gösta Stenman (Jarkko Lahti) who wants to organize a big private exhibition. However, Helene’s turning point comes only when she is introduced to Einar Reuter (Johannes Holopainen). Young Einar is a forester, art enthusiast, and a passionate admirer of Helene’s work – and soon becomes Helene’s lover. The film leisurely glides from one small moment to another, often accompanied with a number of gorgeous visual moments filled with authentic period atmosphere and details. The cinematography by Rauno Ronak is stunning in its serene poetic beauty. The film ends with examples of her work – an artist who should really be better known. (Subtitles) Finland 2020 Antti Jokinen 122m Thu 19 Aug 17:30 (Auditorium)

Our thanks to Picture Tree International for this film.

Booking Ref

Estonia

Dawn of War

Thu 19 Aug 12.00 (Auditorium) Thu 26 Aug 21:00 (Auditorium)

O2 – UK Premiere A spy thriller in the John Le Carré mode, about an Estonian intelligence officer, who has to track down a mysterious Soviet double agent on the eve of WWII. The tensions across Europe just before World War II are finely captured by director Margus Paju in this clockwork thriller. In 1939, Estonia had only known independence for a relatively short time when it was caught between the hostile political machinations of Germany and the Soviet Union. When the head of Estonia’s counter-Soviet intelligence unit is found dead, former spy Feliks (Priit Võigemast) is called back to find the mole and prevent a Russian takeover. Suspicion spreads everywhere and no one can afford a quiet moment – especially when Feliks learns that the Soviets’ secret code book may be up for grabs. As the pace of events quickens, the film travels back and forth in time to see Feliks fall in love with Polish art historian Maria (Agnese Cirule) and discover the many secrets hiding everywhere. ‘Dawn of War’ remains gripping to the very last moment. (Subtitles) Estonia 2020 Margus Paju 100m Our thanks to Kaleidoscope Pictures for this film.

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EUROPE CALLING

Booking Ref

The Netherlands

The Conductor

Preview Based on the true story of the Dutch-born Antonia Brico, who in the late 1920’s was the world’s first woman to successfully conduct a large symphony orchestra. Another opportunity to see this film which opened the 2018 CIFF as a UK premiere, but still unreleased here. United States 1926: The Dutch, 24-year-old Antonia Brico (Christanne de Bruijn) was a child when she and her parents (Annet Malherbe and Raymond Thiry) emigrated to the United States. She dreams of becoming a conductor, but nobody takes her ambition seriously. Her piano teacher advises her against taking the entrance exam for the conservatory. With little to lose, she returns to her motherland, where she begs the famous conductor Mengelberg (Gijs Scholten van Aschat) to give her lessons. Mengelberg is not comfortable with the idea and sends her to Berlin where perhaps she can fulfil her promise. The film contains superb pieces of classical music especially performed for ‘The Conductor’. This is a thought-provoking and inspirational tale. Netherlands 2019 Maria Peters 137m Fri 20 Aug 10:30 (Auditorium)

Booking Ref

Romania

Unidentified

Wed 18 Aug 20:45 (Auditorium) Sat 21 Aug 14:45 (Auditorium)

chichesterfilmfestival.co.uk

Neidentificat Premiere An unsolved case. An unknown criminal. An obsessed cop. His investigation plunges him into a world of darkness and violence, pulling everyone around him into a mire of destruction and revenge. ‘Unidentified’ is the story of Florin, a hotheaded cop (Bogdan Farcas) who grows fixated on cracking open a mysterious case of arson that left two women dead. Determined to pin the blame on a young Romani man (Dragos Dumitru), he begins to lose control, driven less by the evidence than by racism and his cold-blooded pursuit of revenge. As we then learn, Florin (and the film’s narrative structure) has been concealing further unflattering information about his professional and personal life. He is in enormous debt, with the local bank threatening to repossess his car, and his school music teacher wife has left him. A film torn between competing tones of satire and character-based realism. A dark, propulsive thriller about corruption and racism in Romania’s police force. (Subtitles) Romania/Latvia/Czech Republic 2020 Bogdan George Apetri 123m 0ur thanks to Wide for this film.

Booking Ref

Finland

Master Cheng

Mestari Cheng – English Premiere Following the death of his wife, professional chef Cheng (Pak Hon Chu) travels with his young son (Lucas Hsuan) to a remote village in Finland to connect with an old Finnish friend he once met in Shanghai. Upon his arrival, nobody in the village seems to know his friend but local café owner Sirkka (Anna-Maija Tuokko) offers him accommodation and in return Cheng helps her in the kitchen, surprising the locals with the delights of Chinese cuisine. Gradually his cooking encourages these vastly different cultures to connect, and Cheng is soon a celebrated member of the community. Unfortunately, his tourist visa is soon to run out and it’s up to the villagers to come up with a plan to help him stay. Warm, with Finnish humour and beautiful Lapland landscapes exploring culinary art as a means of meeting people and bringing cultures together. (Some subtitles) Finland 2019 Mika Kaurismäki 116m Our thanks to Parkland Entertainment for this screening. Wed 25 Aug 14:45 (Auditorium) Fri 27 Aug 15:00 (Auditorium)

Booking Ref

Belgium

Undergods

Wed 25 Aug 16:00 (Studio) Thu 26 Aug 20:45 (Studio)

New Release An otherworldly journey through a Europe in decline – a collection of darkly humorous, fantasy tales about ill-fated characters and doomed fortune. With echoes of Lynch and Gilliam. Film fans are so accustomed to postapocalyptic wastelands these days that it is a relief when writer/director Chino Moya cuts away from the grim, Chernobyl-esque setting that opens his portmanteau and dives into the first of several bizarre stories. It focuses on a familiar motif: the domestic intruder who seems to slowly take over. But this familiarity is made engaging by compelling performances, an eerie visual style, and Wojciech Golczewski’s alternately pounding and woozy synth score. Soon, new characters weave in and fresh stories are told (or half-remembered) as the gothic fairy tales of E.T.A Hoffmann are invoked in a very Lynchian way. Intelligent production design heightens a glum, post-modern vision of Europe, and, by the time an excellent Adrian Rawlins and Kate Dickie pop in for a comic re-tread of previous events, the nightmare logic of this strikingly loopy film almost makes sense. Belgium/UK 2020 Chino Moya 93m Our thanks to Modern Films for this film.

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EUROPE CALLING

Five Russian indies Displaying exciting new talent. Full details of these five Indie films are on pg34.

Predators

An ambitious life coach is confronted by a millionaire wishing to demolish the cooperative of garages in which the former keeps his prized Jaguar.

Killer News from Chukhloma

A celebrated fashion designer returns from Moscow to the remote northern town from which he escaped ten years ago. Sat 14 Aug 20:15

Cardboard Pier

Mon 16 Aug 21.15

With elections looming, four journalists from Moscow set out to test the political climate in a remote village with a population of 46.

The End

Wed 18 Aug 20:15

This latest comic feature, a la Woody Allen, from the multiple-prizewinning Vladimir Kott might have been made to define the term ‘meta’. Wed 25 Aug 20:45

Letters of Happiness

Three Russian postwomen deliver their mail. Each has a story to tell. Wed 18 Aug 10:00

Seaward Homes’ latest development in Fishbourne is surrounded by everything that is good about living in this part of the country!

Contact us on 01243 778800 (Press 1 for Sales) to find out more about the apartments and bungalows available at The Gables or visit our website: www.seawardproperties.co.uk for details of all our developments in West Sussex.

20 chichesterfilmfestival.co.uk

Booking Ref

Sat 28 Aug 17:30 (Auditorium) – See Wine Tasting Event below Sun 29 Aug 16:15 (Auditorium) Italy

From The Vine

In Vino Veritas – UK Premiere A downtrodden man (Joe Pantoliano) experiences an ethical crisis and travels back to his hometown in rural Italy to recalibrate his moral compass. There he finds new purpose in reviving his grandfather’s old vineyard, offering the small town of Acerenza a sustainable future, and reconnecting with his estranged family in the process. In a rare leading role, Joe Pantoliano (‘Memento’, ‘The Matrix’) stars as Marco Gentile, an Italian born CEO of a Canadian automobile company. He is at a crossroads in his life. Tired of the grind and troubled by an unkept promise he made years ago; he throws it all away. Without consulting his wife Marina (Wendy Crewson) he quits his high-paying job and hopes to reconnect to a way of life that will help him find his centre and regain his moral compass. But will his new beginning spell an end to old relationships? ‘From the Vine’ breathes the same fragrant air as ‘Under the Tuscan Sun,’ ‘A Good Year’ and any number of other movies that offer up beautiful scenery and a stripped-down way of life as a tonic for the soul. (Some subtitles) Italy / Canada 2020 Sean Cisterna 97m Our thanks to Parkland Entertainment for this screening.

Wine Tasting

An Italian wine tasting session will be held prior to the Saturday screening of this vine-focused film with a big heart. Sat 28 Aug 16:30 (Jubilee Hall – New Park Centre) £12 for the tasting.

A Mattter of Perspective

Austria Full details of this Indie film on pg34.

The Federico Fellini Retrospective Italy Full details on pg54.

Thu 19 Aug 10:00

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EUROPE CALLING: EUROPEAN DOCUMENTARIES Full details for these films can be found on pg43.

Misha and the Wolves

Belgium A fake Holocaust memoir sparks a search for truth in this extraordinary documentary. Thu 19 Aug 14:45

Portugal A few families remain in the tower-blocks of a social housing project in Porto. Their days there are numbered. Fri 20 Aug 10:00

Another Paradise

The Lost Shoes

Sun 22 Aug 11:00

Tue 24 Aug 11:00

Belgium Between 1968 and 1974 Britain removed the entire Creole population of the Chagos Archipelago. A campaign led from Crawley to house 3000 Chagossians.

Our Land, Our Altar

chichesterfilmfestival.co.uk

Italy A ‘submerged part of Italian history’ is how the joint-directors of this absorbing documentary describe the avant-garde Communist movement of the ’60s and ’70s.

Vive la France Best of Césars 2021

We are delighted once again to partner with the Institute Français and platform some exciting new UK unreleased French films. This broad selection of films nominated and awarded at this year’s French César Awards represent emerging as well as established directors: a unique opportunity to discover newcomers and see films with your favourite actors. Do not miss exciting titles such as ‘De Gaulle’ with Lambert Wilson. Booking Ref

Sun 15 Aug 18:00 (Auditorium)

Bye Bye Morons

Adieu les Cons – New Release A French comedy-drama that morphs into an unexpected romance-drama, where an unlikely trio set off on a hilarious and poignant helter-skelter journey through Paris in search of a long-lost child. A seriously ill woman tries to find her long-lost child with the help of a man in the middle of a burnout, and a blind archivist. The film follows Suze Trappet (Virginie Efira), a 45-yearold hairdresser diagnosed with an auto-immune disease that leaves her little time to live. Her longing (and now dying) wish is to meet the child she gave up for adoption when she was merely 15-years-old. On her madcap bureaucratic quest she crosses paths with JB (Albert Dupontel), a 50-year-old man in the middle of a burnout, and Mr Blin (Nicolas Marié), a blind archivist prone to over-enthusiasm. With its autumn-coloured grading, cleverly linked dialogue and successful running jokes, writer-director Albert Dupontel creates a heartwarming film that touches on themes of life, death, and love. (Subtitles) France 2021 Albert Dupontel 87m Our thanks to Curzon for this screening.

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VIVE LA FRANCE

Booking Ref

De Gaulle

Mixing the historic and the Romanesque, the film charts a military debacle as well as the revelation of a destiny. May 1940. France is facing a disastrous military situation against the German army. De Gaulle (Lambert Wilson), newly appointed General, joins the Government in Paris while Yvonne (Isabelle Carré), his wife, and their three children remain in the East. Faced with the defeatist attitude of Marshal Pétain who wants to negotiate with Hitler. De Gaulle has one intention only: to continue fighting. Alongside thousands of French families, Yvonne and the children are soon forced to flee the advancing German troops. Without any contact, doubt arises: will the de Gaulle family be sacrificed for the sake of France? (Subtitles) France 2019 Gabriel Le Bomin 105m

Mon 16 Aug 15:45 (Studio) Tue 17 Aug 12:30 (Studio)

Booking Ref

Tue 17 Aug 18:00 (Auditorium) Wed 18 Aug 14:45 (Auditorium)

Gagarine

English Premiere A boy, a building, and a looming big bang: from these elements, French directors Fanny Liatard and Jérémy Trouilh create a wondrous debut feature. It derives such a crackle of authenticity from the physical reality of its setting that its starryeyed metaphysics seem uncannily plausible too. A fiction set and shot around a real event – the August 2019 demolition of the huge Cité Gagarine, a 370-apartment housing project in Ivry-sur-Seine on the outskirts of Paris. Gagarine is a dream built from debris, a rocket ship made from rubble, and a touching tribute to stratospheric aspirations thriving against the odds in even the most maligned and marginalized communities. We may be in the suburbs, but some of us are looking at the stars. (Subtitles) France 2021 Fanny Liatard/Jérémy Trouilh 98m Our thanks to Curzon for this screening.

chichesterfilmfestival.co.uk

Booking Ref

Fri 20 Aug 17:30 – £12.50 (inc. Jazz Guitar Duo) Sat 21 Aug 21:00 – £9.50 (Auditorium)

Django

UK Premiere Jazz musician Django Reinhardt and his family escape from Germanoccupied Paris in 1943. The year is 1943 in Nazi-occupied Paris and Django Reinhardt is at the pinnacle of his art. The brilliant and carefree jazz guitarist, king of ethereal swing, plays to standing-room-only crowds in the capital’s greatest venues. Meanwhile his gypsy brethren are being persecuted throughout Europe. His life takes a turn for the worse when the Nazi propaganda machine wants to send him on tour in Germany. Based on the 2013 novel Folles De Django by Alexis Salatko, this is a partly fictionalized account about Django’s wartime experiences as a Belgian-born Romani in occupied France; The film has some serious things to say about the Nazis’ assault on Romani peoples and Reinhardt’s frontline position in this war. A tremendous bonus is the authentic music with extended musical numbers by Reinhardt’s Quintette du Hot Club de France wonderfully re-created. Although world premiered at the Berlinale of 2017, this is its UK premiere. (Subtitled) France 2017 Etienne Comar 117m Our thanks to Gaumont for this screening.

We are pleased to welcome Gypsy Jazz duo 'Balcon Manouche' to play a short gig before Friday's screening. Balcon Manouche is a swing/jazz guitar duo formed in early 2020 by guitarists Charlie Jackson and Charlie Gordon. Drawing from both Charlies’ experience of playing a variety of different styles, Balcon Manouche combines swing, jazz and other flavours to create a sound that will get your feet tapping.

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VIVE LA FRANCE

Booking Ref

Délicieux

Sat 21 Aug 18:00 (Auditorium) Sun 22 Aug 14:45 (Auditorium)

UK Premiere France, 1789, just before the Revolution. With the help of a mysterious young woman, a chef who has been sacked by his master finds the strength to free himself from his position as a servant and opens the first-ever restaurant in France. France 1789 and revolution is brewing. The aristocrats remain oblivious and complacent. One such is the Duke of Chamfort (Benjamin Lavernhe), who dismisses his talented cook, Pierre Manceron (Grégory Gadebois), when he refuses to apologize for presenting a dish whose ingredients displease one of the Duke’s guests. Manceron leaves his culinary life behind for a life as keeper of a small wayfarers’ inn with his son, Benjamin (Lorenzo Lefèbvre). Into this backwater comes the mysterious Louise (Isabelle Carré), determined to become Manceron’s apprentice. Louise suggests that Manceron should take revenge on the duke. ‘Delicious’ is as good as its title’s promise: leaving aside the exquisite cinematography of haute cuisine, the movie is filled with dangers overt and covert, tensions sexual and political, swift turns of events, and humour. Between keeping secrets, creating serious mishaps, and cooking up marvellous gastronomic schemes of vengeance, the film never has a dull moment. (Subtitles) France 2021 Éric Besnard 112m

Booking Ref

Mon 16 Aug 18:45 (Studio) Tue 24 Aug 16:00 (Studio)

Night Ride

La Nuit Venue Paris, 2018. Jin (Guang Huo), a young undocumented immigrant, drives at night in a fraudulent taxi scheme for the Chinese mafia in order to pay his ‘debt’. His rides are punctuated by sophisticated electro music, a vestige of his past as a DJ in Beijing. One night, the bewitching Noémie (Camélia Jordana) hails his taxi. Intrigued by Jin’s silence and aura and transported by his music, she decides to make him her appointed driver for her night activities. The love story that develops between them pushes Jin to break the rules and attempt to set himself free. Using classic ingredients of film noir (the criminal gang, the femme fatale, the twists of fate, the dead end, the risky choices taken to find a way out, etc), Frédéric Farrucci unveils a cruel society of man’s exploitation by man, to a Césarawarded score composed by Rone. (Subtitles) France 2020 Frédéric Farrucci 95m

chichesterfilmfestival.co.uk

Booking Ref

Simply Black

Tout simplement Noir In this politically incorrect comedy for which Jean-Pascal Zadi was awarded the Most Promising Actor César, JP, a wannabe actor, decides to organise the first large ‘Black Lives Matter’-style protest in France to fight what he perceives as bigotry and racism. As he comically struggles to put together his march, which is set to take place in Paris’ Place de la République, he has various encounters, often burlesque, sometimes tragic, with members of the community, activists, the police. ‘Simply Black’ is funny throughout; the mockumentary angle works, but every laugh gained comes with a pinch of salt because there is an element of truth behind each calamity that Jean-Pascal Zadi experiences. (Subtitles) France 2020 John Wax and Jean-Pascal Zadi 90m

Tue 17 Aug 15:00 (Studio) Tue 24 Aug 18:15 (Studio)

Booking Ref

The Rose Maker

Fri 27 Aug 18:00 (Auditorium) Sun 29 Aug 13:30 (Auditorium)

La Fine Fleur – UK Premiere Eve (Catherine Frot) used to be one of the most famous rose cultivators in the world. Today, her company is on the verge of bankruptcy. The magnificent Catherine Frot (‘Marguerite’) takes centre stage as Eve, a world-renowned rose farmer dealing with hard times. In this easy-going and good-natured comedy, Eve reluctantly accepts help from an unlikely source and, by doing so, discovers new aspects of life that are worth nurturing. Eve used to be content living in complete isolation to focus on her passion for growing roses. When financial ruin threatens her business and livelihood, desperate measures are required. The solution comes in the form of three new workers hired from a back-towork programme. There is just one small problem: they know absolutely nothing about growing roses. Though they have nothing in common, they come up with a crazy plan that could change their lives forever. ‘The Rose Maker’ makes full use of veteran actor Frot alongside a great ensemble of emerging actors playing the hapless farmhands. Funny and warm, the film shows how underneath all of our differences, there is a shared humanity and the potential for friendship. (Subtitles) France 2021 Pierre Pinaud 95m

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VIVE LA FRANCE

Also

Fires in the Dark

A 17th-century French drama, based on a Japanese novel and set in a shoreline village beneath towering rockfaces. See Indies for full details of this French film on pg40.

Also

Mon 23 Aug 11:00

From 13 Aug

chichesterfilmfestival.co.uk

Bertrand Tavernier Tribute For full details of these five classic French films see pg79.

Window on the World Premieres, Previews & New Releases of World Cinema

Booking Ref

Colombia

Whisper of Silence

Sat 14 Aug 18:00 (Studio)

El Suspiro del Silencio Set in the coffee fields of Latin America, the movie unfolds through the eyes of Josefina Moreno, an 18-year-old coffee picker, with a rare and amazing sense of smell. She begins to learn all about the craft with the help of her godmother (Mercy Flores) and the owner of the coffee plantation (Boris Barraza), where she was newly hired. In the meantime, her younger brother, Alfredo Moreno (William Castillo), goes out of control and ends up in jail. Alfredo, looking for revenge for the brutal rape of his sister, manages to convince two hoodlums to rob and kill Don Gilberto (Fernando Gaviria), the perpetrator – however, their plans go horribly wrong. The owner of the plantation tries to help Josefina get her brother out of this desperate situation. Now, with hope on the horizon, Josefina leads the way to the top coffee tasting competitions in the country. However, destiny has other plans for Josefina’s hopes and dreams. (Subtitles) El Salvador/Canada/Colombia 2020 Alfonso Quijada 93m Our thanks to Phoenix Films for this film.

Booking Ref

Israel

Here We Are

Tue 17 Aug 14:30 (Auditorium)

Hine Anachnu – New Release Aaron has devoted his life to caring for his autistic son, Uri. Together they’ve settled into a comfortable routine, but Uri is beginning to reach adulthood with the authorities questioning whether Aaron is capable of handling Uri’s growing needs. Despite Aaron’s protests, Uri is to be moved into a specialized home facility for young adults. Knowing that Uri isn’t ready to be separated from him, Aaron decides to run away with his son. Together, they embark on an adventure of self-discovery and Aaron begins to learn that it was perhaps he who is not ready to be separated from Uri. Noam Imber is thoroughly convincing in the role of Uri and his performance is so genuine that it often feels like a documentary while Avivi handles the role of his father with grace and sensitivity. Though it may not sound uplifting, in Bergman’s skilful hands, its sadness is balanced with humour and buoyed by the strength and dignity of its characters. (Subtitles) Israel 2020 Nir Bergman 94m

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WINDOW ON THE WORLD

Booking Ref

Tunisia

The Man Who Sold His Skin

Sun 22 Aug 21:00 (Auditorium)

L’Homme Qui a Vendu Sa Peau – Preview ‘The Man Who Sold His Skin’ uses the tension between art and commerce as powerful fuel for a sobering story about freedom and human dignity. A Syrian refugee turns his body into an artwork, but at what cost? Sam Ali, a Syrian young man, took refuge in Lebanon to flee the Syrian civil war. There, he meets Jeffrey Godefroi, a famous tattoo artist, who makes Mr Ali’s back his canvas for a piece of work. Soon, Sam becomes a living work of art, worth an astronomical sum on the art market. Paradoxically, it becomes easier for him to travel to Europe as an artwork than as a refugee. But what he thought of as freedom turns out to be anything but. Female writer-director Kaouther Ben Hania offers a provocative contemporary take on the Faustian bargain. Both a satire of the elitist and manipulative art circles, as well as a critique of the world’s dehumanizing apathy towards the international refugee crisis. (Subtitles) Tunisia / France / Belgium/ Germany / Sweden / Turkey 2021 Kaouther Ben Hania 104m

Booking Ref

Mexico

New Order

Fri 20 Aug 21:00 (Auditorium)

30 chichesterfilmfestival.co.uk

Nuevo Orden A near-future dystopia that presents a fractured society hours away from collapse, Michel Franco’s ‘New Order’ is a relentless and blood-soaked study of social injustice, gripping to watch despite its graphic and escalating brutality. On the day of Marianne’s (Naian Gonzaléz Norvind) wedding, a former employee of her family comes to Marianne’s family to ask for help, only to be rebuffed. Marianne wants to do more, but her altruism is interrupted by city-wide protests that force her to hide. The government, looking to foment more hatred between the haves and have-nots, kidnap some members of the rich, Marianne included. Nihilistic in its critique of military force, ‘New Order’ portrays both sides as both innocent victims and heartless aggressors, with the rich turning to armed forces for a semblance of order and the poor protestors executing members of the ruling class with equal violence. In Franco’s bleak vision of the future, no one gets justice or peace. This is dynamic cinema that takes no prisoners. No punches are pulled, no grand statements offered – just a sharp, swift, vibrant vision of an unequal society tilting wildly. (Subtitles) Mexico 2020 Michel Franco 86m

Booking Ref

Egypt

Souad

Wed 25 Aug 17:45 (Auditorium)

Preview Souad, a 19-year-old young Egyptian woman, leads a double life. While remaining conservative and veiled among her family and society, she is obsessed with her image on social media. Razor-sharp and non-judgemental. In a small city on the Nile Delta, 19-year-old Souad (Bassant Ahmed) leads a double life. Online she obsesses over her appearance and embarks on secret virtual romances. A film that gently casts a sharp eye on the challenges faced by women in a strongly patriarchal society. Indeed, tradition and modernity collide in uneasy ways here, Souad and her friends discuss boys, sex and more just like any other women their age, though they must be more discreet lest their elders take punitive action. Featuring astonishing performances from a cast of non-professionals, the film – co-produced by Wim Wenders – acutely examines the contradictions of teenage life in contemporary Egypt and the challenges of combining traditional values with social media. ‘Souad’ is a moving testament to human compassion and resilience. A favourite at the Festival de Cannes 2020. (With hard of hearing subtitles) Egypt/Tunisia/Germany 2020 Ayten Amin 96m Our thanks to the BFI for this film.

Booking Ref

Australia

Never Too Late

Wed 25 Aug 20:30 (Auditorium) Thu 26 Aug 13:30 (Auditorium)

Preview Starring stalwarts like James Cromwell, Jackie Weaver and Jack Thompson, this enjoyable Aussie comedy follows a group of seniors as they plan to break out of their retirement home. Four former prisoners of war who famously broke out of their camp during the Vietnam War are all now residents of the same retirement home for returned veterans. The four men devise a plan to break out of the retirement home in an attempt to fulfil their individual dreams. Angus (screen veteran Jack Thompson) is “forgetting” things and the Brit, Caine (Dennis Waterman), has even more serious health concerns. The slapstick and escape planning set-up suggests a comedic ‘Great Escape’, but the film is also at pains to explore some serious aspects of ageing. The movie evokes ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ as much as it does ‘Grumpy Old Men’. It is impossible not to be charmed by these sweet, grumpy and funny old men. Australia 2021 Mark Lamprell 95m Our thanks to Studio Soho for this film.

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WINDOW ON THE WORLD

Booking Ref

Iran

The Badger

Goorkan – UK Premiere An Iranian abduction thriller, ‘The Badger’ follows mother Soodeh Sharifzadegan as she tirelessly gathers a ransom for her kidnapped son Matiar. Soodeh (Vishka Asayesh) is in the midst of her planning for her second marriage and dealing with her termite-infested rental home. She applies to the US visa lottery and hires a termite extermination company that uses badgers to seek out the core of the infestation. Soodeh must confront both her estranged father and ex-husband for help to pay the ransom. In the end, ‘The Badger’ is not what it seems, and the true kidnapper is not who you would expect. Mollaie’s film is brilliantly paced, and he layers his story with foreboding images. A helmeted man on a motorcycle who seems to be following Soodah, the increasing cracks on the wall of her house, the camera constantly circling Soodah as her own cracks begin to show. A smart and incisive thriller and a fascinating look at modern Iran. (Subtitles) Iran 2020 Kazem Mollaie 93m Tue 17 Aug 20:15 (Studio) Fri 20 Aug 12:00 (Studio)

Booking Ref

Afghanistan

Sisters

UK Premiere In a country where it is forbidden for women and girls to play music, a group of young women risk their lives every day to pursue their passion, both for music and gender equality in Afghanistan. ‘Sisters’ follows UK musician, Dan Blackwell to Kabul to meet Afghanistan’s first-ever female orchestra, ‘Zohra’. How and why do these young women risk their lives to play classical music? Are these brave women paving the way for the future of equality in Afghanistan? What threats do they face? ‘Sisters’ looks into the lives of the Zohra members and their two young leaders – Negin Khpalwak and Zarifa Adiba. Negin sticks with and leads Zohra as the country’s first female conductor despite multiple death threats and family disputes. Zarifa is nowhere to be seen until Dan tracks her down. Discovering her precarious situation, Dan stays with her as she prepares to flee Afghanistan leaving close friends and family behind. UK/Afghanistan 2021 Dan Blackwell 80m

Mon 16 Aug 13:30 (Studio)

chichesterfilmfestival.co.uk

We hope to welcome the producer Tony Klinger to introduce his film. Our thanks to Tony Klinger and Phoenix Films for this film.

Canada

Pieces of a Woman

When a young mother’s home birth ends in unfathomable tragedy, she begins a year-long odyssey of mourning that fractures relationships with loved ones. A deeply personal story of a woman learning to live alongside her loss, Kornél Mundruczó’s film is an emotional rollercoaster with Vanessa Kirby’s sensational performance at the heart of it. The first act is a sequence that will stay with you long after the credits roll. Canada 2020 Kornél Mundruczó 126m

Mon 23 Aug 13:00

Toprak

Turkey (UK Premiere) A simple, but not simplistic, study of a family in rural Turkey dealing with poverty, family tradition and religious heritage. Full details are available on pg35. Sun 15 Aug 10:30

In My Dream

Turkey (UK Premiere) Eight-year-old Tarik has survived a car accident in which his father died. His mother lies in hospital, in a coma. Full details are available on pg36. Tue 17 Aug 10:00

Sleeping in Ruins

Iraq (UK Premiere) In 2017, as the last elements of ISIS were being cleansed from Mosul, a documentary team was at work. Full details are available on pg47. Sat 14 Aug 10:30

Sadan Hanim

Turkey (UK Premiere) A positive exploration of dementia using an actual case study while constructing a life through home movies, and dramatized reconstruction of family memories. Full details are available on pg51. Fri 13 Aug 18:30

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Independents (1946‑2016)

A showcase for undiscovered world talent, with most of these films being UK Premieres. Booking Ref

Being Dead

How do a married couple rekindle their relationship and, in the process, become reconciled with their estranged daughter? More than thirty years after they met as young scientists doing research on an isolated shore, Celice and her husband Joseph return to Baritone Bay, where the wildlife, including the rare species of bird which he discovered, is threatened by development. When they disappear, their daughter, Syl, reluctantly joins the hunt. As their fate becomes clear she herself makes a discovery that will change her life. Based on the novel by Jim Crace, John Meyers’ film is handsomely photographed and scored by his son, Ben. USA 2020 John Meyers 100m

Fri 13 Aug 10:30 (Studio)

Booking Ref

Two teenage girls are charged with murder after posting images of their crime on social media. Based on a true story, this troubling film was shot on mobile phones by the principal actors themselves. Fuelled by drink, drugs and the addiction of simply making a mark in an otherwise vacuous existence, the girls (Rebecca McDiarmid and Brodie Young) win the confidence of, and then mete out extreme violence on, a helpless stranger. This climactic unpleasantness is redeemed to some extent by the veracity and energy of the performances and, crucially, by the film’s warning about the malignity rife on the Internet. Warning: Scenes of disturbing violence UK 2019 Michael Frank 88m

Fri 13 Aug 21:00 (Studio)

chichesterfilmfestival.co.uk

Booking Ref

Killer News from Chukhloma

A celebrated fashion designer returns from Moscow to the remote northern town from which he escaped ten years ago. His intended triumphal visit, arranged by the mayor to mark the centenary of the local House of Culture, turns into something approaching a nightmare as he confronts the horrors of his childhood: the classmates who mocked him at school; the teacher who scored him with a ‘Fail’ and the chaos of his own family. This irresistible black comedy, with vivid imagery and strong performances, is the first feature from its director, herself a prominent fashion designer. (Subtitles) Russia 2019 Jana Nedzvetskaya 83m Sat 14 Aug 20:15 (Studio)

Booking Ref

Toprak

Sun 15 Aug 10:30 (Studio)

The dramatic story of a family in rural Turkey dealing with the intergenerational clash of traditions and ambitions. The orphaned teenager Burak has been brought up by his uncle, Cemil, and his grandmother on a smallholding in rural Turkey. While Cemil contents himself with a primitive life of religious observance, his nephew dreams of the city and university; but he must settle for running a roadside fruit stall. When the grandmother falls seriously ill, tough decisions are required for both man and boy. Minimal dialogue and striking photography add to the mood of quiet desolation in this impressive directorial debut. (Subtitles) Turkey 2020 Sevgi Hirschhäuser 106m

Booking Ref

Fearless

The fortunes of two boxers are used as an allegory for the challenges facing people of colour and immigrants in the United States. This absorbing documentary, shot entirely at a gym in the small town of Conroe, Texas, follows a small boy and a young woman as they prepare for their respective fights. It is not a film about boxing; it is, rather, a study of dedication, even desperation, through unpacking the concept of American optimism and the unrealistic expectations that accompany it. Their struggles are mirrored by that of the gym itself, which is threatened with closure. USA 2020 Wojciech Lorenc 89m Sun 15 Aug 20:30 (Studio)

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INDEPENDENTS

Booking Ref

Maquis

Ten years after the end of the Spanish Civil War partisans continue to fight in the mountains against the Fascists. In a village down on the plains their womenfolk suffer, too, from repression and crises of conscience. Despite some poor subtitling, this thoughtful film, made almost exclusively in black and white, repays our concentration throughout long takes with striking imagery and an unconventional approach to a familiar theme. As the director puts it: “In every house there is a conflict that nobody wants to talk about.” And there is not a man to be seen. (Subtitles) Spain 2020 Rubén Buren 107m Mon 16 Aug 10:00 (Studio)

Booking Ref

Predators

Mon 16 Aug 21:15 (Studio)

Booking Ref

In My Dream

Eight-year-old Tarik has survived a car accident in which his father died. His mother lies in hospital, in a coma. The family lived in the city, but now he is with his grandparents in a village where the limit of his horizon is the care of an orphaned donkey foal. He has no memory of the crash and his past exists only in fragments in his dreams. A fascinating melding of social realism and magical realism, Murat Çeri’s first feature, based on a true story, has already been lauded at several festivals, not least for its often lyrical photography. (Subtitles) Turkey 2020 Murat Çeri 100m Tue 17 Aug 10:00 (Studio)

An ambitious life coach is confronted by a millionaire wishing to demolish the cooperative of garages in which the former keeps his prized Jaguar. The author of a tutorial ‘Predator Psychology’ an ambitious life coach unexpectedly becomes confronted by a millionaire who wants to demolish the garage cooperative in which he keeps his Jaguar car. Now he has to prove to people who have trust in him that he is able to lead them into battle. Calling yourself a predator you have to be able to show your teeth. A game with no rules begins – blackmail, forgery, kidnapping… and a huge St. Bernard. Problems grow like a large snowball turning the story into a cascade of unforeseen comic situations. (Subtitles) Russia 2020 Stepan Sokolov 88m

chichesterfilmfestival.co.uk

Booking Ref

Letters of Happiness

Three postwomen deliver their mail. Each has an amazing story to tell. This modest triptych is described by its director as “a family album, which allows you to plunge into the past, return to childhood, think about the soul”. Refreshingly devoid of any political agenda, it simply offers a romantic view of what constitutes happiness by reminding us of the important things in life: kindness, friendship, love – and a belief in miracles. This debut from a director who trained as an actress at St Petersburg Theatre Academy is both unpretentious and visually charming. (Subtitles) Russia 2020 Svetlana Sukhanova 100m Wed 18 Aug 10:00 (Studio)

Booking Ref

Cardboard Pier

With elections looming, four journalists from Moscow set out to test the political climate in a remote village with a population of 46. The local factory used to meet half the entire country’s demand for cardboard, but times are hard and Udarnik now hides a terrible secret. The culture-clash between the supposedly sophisticated metropolitans and the intensely reticent villagers is conveyed with a clever script and atmospheric photography, showing once again how Russian cinema continues to keep open a prized space for black comedy. (Subtitles) Russia 2020 Kirill Kotelnikov 93m Wed 18 Aug 20:15 (Studio)

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INDEPENDENTS

Booking Ref

A Matter of Perspective

The lives of ten people intersect. As they do so, images of self are shattered, with inevitable consequences for the protagonists’ sense of purpose. There are echoes of Schnitzler’s ‘La Ronde’ in this edgy work from a director who specialises in immersive storytelling. The restless point-of-view camerawork adds to the feeling of subversion and the episodic structure makes demands of the viewer, but the characters and their conflicts ensure that this well-acted and intense psychodrama is well worth our engagement. (Subtitles) Austria 2020 Gerda Leopold 86m

Thu 19 Aug 10:00 (Studio)

Booking Ref

DannyBoy

A stuttering teenager, who aspires to be James Bond but has anxiety problems when around girls he fancies, does his best to bring order to his dysfunctional family. Set in County Kildare in the New Romantic summer of 1981, this delightful quirky rom-com with a witty script and a warm heart provides a bright snapshot of how the young wrestle with small-town life. Darragh Byrne, as the awkward and initially lovelorn Danny, leads an excellent cast in a story told in primary colours against a propulsive and entirely appropriate score. Ireland 2019 Ferdia MacAnna 97m

Sat 21 Aug 10:00 (Studio)

chichesterfilmfestival.co.uk

Booking Ref

Bruno

Preview A homeless man, Daniel, searching for his lost dog forges an unexpected bond with a young boy. A deeply poignant film about mental illness in today’s society. With beautiful performances by Diarmaid Murtagh and Woody Norman. We encounter Daniel living with his dog Bruno in a garage lock-up from which he is evicted shortly after. While seeking other accommodation, he witnesses a group of men trashing a local playground, with which he has a traumatic connection. When Daniel intervenes, he suffers a severe beating and ends up in hospital, losing his dog Bruno along the way. When he returns to the playground to find Bruno, he encounters a young runaway boy called Izzy sleeping there. When Izzy insists on following Daniel around the city and helping him find Bruno, Daniel is forced to come to terms with a horrific moment of personal loss in his life. While homelessness may be prominently featured here, Bruno is above all a moving and sensitively told excavation of personal loss. Ireland 2019 Karl Golden 90m Thanks to Bulldog Pictures for this screening. Sat 21 Aug 16:00 (Studio)

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INDEPENDENTS

Booking Ref

How to Stop a Recurring Dream

Faced with a parental battle over split custody, an elder daughter kidnaps her hostile sister and embarks on a road journey. This first feature by an accomplished director of commercials and rock videos finds him very much at home in a longform study of catastrophic family fall-out. Inspired by a tragedy in his own life, he has written two juicy roles for the two young principals, Ruby (Bridgerton) Barker and Lily Rose Aslandogdu, from whom he extracts convincing and moving performances. Dedicated ‘to all families’. UK 2020 Edward Morris 83m Sun 22 Aug 20:45 (Studio)

Booking Ref

Fires in the Dark

A 17th century drama, based on a Japanese novel and set in a shoreline village beneath towering rockfaces. Fifteen-year-old Alan must grow up fast in order to help his mother and look after his two siblings when, with the family facing ruin, his father gives himself up to twoyear indentured service. While stoking the village’s all-important fire during the night, he will learn what it takes to survive and discover the true purpose of the bonfire’s ritualistic guardianship. This film often ravishes the eye thanks to the consistently lush photography. France 2020 Dominique Lienhard 94m Mon 23 Aug 11:00 (Studio)

Booking Ref

The End

This latest feature from the multipleprizewinning Vladimir Kott might have been made to define the term ‘meta’. It tells of a director, Mitya, who suddenly abandons the set of a TV series. In the grip of a midlife crisis, he discusses his lot with the shade of Marcello Mastroianni. He needs to know the answer to a crucial question: what kind of a director does he wish to be? Inevitably, chaos reigns. Inevitably, too, audiences will be reminded by its quirkiness, its drollery and its surrealistic tone of vintage Woody Allen. Often very funny! Russia 2020 Vladimir Kott 103m

Wed 25 Aug 20:45 (Studio)

40 chichesterfilmfestival.co.uk

Focus on the Documentary

Booking Ref

Truman & Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation

The work, lives, and personal journeys of two American literary giants coalesce with creative combustion in this innovative dualportrait documentary. Tennessee Williams and Truman Capote, two of America’s most famous Southern writers, were not the greatest of friends. Their paths crossed meaningfully, however, at times leading to “bitchery”, as Williams put it deliciously, but also to genuine appreciation for each other’s work. Their camaraderie and rivalry get an intelligent treatment in Lisa Immordino Vreeland’s scrupulous documentary. In the end, both men are beaten down by critics, and they reconcile out of what seems like mutual respect. Vreeland’s documentary bears out the truth that, for galvanic stars whose demons fuel their work, fame always comes at a price, and happiness proves fleeting. Interviews by Dick Cavett, and David Frost. USA 2021 Lisa Immordino Vreeland 86m Fri 13 Aug 13:00 (Studio)

Booking Ref

Maria by Callas

An intimate look at the life and work of Greek American opera singer Maria Callas, as told in her own words. Documentary film that for the first time tells the life story of legendary Greek/ American opera singer Maria Callas, completely in her own words. Tom Volf’s account, which took four years of painstaking research to assemble, includes performances, TV interviews, home movies, family photographs, private letters and unpublished memoires – nearly all of which have never been seen before. ‘Maria by Callas’ reveals the essence of an extraordinary woman who rose from humble beginnings in New York City to become a glamorous international superstar and one of the greatest artists of all time. The film transports you into the world of a great artist. Jean Cocteau, Brigitte Bardot, Edward and Wallis, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, are among those seen coming to hear her sing. (Some subtitles) France 2018 Tom Volf 119m Fri 13 Aug 15:15 (Studio)

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FOCUS ON THE DOCUMENTARY

Booking Ref

Thu 19 Aug 12:30 (Studio)

Karajan: Maestro of the Salzburg Easter Festival

An illuminating documentary focusing on the 2017 staging and rehearsing of Richard Wagner’s opera ‘Die Walküre’ which will be a reconstructed performance of its 1967 original, conducted by Karajan’s former student Maestro Christian Thielemann. The film unveils the story of the foundation of Karajan’s personal festival, his passion for Wagner’s Ring and for building a historical monument together with legendary stage designer Schneider-Siemssen. In 2017, the festival celebrated its 50th anniversary. The Salzburg Easter Festival is an annual festival of opera and classical music held in Salzburg, Austria during Easter week. For most of the festival’s history, the resident orchestra of the Easter Festival has been the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, of which Karajan was music director at the time, with Karajan also serving as the Easter Festival’s artistic director. (Subtitles) Austria 2017 Hannes M. Schalle 55m

Sisters

In a country where it is forbidden for women and girls to play music, a group of young women risk their lives every day to pursue their passion, both for music and gender equality in Afghanistan. We hope to welcome the producer Tony Klinger to introduce his film. For full details see pg32.

chichesterfilmfestival.co.uk

Booking Ref

Misha and the Wolves

Thu 19 Aug 14:45 (Auditorium)

Holocaust memoir that might not be all it’s cracked up to be. Misha Defonseca’s book is a smash hit but questions arise over its authenticity. This is the dramatic tale of a woman whose holocaust memoir took the world by storm, but a fallout with her publisher – who turned detective – revealed an audacious deception created to hide a darker truth. There are no winners in the story of Misha Defonseca, a woman who became an international bestselling author by lying about her experience during the Holocaust and turning her tall tale of survival into a memoir. Exploring the lines between naivety and sensitivity, pity and reproach, Sam Hobkinson’s film excels in its selection of contributors – some of them Misha’s friends, others who helped expose the truth – each of whom offers a telling insight into why people often believe what they do. To say any more would spoil the shocks and surprises at the heart of Sam Hobkinson’s roller-coaster film. The combination of archive footage, fresh interviews and extensive dramatic reconstructions is tightly edited. Hobinkson makes the most of a hugely involving story and a collection of fascinating individuals. Belgium/UK 2021 Sam Hobkinson 90m

Booking Ref

The Most Beautiful Boy in the World

Sun 22 Aug 18:30 (Studio) NB. Visconti’s ‘Death in Venice’ is showing on Sat 21 Aug.

In 1971, due to the world premiere of ‘Death in Venice’, Italian director Lucino Visconti proclaimed his Tadzio as the world’s most beautiful boy. A shadow that today, 50 years later, weighs Björn Andrésen’s life. It was a face that launched a thousand fanatics – Björn Andrésen was dubbed “the most beautiful boy in the world” by director Luchino Visconti, who had scoured Europe in search of the perfect Tadzio for his adaptation of Thomas Mann’s short story ‘Death in Venice’. Andrésen’s waves of flaxen hair, dark eyes and prominent cheekbones captivated an audience across the world, from arthouse cinema lovers to Japanese manga artists, who saw him as the embodiment of ‘bishōnen’. This film by Kristina Lindström and Kristian Petri offers a particularly moving insight into Andrésen’s personal history of tragedy, and the trauma inflicted by such limelight in his youth, a documentary piece that inspires real affection for its subject and exposes the ways abuse can be easily inflicted in stardom. (Subtitles) Sweden 2021 Kristina Lindström and Kristian Petri 93m

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FOCUS ON THE DOCUMENTARY

Booking Ref

Escher: Journey into Infinity

Fri 27 Aug 20:45 (Studio) Sat 28 Aug 10:30 (Studio)

Imaginative feature documentary about the life and work of M.C. Escher. Written and directed by Robin Lutz, this is a rare feature that takes the trouble not just to understand its subject and communicate his significance, but find ways to show us, visually, how his style evolved, and the principles behind that evolution. His work is a geometric/mathematical surrealist vision of the objectively perceivable world, but also a subjective interior, evoking ancient Arabic-North African graphics; the Salvador Dali-Pablo Picasso-Georges Braque antirealist sensibilities of the ‘20s and ‘30s, and computer models that would not become popular until decades after Escher’s own experiments. Lutz and his collaborators, including a team of graphic designers and animators, make Escher’s art come to life in surprising and amusing ways, such as having one of his trademark salamanders appear in an otherwise ‘realistic’ frame. Escher’s letters, performed in voice-over by Stephen Fry, make it clear that he challenged himself to improve his abilities. (Subtitles) Netherlands 2021 Robin Lutz 81m

Jazz on a Summers Day

See All That Jazz! for full details on pg72. Fri 27 Aug 21.00

Billie – a Documentary on Billie Holiday

See All That Jazz! for full details on pg72. Mon 23 Aug 19:30

A Love Supreme / Spike Wells at the Guildhall

See All That Jazz! for full details on g72. Thu 19 Aug 20:00

44 chichesterfilmfestival.co.uk

Towards the Unknown Region: Malcolm Arnold – a Story of Survival Introduced by Tony Palmer. See Malcolm Arnold Centenary for full details on pg83. From 15 Aug

Also the following documentaries from the disABILTY Section (full details in this section on pg50.) Sadan Hanim (Turkey)

A positive exploration of dementia using an actual case study while constructing a life through home movies, and dramatized reconstruction of family memories. Fri 13 Aug 18:30

GOSIA@TOMEK (Germany/Poland)

A moving, engaging film about caring for a very disabled partner that gives insights into the difficult situation rarely seen. Mon 23 Aug 18:30

Two Roads (Czech Republic)

A moving, unsentimental documentary about a Czech band composed of members with physical/mental/emotional special needs. An unseen world, worthy of a wider audience. Thu 26 Aug 14:00

The Reason I Jump (USA/UK)

Based on the book by Naoki Higashida, this immersive film explores the experiences of non-speaking autistic people around the world. Mon 23 Aug 16:00

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FOCUS ON THE DOCUMENTARY

Indie Documentaries Booking Ref

Sleeping in Ruins

In 2017, as the last elements of ISIS were being cleared out of Mosul, a documentary team went to work. The result is a harrowing portrait of the devastation in Iraq’s second largest city and of how the ‘brutal fingers’ of war touch ordinary people. All the more powerful for its discretion, this confident film sheds light on a significant period of recent history with humanity at its core. It is also a rarity, coming as it does from a cinema little known outside its own land. (Subtitles) Iraq 2019 Horen Ghareeb/Hardi Qadir Ibrahim 69m Sat 14 Aug 10:30 (Auditorium)

Booking Ref

Our Land, Our Altar

Fri 20 Aug 10:00 (Studio)

A few families remain in the tower-blocks of a social housing project in Oporto. Their days there are numbered. As the demolition teams moved into the run-down Aleixo estate to execute part of a ‘gentrification’ programme, André Guiomar began the six-year shoot which resulted in this poignant study of lives being lived under imminent threat from the wrecking-ball. Filmed six years later, it depicts an area that has become a ghost town. The wind howls through empty buildings. ‘Our Land, Our Altar’ is never explicitly political. It allows the viewer to draw their own conclusions but there is no doubting the forces of gentrification and the casual disregard for lives that don’t seem to matter. (Subtitles) Portugal 2020 André Guiomar 78m

Booking Ref

Another Paradise

Sun 22 Aug 11:00 (Studio)

46 chichesterfilmfestival.co.uk

By 1974 Britain had removed the entire Creole population of the Chagos Archipelago. This clandestine operation took place so the largest island, Diego Garcia, could be leased to the US Navy. Olivier Magis’s understated documentary focuses on the efforts by the exiles’ descendants to affect a return to their Indian Ocean idyll – a campaign led from Crawley, home to some 3,000 secondgeneration Chagossians, by a charismatic and indomitable NHS worker, Sabrina Jean, whose father was one of those treated so cynically half a century ago. She strives to keep the flame of hope alive in her community with one single goal: to return home. But as the elders die out and memory fades, time is running out. (Subtitles) Belgium 2019 Olivier Magis 82m

Booking Ref

Mon 23 Aug 20.30 (Studio)

Ferroequinology

The clue to the title lies in the 200-year-old term for a steam locomotive. This strangely haunting documentary follows two photographers as they journey across America. Two artists set out on journeys across America to capture traces of locomotives in vast landscapes, intimate stories from passengers onboard and the experience of slow travel in today’s increasingly fast-paced society. One waits patiently in the wide-open spaces for the tell-tale sound of a train which might or might not even materialize. The other elicits stories from his fellow-passengers. In an era when slow travel, like slow radio and television, is especially rewarding, Alex Nevill’s unusual film grips gently in glorious black and white. UK 2021 Alex Nevill 76m Booking Ref

Tue 24 Aug 11.00 (Studio)

The Lost Shoes

The story of a man from the Verona countryside who devoted his life and political experience to his communist ideals, culminating in the kidnapping of a NATO general. Armando Lanza, once an altar and later a member of the Italian revolutionary group, Red Brigades, was imprisoned and tortured after being involved in the kidnap of a NATO general, James Dozier, from his apartment in Verona. Using a substantial amount of contemporary footage, the film provides an important record of political agitation, ranging from small-scale guerrilla initiatives to mass strikes, as well as a revealing portrait of one of its protagonists. (Subtitles) Italy 2020 Tomaso Aramini/Rafiqfuad Yarahmadi 104m

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FOCUS ON THE DOCUMENTARY

Booking Ref

Tue 24 Aug 20:30 (Studio)

March for Dignity

A powerful and salutary portrait of perseverance, as a small group of LGBT activists in Tbilisi attempts to hold a Pride demonstration. Against overwhelming opposition from the Georgian government, the Orthodox Church and far-right organizations, the campaigners strive to make themselves visible and heard in a country which is at a turning-point in its history. Does it amplify its overtures towards the EU or concede to greater Russian influence? This compelling first feature from a London-based documentary maker packs much detail into a relatively short running-time. (Subtitles) UK 2020 John Eames 75m Booking Ref

Wed 25 Aug 11.00 (Studio)

Goodbye Europe

‘Goodbye Europe’ is a travel documentary about one woman and her dog making a farewell journey across Europe in the final summer before Brexit. In July 2019, the 37-year-old multilingual Lancastrian set out in a campervan with her dog Bruce and an iPhone to “say goodbye to being a European citizen” by compiling a personal love letter to the continent. She travelled as far as Bohemia, always curious, always good-humoured, and never dogmatic, with the result that this quiet, impressively shot home movie achieves a status worthy of festival screening. Its attractive and witty animations are a bonus. (Subtitles) UK 2020 Lara Hewitt 101m

chichesterfilmfestival.co.uk

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disABILITY

We have pleasure in presenting a unique selection of outstanding films, both fiction and documentary, portraying and exploring different aspects of disability including autism, dementia, PTS, partially sighted, and the severely handicapped. Although these are serious subjects, the films are incredibly positive, they are often heart-warming and uplifting and portrayed with grace, dignity and humour. Most of the films will have subtitles. Booking Ref

Fri 13 Aug 18:30 (Studio)

Sadan Hanim

A positive exploration of dementia using an actual case study while constructing a life through home movies, and dramatized reconstruction of family memories. The life of Sadan Ünüvar is shown intertwined with the information about Alzheimer’s disease, her diagnoses, the speeches of specialists, the importance of caregivers and early diagnosis as well as the influence of Alzheimer’s disease on her life. The project started in 2013 with her diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and was mostly shot in Sadan Ünüvar›s own house in Kadıköy Moda. Scientific support was received from the Alzheimer’s Association from the beginning of the shoot. Alzheimer’s disease consists of three basic stages. The aim was to take important and specific images of these stages of the disease, to feed them into documentary fiction and make people knowledgeable about Alzheimer’s while telling an immersive life story, rather than to squeeze people into a didactic narrative. The result shows the extraordinary relationship between her doctor and this vigorous and humorous 90-year-old woman. (Subtitles) Turkey 2020 Göksel Gülensoy 90m

Here We Are

Aaron has devoted his life to caring for his autistic son, Uri. Together they’ve settled into a comfortable routine, but Uri is beginning to reach adulthood with the authorities questioning whether Aaron is capable of handling Uri’s growing needs. (Subtitles) Israel 2020 Nir Bergman 94m Tue 17 Aug 14:30

50 chichesterfilmfestival.co.uk

Booking Ref

The Man Who Ate the World

Der Mann der die Welt aß ‘What does a perfect life look like? Do I want too much? Am I too greedy?’ These are perhaps the central questions posed by Johannes Suhm in his impressive adaptation of a 2009 stage play about a corrosive and ambivalent father-son relationship. This is a story about male hubris, repressed feelings, unconscious depression and the hard struggle for success in a world where fragility has no place. At times painful to watch, the film is carried by energetic direction, gritty photography and outstanding performances. One concludes that in circumstances such as those experienced by the principals, the answer to questions two and three is ‘Yes’. Above all, redemption is hard won. (Subtitles) Germany 2020 Johannes Suhm 80m

Sun 15 Aug 18.30 (Studio)

Booking Ref

Thu 19 Aug 14:30 (Studio)

9,75

During his military service in 1990’s Southeast Turkey, Ahmet experiences something that will haunt him for the rest of his life. A beautifully made slow burn drama with excellent production values and performances. Adapted from a Turkish novel, Ahmet, a soldier with PTSD, is coming to terms with life as a writer, attempting to fuse painful memories with current reality whilst awaiting surgery for a brain tumour Just as the lines between dream and the reality start to blur, he meets Serap; a ‘mirage’ like the meaning of her name, the love of his life. But time is ticking as his painful past weighs down on him every day, (Subtitles) Turkey 2020 Uluç Bayraktar 117m

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disABILITY

Booking Ref

The Reason I Jump

Based on the book by Naoki Higashida, this immersive film explores the experiences of non-speaking autistic people around the world. At the age of thirteen, Naoki Higashida, whose autism had rendered him aphasic, managed to write a book detailing exactly how he viewed the world thereby giving readers a first-person account of what living with his condition really felt like. Travelling from Europe to America to Africa, Jerry Rothwell’s superb documentary uses Higashida’s insightful prose as a springboard, guiding viewers through what amounts to a foreign land while at the same time introducing us to the people who inhabit it. What emerges is a chaotic swirl of sensory overload, fear, and overwhelming frustration in which the autistic person’s array of defences, including outbursts, repetitive behaviour, and word salad are misinterpreted as mental illness or even demonic possession. “An excellent and educational work” The Guardian (Subtitles) USA 2021 Jerry Rothwell 82m

Mon 23 Aug 16.00 (Auditorium)

Booking Ref

GOSIA@TOMEK

What happens to a relationship if a partner suddenly becomes severely disabled after an accident? Gosia will stand by her boyfriend Tomek no matter what so as to let him live as normal and fulfilled a live as possible. Time and again Gosia becomes painfully aware of her own limits, as well as of those of a society that talks a lot about inclusion but often does not seem to be ready for it. A moving, engaging film about caring for a very disabled partner that gives insights into the difficult situation rarely seen. ‘GOSIA@ TOMEK’ is based on more than 3000 emails that Gosia has been writing to Tomek daily since his accident. Shown at this year’s online Berlinale. (Subtitles) Germany/Poland 2020 Christine Jezio 90m

Mon 23 Aug 18.30 (Studio)

chichesterfilmfestival.co.uk

Booking Ref

Thu 26 Aug 14:45 (Studio)

Two Roads

What would you do with your life in a limited body and with limited time? The members of the popular band The Tap Tap, all of whom are disabled (or as they cynically call themselves, crippled) have a pretty clear idea. A moving, unsentimental documentary on a Czech band composed of members with physical/mental/emotional special needs. The band was founded 21 years ago, and its members want to enjoy every minute and, however improbable, to taste fame as rock stars. The Tap Tap orchestra is a vivacious example of how some of life’s most difficult obstacles can be overcome. Very absorbing, positive, often joyous. (Subtitles) Czech Republic 2020 Radovan Síbrt 80m Booking Ref

Pulse

Inspiring biopic about a young Ukrainian athlete who lost much of her eyesight in a car crash but attempts against all odds to win at the Beijing Paralympic Games. A young Ukrainian field athlete living in a small town has a big dream – to take part in the Olympics. Her nascent competitive career is proving promising. But after a terrible car accident in which she loses most of her eyesight, it seems Oksana has no other choice but to forget about the Olympics. However, she is not going to give up and wishes to prove that there are no obstacles on the way to make the real dream come true. (Subtitles) Ukraine 2020 Sergii Chebotarenko 100m Fri 27 Aug 13.45 (Studio)

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Fellini: A Centenary Retrospective Federico Fellini created many unforgettable worlds in his films, starting with early work influenced by his provincial youth, which would inform the multi-award winning ‘La Strada’ (1954), with its portrayal of the harsh life of travelling entertainers in post-war Italy. Rome, however, would become the all-consuming subject of his later work, first portrayed as a seductive world of illusion in ‘The White Sheik’ (1952), followed by its seamy underworld of prostitution in ‘The Nights of Cabiria’ (1957). After the international success of ‘La Dolce Vita’, Fellini would turn increasingly to flamboyant fantasy, with that film’s star, Marcello Mastroianni, playing the director’s own alter-ego in ‘8 ½’ (1963). Ancient Rome, as chronicled by Nero’s courtier Petronius, became a lurid spectacle in ‘Satyricon’ (1969), while ‘Roma’ (1972) allowed Fellini to take viewers on a very personal tour of the city as he had experienced it. However, it was a nostalgic return to the Rimini of his youth in ‘Amarcord’ (1973) that gave Fellini his last resounding critical and commercial success. Like Kubrick’s ‘Barry Lyndon’, made the year before, ‘Casanova’ (1976) disconcerted many of the director’s admirers, with its disenchanted approach to historical portrayal. Yet it has found many supporters, who maintain that the pessimism of later Fellini is as admirable as his earlier optimism. Marking the director’s centenary, Ferruccio Castronuovo’s behind-the-scenes documentary, ‘Fellinopolis’, offers a chance to revisit many of the extraordinary worlds conjured from Fellini’s self-mythologization. – Ian Christie Booking Ref

Sun 15 Aug 13.30 (Studio) Sat 28 Aug 16:00 (Studio)

The White Sheik

Lo Sceicco Bianco A charming screwball comedy in which Ivan brings his new bride to Rome to introduce her to his family, but Wanda is more interested in meeting The White Sheik – hero of her favourite fotoromanzo. An early film from Fellini, with a script by Antonioni ‘The White Sheik’ tells the story of a newlywedded couple’s honeymoon that turns into disaster when the virginal bride runs away in search of the eponymous hero, a soap-opera actor who fulfils her naïve romantic ideals. With his first solo effort, parting ways with Rossellini but not entirely from neo-realism, he went back to one of his passions — comic-book writing. ‘The White Sheik’ is one of Fellini’s funniest films that deals with the relationship between fantasy and reality with a satirical deft touch. (Subtitles) Italy 1952 Federico Fellini 86m

chichesterfilmfestival.co.uk

Booking Ref

La Strada

Mon 16 Aug 12:15 (Auditorium)

A carefree girl (Giulietta Masina) is sold to a travelling entertainer, consequently enduring physical and emotional pain along the way. Sold by her impoverished mother to Zampanò (Anthony Quinn), a brutish fairground wrestler, waif-like Gelsomina (Giulietta Masina) lives a life of drudgery as his assistant. After taking to the road with a travelling circus, a budding relationship with Il Matto, a gentle, tightrope walking clown, offers a potential refuge from her master’s clutches. Trapped by her own servile nature, Gelsomina waivers, and Zampano’s volcanic temper erupts with tragic consequences. ’La Strada’ is a simple but beautifully crafted story that transcends itself to encompass the big themes in life: love, hope, loneliness and regret. (Subtitles) Italy 1954 Federico Fellini 104m

Booking Ref

Fellini’s Casanova

Thu 19 Aug 20:00 (Studio)

Il Casanova di Federico Fellini The myth of Giacomo Casanova, the notorious womanizer, is presented as a pitiable and terrifying figure. A sex scandal lands him in prison, but an escape to Paris provides him with a new lease of life. Fellini’s version of Casanova possesses a rare visual daring and imagination. The film features a breath-taking performance from the sultry Donald Sutherland as the original playboy in his latter days as he travels through Europe engaging in a variety of amorous adventures which mostly take place in 18th century Italy. Giacomo Casanova is a modestly wealthy adventurer who leads a futile existence; his only strengths lie in seduction and sexual performance. His life becomes increasingly meaningless as lovers slip away. (Subtitles) Italy 1976 Federico Fellini 155m

Booking Ref

Nights of Cabiria

Tue 17 Aug 11:30 (Auditorium)

Le Notti Di Cabiria A prostitute wanders the streets of Rome looking for true love but finding only heartbreak. Fellini’s classic study of romantic resilience and faith in human nature. Practising the world’s oldest profession in Rome’s Parco di Porta Capena, the trusting and stubbornly optimistic streetwalker, Cabiria (Giulietta Masina) refuses to lose faith in love. After escaping death by the skin of her teeth, Cabiria continues to confront life with a mixture of naivety and arrogance, lurching from one improbable relationship to another. A dalliance with a film star affords her a brief glimpse of how the other half live. Despite her poor choices and bad luck, Cabiria must continue to struggle for the attainment of a dignified life. (Subtitles) Italy/France 1957 Federico Fellini 110m BOX OFFICE 01243 786 650

FELLINI: A CENTENARY RETROSPECTIVE

Booking Ref

Fellini’s Roma

Fri 20 Aug 14:30 (Studio)

Booking Ref

Amarcord

Sun 22 Aug 11:30 (Auditorium)

Fellini’s semi-autobiographical comedydrama about Titta, an adolescent boy growing up among an eccentric cast of characters in the fictional town of Borgo. The title translates as “I remember” and the film is a carnivalesque reminiscence of Fellini’s hometown and its circus of social rituals, adolescent desires, male fantasies and political subterfuge. The film is saturated with Fellini’s affection for his characters with stories loosely centring on a teenager named Titta and his household. One of Fellini’s best-loved productions, weaving together Giuseppe Rottuno’s colourful cinematography, Danilo Donati’s extravagant costumes and sets and Nino Rota’ nostalgia-tinged score. Shown in a rare 35mm print. (Subtitles) Italy 1974 Federico Fellini 124m

Booking Ref

Fellini’s Satyricon

Sat 21 Aug 20.30 (Studio)

Fellini’s monumental and outlandish tribute to his beloved Eternal City, in which he builds a narrative that has the city for a protagonist. Travelogue, memoir, and outrageous cinematic spectacle converge in this kaleidoscopic valentine to Rome. Leisurely one moment and breathless the next, this urban fantasia interweaves recollections of the director’s young adulthood with an impressionistic portrait of contemporary Rome. Remarkable images of sex, food and nightlife affirm Fellini’s aphorism that Rome is “the most wonderful movie set in the world.” The myth and mystique of Italy’s capital city are seen through a series of vignettes brimming with satire and spark. (Subtitles) Italy 1973 Federico Fellini 114m

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Federico Fellini’s career achieved new levels of eccentricity and brilliance with this remarkable, controversial, extremely loose adaptation of Petronius’s classical Roman satire, written during the reign of Nero. After his young lover, Gitone (Max Born), leaves him for another man, Encolpio (Martin Potter) decides to kill himself, but a sudden earthquake destroys his home before he has a chance to do so. Now wandering around ancient Rome, Encolpio encounters one bizarre and surreal scene after another. He’s invited to a poetry reading that ends in violence; is taken hostage by pirates; and is even forced to battle a gladiator disguised as a minotaur in a giant labyrinth. Audacious and ambitious and full of Fellini’s abundant affection for human grotesques, this is a visual adventure you are unlikely to forget. Italy/France 1969 Federico Fellini 130m

Booking Ref

Orchestra Rehearsal

Prova d’orchestra Made in 1978 for Italian television, ‘Orchestra Rehearsal’ is possibly Fellini’s most satirical and overtly political film and the last collaboration between Fellini and the legendary composer Nino Rota. An allegorical pseudo-documentary, the film depicts an Italian television crew’s visit to a dilapidated auditorium (a converted 13th century church) to meet an orchestra assembling to rehearse under the instruction of a tyrannical conductor. The TV crew interviews the various musicians who each speak lovingly about their chosen instruments. However, as petty squabbles break out amid the different factions of the ensemble, and the conductor berates his musicians, the meeting descends into anarchy and vandalism. By turns amusing and thoughtful and abounding with its director s trademark rich imagery and expressive style, the film is often interpreted as a metaphor for Italian politics. Italy 1978 Federico Fellini 72m

Mon 23 Aug 16.30 (Studio)

Booking Ref

8½

Probably Fellini’s most acclaimed work. This tale of a harried filmmaker retreating into memories and fantasies strikes the perfect balance between fantasy and reality. Troubled Italian filmmaker Guido Anselmi (Marcello Mastroianni) struggles with creative stasis as he attempts to get a new movie off the ground. Overwhelmed by his work and personal life, the director retreats into his thoughts, which often focus on his loves, both past and present, and frequently wander into fantastical territory. As he tries to sort out his many entanglements, romantic and otherwise, Anselmi finds his production becoming more and more autobiographical. The result is a dazzling array of themes and images which make 8½ the quintessential Fellini movie as well as the most potent movie about filmmaking. (Subtitles) Italy/France 1963 Federico Fellini 138m

Wed 18 Aug 11:15 (Auditorium)

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FELLINI: A CENTENARY RETROSPECTIVE

Booking Ref

Fellinopolis

UK Premiere Observing the great director through the eyes and the lenses of Ferruccio Castronuovo, Fellini’s trusted partner, who filmed him between the 1976 and 1986. The year 2020 marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of Federico Fellini. Enter the world of Federico Fellini. The documentary juxtaposes never-before-seen material of the maestro at work with testimonies by some of Fellini’s most devoted co-workers and friends, among these, Lina Wertmüller, Nicola Piovani, Dante Ferretti, Maurizio Millenotti, Ferruccio Castronuovo and Norma Giacchero. In doing so, the film reveals some of Fellini’s heretofore unknown and, at times, contradictory character traits, thereby uncovering the man behind the genius. Combining behind-the-scenes footage of Fellini at work with contemporary testimonies, thus creating a compelling narrative that binds past and present in an exquisite and unique creation. This is a special treat for Fellini fans and all fans of Italian cinema. Italy 2020 Silvia Giulietti 78m Our thanks to Wide Sales Company for this film. Mon 23 Aug 10:30 (Studio)

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‘In His Dreams’: Exploring the Weird Worlds of Fellini through his Dream Diary An illustrated lecture by film historian Ian Christie In 1960, Fellini scored his greatest popular and critical success with ‘La Dolce Vita’. But he was also beset with doubts, and on the advice of his Jungian analyst, began to record his dreams. Over the next thirty years, he would explore a bizarre fantasy life in drawings and texts, recalling his early career as a cartoonist; and many of these fantasies found their way into his later work, including ‘8½’, ‘Fellini’s Roma’, ‘Satyricon’ and ‘Casanova’. An immense edition of those diaries was published in 2020 to mark the centenary of Fellini’s birth, and armed with it we can explore afresh ‘Fellinia’, the inner world that the filmmaker brought to life on screen. Picasso, Chaplin, Hitler, Anita Ekberg, the Kennedys, and his wife Giuletta Masina, all mingle among a huge cast of characters.

Mon 23 Aug 13.30 (Studio)

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NB. Preceding Ian Christie’s talk, is a screening of a fascinating new documentary ‘Fellinopolis’ (UK Premiere) in the auditorium at 10:30am, and following the talk is Fellini’s ‘Orchestral Rehearsal’ – (Studio) 16:30

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Black Directors Matter Small Axe

Special Offer All 5 Films & Talk £25

We are proud to be able to screen Steve McQueen’s BBC ‘s TV event of the year, a collection of five films for television based on the real-life experiences of London’s West Indian community. For these rare screenings to be shown on the Big Screen we are grateful for permission from the BBC and BFI South Bank. Set between 1968 and 1982, these five standalone stories, shown here in chronological order, celebrate courage and community. From a group of activists taking on a seemingly hopeless battle against police persecution, to a teenager experiencing a blues party full of dance, danger and romance, they’re a powerful reminder of how brave individuals can spark change. ‘Small Axe’ delivers a message our divided world needs to hear: even the most marginalized voices can challenge the most powerful. Writers: Steve McQueen, Alastair Siddons, Courttia Newland Director: Steve McQueen Producers: Mike Elliot, Anita Overland Booking Ref

Sat 14 Aug 17.30 (Auditorium)

Mangrove

The first film, centres on Frank Crichlow (Shaun Parkes), the owner of Notting Hill’s Caribbean restaurant Mangrove, a lively community base for locals, intellectuals and activists. 1970 – the local police raid Mangrove time after time, making Frank and the local community take to the streets in peaceful protest. When nine men and women, including Frank and leader of the British Black Panther Movement Altheia Jones-LeCointe (Letitia Wright) and activist Darcus Howe (Malachi Kirby) are wrongly arrested and charged with incitement to riot, a highly publicized trial ensues, leading to a hard-fought win for those fighting against discrimination. BBC TV 2020 Steve McQueen 127m

60 chichesterfilmfestival.co.uk

Booking Ref

Lovers Rock

‘Lovers Rock’ tells a fictional story of young love at a Blues party in 1980. Intoxicating and nostalgic loaded with tactile, sensuous storytelling. The film is an ode to the romantic reggae genre, Lovers Rock, and to the young black people who found freedom and love in its sound in London house parties when they were unwelcome in white nightclubs. Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn makes her screen debut opposite the Bafta’s 2020 Rising Star award recipient Michael Ward (‘Top Boy’). Shaniqua Okwok ‘Boys’, Kedar WilliamsStirling (‘Sex Education’), Ellis George (‘Dr Who’), Alexander James-Blake (‘Top Boy’), and Kadeem Ramsay (‘Blue Story’) also star. BBC TV 2020 Steve McQueen 70m Mon 16 Aug 21.00 (Auditorium)

Booking Ref

Red, White and Blue

Tue 17 Aug 18:30 (Studio)

A black British man who in the 1980s abandoned a career in science to become a police officer, despite – or in some agonizingly redemptive sense, because of – the fact that his father was once beaten up by racists in uniform. When he sees his father assaulted by two policemen, Leroy finds himself driven to revisiting a childhood ambition to become a police officer – an ambition born from the naïve hope of wanting to change racist attitudes from within. First, Leroy must face the consequences of his father’s disapproval, never mind the blatant racism he finds in his new role as a despised – yet exemplary – Constable in the Metropolitan Police Force. John Boyega and Steve Toussaint star. BBC TV 2020 Steve McQueen 80m

Booking Ref

Alex Wheatle

The fourth and penultimate film in the ‘Small Axe’ series tells the true story of Alex Wheatle, now a celebrated author, who turned his life around after being jailed over the Brixton riots in 1981. Having spent his childhood in a mostly white institutional care home with no love or family, Alex finally finds not only a sense of community for the first time in Brixton, but his identity and opportunity to grow his passion for music and DJing. When he is thrown in prison during the Brixton Uprising of 1981, he confronts his past and sees a path to healing. Sheyi Cole stars opposite Jonathan Jules. BBC TV 2020 Steve McQueen 66m Wed 18 Aug 18.15 (Studio)

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BLACK DIRECTORS MATTER

Booking Ref

Education

Education is the comingof-age story of 12-year-old Kingsley (Kenyah Sandy) with a fascination for astronauts and rockets. When Kingsley is called to the headmaster’s office for being disruptive in class, he discovers he’s being sent to school for those with ‘special needs’. Distracted by working two jobs, his parents (Sharlene Whyte, Daniel Francis) are unaware of what was the unofficial segregation policy at play that is preventing many Black children from having the education they deserve – until a group of West Indian women take matters into their own hands. Bafta-award winning Naomi Ackie also stars. Education was co-written by Alastair Siddons and Steve McQueen. BBC TV 2020 Steve McQueen 63m

Sun 22 Aug 13.00 (Studio)

Booking Ref

Small Axe Talk

“If You Are the Big Tree …”

Contextualising ‘Small Axe’ within Black British culture and film. Following the screening of ‘Education’, join film programmer Grace Barber-Plentie for an illustrated talk about the culture and influences that helped shape Steve McQueen’s anthology, the often-forgotten pioneers of Black British Cinema, and her experiences of hosting weekly forums discussing the anthology within the Black British community. Grace Barber-Plentie is a film programmer currently working on BFI London Film Festival. Her passion is films of the Black diaspora, with a particular interest in films directed by Black women, and Black queer filmmakers.

Sun 22 Aug 15.00 (Studio)

chichesterfilmfestival.co.uk

Booking Ref

Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not be Televised

Tue 24 Aug 20.45 (Auditorium)

Deftly interweaving incredible live footage with a series of revealing interviews, Summer of Soul captures the spirit and context of a watershed moment while tying it firmly to the present. ‘Summer of Soul’ is a feature documentary about the legendary 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival which celebrated African American music and culture and promoted Black pride and unity. Premiered at Sundance Film Festival to great acclaim, where it won both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award. ‘Summer of Soul’ shines a light on the importance of history to our spiritual well-being and stands as a testament to the healing power of music during times of unrest, both past and present. It is a piece of power-to-the-people-art, featuring dizzyingly rich footage that has been forgotten and neglected until now. A brief glance at the line-up reveals a remarkable list of talent including BB King, Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Gladys Knight and Sly and the Family Stone. It is touching to witness concertgoers who were just kids at the time watching these terrific images. US 2021 Questlove 117m

Booking Ref

Daughters of the Dust

Julie Dash’s majestic first feature is a poignant portrait of three generations of Gullah women (descendants of West African slaves) at the turn of the 20th century as their family struggles with the decision to migrate from their sea island home off the coast of South Carolina to the mainland. ‘Daughters’ portrayed a new type of blackness and black identity – one located in a pastoral island setting still informed by myth and ancestral traditions. Dash’s perspective is determinedly feminist as she fuses together image, sound, authentic dialect and traditions of African oral storytelling to portray the power, beauty, and resilience of black women. Her vision and aesthetic sensibilities perfectly capture a forgotten moment of the African American experience and charts new ground in the representation of black women on screen. One of the key inspirations for the film work that accompanied Beyoncé’s Lemonade, this is a timely re-release for Dash’s powerful film. USA 1991 Julie Dash 112m

Thu 26 Aug 16.15 (Studio)

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BLACK DIRECTORS MATTER

Simply Black

In this politically incorrect French comedy, JP, a wannabe actor, decides to organize the first large Black Lives Matter style protest in France to fight what he perceives as bigotry and racism. (subtitles) France 2020 John Wax and Jean-Pascal Zadi 90m For full details see French Cinema / Vive la France on pg23.

64 chichesterfilmfestival.co.uk

Rocks

A young black teenage girl finds herself struggling to take care of herself and her younger brother after being abandoned by their single mother with no choice but to live out on the streets. UK 2020 Sarah Gavron 93m For full details Covid Catch-Up on pg77.

Christopher Nolan: A Retrospective “What I’ve found is, people who let my films wash over them — who don’t treat it like a crossword puzzle, or like there is a test afterwards — they get the most out of the film.” Christopher Nolan. In the first two decades of the 21st century Christopher Nolan has achieved what would appear to be an impossible feat — that of making original films which have all the hallmarks of a personal vision of cinema, films which feature big stars on large budgets, but which nevertheless are challenging and, in many respects, innovative and avant-garde, particularly with regard to their narrative structure. This season of films focuses on his standalone big budget films, from his first large scale movie, ‘Insomnia’, to his latest release, ‘Tenet’, work which is often spectacular, yet cerebral. It has often been said that a Nolan movie requires several viewings in order to fully understand and appreciate it, but, as he indicates in the quotation above, their appeal is as much to the emotions and the senses as it is to our cognitive faculties. He will take us from inside the Arctic Circle in ‘Insomnia’ to the furthest reaches of outer space in ‘Interstellar’ and back to the coast of France in ‘Dunkirk’. From the competing illusionists in the 19th century London of ‘The Prestige’, to the futuristic spies in ‘Inception’ and ‘Tenet’, his movies are a breath-taking treat for the eyes and ears – and all shot on film, with no green screen and a minimum of CGI, as Nolan proudly attests. Booking Ref

Sat 28 Aug 13.30 (Studio)

Christopher Nolan – The Traumatic Screen

An illustrated talk by Dr Stuart Joy of Solent University, with Patrick Hargood, Deputy Education Officer, Chichester Cinema. Produced during a break while filming his debut feature ‘Following’ (1998), Christopher Nolan’s short film ‘Doodlebug’ has attracted comparatively little critical attention when set against the backdrop of his feature filmmaking. The first part of this talk attempts to address this perceived imbalance by offering an in-depth discussion of ‘Doodlebug’. Dr Stuart Joy of Solent University, author of a recent study of Nolan’s films, The Traumatic Screen, will explore the short film form’s relationship to the passing of time and interpret the visual and thematic terrain of ‘Doodlebug’ as being indicative of the pre-occupations that would come to dominate Nolan’s later career. In the second part of this event Patrick Hargood of the cinema’s education team will take the reverse perspective, looking in detail at Nolan’s latest film, ‘Tenet’, and the ways in which it develops themes from Nolan’s earlier work. 120m

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CHRISTOPHER NOLAN: A RETROSPECTIVE

Booking Ref

Insomnia

Nolan’s first big-budget, star driven thriller, ‘Insomnia’, is a remake of the 1997 Norwegian movie of the same name, relocated to another land of the midnight sun – Alaska. The film sticks in many ways to the template of the original, blending its themes with more familiar Hollywood genre elements, while breathing new life into these conventions. Taking refuge from an Internal Affairs Investigation, LA detectives Will Dormer (Al Pacino) and Hap Eckhart (Martin Donovan) fly to the small town of Nightmute to help the local cops, including the ambitious young Ellie Burr (Hilary Swank), to investigate the murder of a schoolgirl. A series of clues points to local thriller writer Walter Finch (Robin Williams), the dead girl’s former secret mentor. The action takes place in midsummer, so the sun never sets, reversing the usual lighting scheme of the classic noir, and acting as a catalyst for the insomnia which afflicts the main characters. Nolan expresses this insomnia with some audacious flourishes of sound and editing and proves his assurance in handling his first big picture. USA 2002 Christopher Nolan 118m Wed 18 Aug 12.30 (Studio) Thu 19 Aug 17.15 (Studio)

Booking Ref

The Prestige

Following the first instalment of his Batman reboot, ‘Batman Begins’, Nolan took on another adaptation, this time of British novelist Christopher Priest’s award-winning tale of rival illusionists in 19th century London. Christian Bale, Nolan’s Batman, returns for him as Alfred Borden, the working class ‘Professor’ who competes with Hugh Jackman’s Robert Angier, — ‘The Great Danton’ — an aristocratic magician. The supporting cast includes Michael Caine as Cutter, the stage engineer, who explains to Borden’s daughter how magic tricks are founded on a three-act structure: the pledge, the turn and the prestige, Nolan implicitly suggesting that filmmakers are in the great tradition of illusionists. Also featured are Scarlett Johansson as Angier’s assistant and David Bowie as the real-life inventor Nikola Tesla. Nolan employs a deft sleight of camera in a non-linear narrative in which both the audience in the film and the cinema audience are willing dupes in a bravura battle of wits. USA/UK 2006 Christopher Nolan 131m Screening from a 35mm print at Slindon Cinema Thu 19 Aug 20.30 (Slindon Cinema)

66 chichesterfilmfestival.co.uk

Booking Ref

Inception

Thu 26 Aug 11:15 (Auditorium)

In Nolan’s first wholly original film since ‘Memento’, Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is an industrial spy who, with the help of his accomplice Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), extracts information from his sleeping targets by entering their dreams. Entrapped by one of his marks, businessman Mr Saito (Ken Watanabe), Dom is given a new mission, involving an act of ‘inception’ – the planting of an idea in the mind of another, in this case Saito rival Robert Fischer (Cillian Murphy). Cobb hires a team of dream specialists to assist him, played by Elliot (then Ellen) Page, Tom Hardy and Dilip Rao. Nolan, in what was perhaps his most ambitious project at that time, revels in the opportunity to create multiple levels of reality in a kind of apotheosis of the Hollywood dream factory. USA/UK 2010 Christopher Nolan 148 m

Booking Ref

The Dark Knight Rises

This is the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. Eight years after Batman took the fall for Two Face’s crimes, a new terrorist leader, Bane, overwhelms Gotham’s finest, and the Dark Knight resurfaces to protect a city that has branded him an enemy. Leading an allstar international cast, Christian Bale again plays the dual role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. The film also stars Anne Hathaway, as Selina Kyle; Tom Hardy, as Bane; Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as John Blake. Returning to the main cast, Michael Caine plays Alfred; Gary Oldman is Commissioner Gordon; and Morgan Freeman reprises the role of Lucius Fox. USA 2012 Christopher Nolan 164m Sat 21 Aug 20:00 (Slindon Cinema)

Screening from a 35mm print at Slindon Cinema

Booking Ref

Interstellar

Fri 27 Aug 11:00 (Auditorium)

Like his earlier ‘Inception’, Nolan’s ‘Interstellar’ is also centred on a mission – but with much higher stakes. The earth has become depopulated by famine; NASA scientist, Professor Brand (Michael Caine) has discovered a wormhole that leads to a distant solar system containing potentially inhabitable planets. Former pilot Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) leads a dangerous mission, accompanied by Brand’s daughter Amelia (Anne Hathaway), to determine which of those planets offers the best option of a new home. Nolan admitted to being obsessed by this film for years and stuck resolutely to his personal style – no green screen, real locations, and miniatures, creating a spectacle which many compared to Kubrick’s ‘2001’. USA/UK 2014 Christopher Nolan 169m

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CHRISTOPHER NOLAN: A RETROSPECTIVE

Booking Ref

Dunkirk

Christopher Nolan’s first film based on a real historical event with the infamous evacuation told from three different perspectives: land, sea and air. Unlike his previous films, which often featured individual characters with extraordinary skills and powers, this focuses on the ordinary soldiers and civilians caught up in the mayhem of that summer in 1940, conveying instead a sense of communal heroism. What the film sets out to do is to put you on that beach, being strafed by the Luftwaffe, and to put you on the civilian pleasure craft and fishing vessels that responded to a War Office appeal and saved so many lives. It features a stellar cast of British actors, including Kenneth Branagh as a naval commander, Tom Hardy as an RAF pilot, Mark Rylance as the skipper of a small boat and Cillian Murphy as the soldier he rescues. Nolan’s shortest film since his debut feature ‘Following’, it is tightly edited and beautifully constructed, combining a real sense of authenticity with a visceral tension throughout, based on a screenplay with minimal dialogue which offers no backstory to any character. USA/UK 2017 Christopher Nolan 107m Sun 22 Aug 20.30 (Slindon Cinema)

Screening from a 35mm print at Slindon Cinema

Booking Ref

Sat 28 Aug 11:00 (Auditorium)

Tenet

While ‘Inception’ dealt with industrial espionage, ‘Tenet’ is Christopher Nolan’s first entry in the political spy thriller genre, dealing with the efforts of the titular secret agency. The hero, named only as The Protagonist (John David Washington) is recruited to thwart the plan of embittered Russian oligarch Andrei Sator (Kenneth Branagh) to destroy the world. Nolan’s fascination with temporal phenomena, which has been a thread running through all his films, here manifests itself in such devices as ‘time inversion,’ ‘entropy reversal’ and ‘time pincer movements.’ The cast also includes Robert Pattinson as the Protagonist’s British ally, Elizabeth Debicki as Sator’s abused wife and Michael Caine, in his eighth Nolan movie, as a British intelligence officer. As Nolan himself advises, don’t treat this film like a puzzle to be solved, just sit back and enjoy the ride. And if you don’t understand every twist… it’s not the end of the world! USA/UK 2020 Christopher Nolan 150m

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Treasures from the Archives Digitally Restored

Classic films digitally restored in stunning prints shown on our big screen where they should be seen and experienced. Plus two rare 35mm prints, ‘Accident’ screened in Slindon together with some other Christopher Nolan 35mm prints. Booking Ref

Sat 14 Aug 10.00 (Auditorium)

Nashville

‘Nashville’ follows a host of colourful characters – musicians, agents, fans, journalists, politicians, locals – during the city’s three-day country music festival in Robert Altman’s magnum opus. A milestone in American cinema and of the key films of the 1970s, Robert Altman’s ‘Nashville’ is one of the most influential and dazzling films ever made. Weaving together the stories and interactions of twenty-four major characters with astonishing fluidity, this audacious, epic vision of America circa 1975 has lost none of its freshness or excitement. Taking place over five days in the nation’s music capital Nashville, Tennessee, the film follows two-dozen characters struggling for fulfilment, both personal and professional, amongst a backdrop of country and gospel musicians, outsider political campaigning, and the peripheries of life in between, building from one encounter at a time to create a wide-ranging tapestry of rich drama and human comedy. Featuring an exhilarating central vein of musical performances (written in character by many of the actors themselves), and a phenomenal cast including Ned Beatty, Karen Black, Keith Carradine, Geraldine Chaplin, Shelley Duvall, Scott Glenn, Jeff Goldblum, Michael Murphy and Lily Tomlin – now gloriously restored in 4K. USA 1975 Robert Altman 160m

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TREASURES FROM THE ARCHIVES

Accident

Death in Venice

La Strada

Nights of Cabiria

Mon 16 Aug 12:15

Tue 17 Aug 11:30

Fellini’s 8½

Amarcord

1957 Stars Dirk Bogarde in a finely understated performance, in a collaboration between legendary director Joseph Losey and playwright Harold Pinter Screened in a rare 35mm print at Slindon Cinema. Full details of this film can be found on the Dirk Bogarde Centenary on pg75. Fri 20 Aug 20.30 (Slindon Cinema)

1954 Federico Fellini A care-free girl (Giulietta Masina) is sold to a travelling entertainer, consequently enduring physical and emotional pain along the way.

1963 Federico Fellini Probably Fellini’s most acclaimed work, ‘8½’ won two Oscars including Best Foreign Film. An autobiographical film about the trials and tribulations of film making. Wed 18 Aug 11:15

1971 While recovering in Venice, sickly Composer Gustav von Aschenbach (Dirk Bogarde) becomes dangerously fixated with teenager Tadzio in Visconti’s beautiful cinematic realisation of Thomas Mann’s novella. Full details of this film can be found on the Dirk Bogarde Centenary on pg76. Sat 21 Aug 11:30

1957 Federico Fellini A waifish prostitute (Giulietta Masina) wanders the streets of Rome looking for true love but finds only heartbreak.

1974 Federico Fellini Fellini’s semi-autobiographical comedydrama about Titta, an adolescent boy growing up among an eccentric cast of characters in the fictional town of Borgo (based on Fellini’s hometown of Rimini) in 1930s Fascist Italy. Screened in a rare 35mm print. Sun 22 Aug 11:30

Details of all four of the above Fellini classics are part of his retrospective to be found on pg54.

70 chichesterfilmfestival.co.uk

Daughters of the Dust

A majestic film about three generations of Gullah women (descendants of West African slaves) at the turn of the 20th century as their family struggle with the decision to migrate from their sea island home off the coast of South Carolina to the mainland. Full details can be found in the Black Directors Matter section on pg60. Thu 26 Aug 16:15

The Bridge on the River Kwai

British POWs are forced to build a railway bridge across the river Kwai for their Japanese captors, not knowing that the allied forces are planning to destroy it. Malcolm Arnold won an Oscar for his marvellous film score. Full details of this film can be found on the Malcolm Arnold centenary on pg83. Sun 15 Aug 10:00

The Golem

Special Event: Silent Film with piano accompaniment at the Guildhall, Priory Park, Chichester. An iconic early horror masterpiece, ‘Der Golem’ is presented with amazing piano accompaniment by John Sweeney, master of bringing silent films to life. Prepare to be chilled and thrilled in the atmospheric Guildhall. Details of this Special Event on pg84. Thu 26 Aug 21:00

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All That Jazz!

A celebration of the best of jazz on film, both fiction and documentary, and supported by two outstanding live jazz trios.

An Evening with Spike Wells and the QOW Trio Film and Live Jazz at the Guildhall, Priory Park, Chichester Booking Ref

Thu 19 Aug 20:00-22:30 (Guildhall) Gig at 20:00: Film at 21:15 Tickets £15.00

Spike Wells and the QOW Trio

A couple of years ago, I was looking for a new musical adventure and found this in the form of “QOW” (so named after a tune composed by Dewey Redman). Instead of the usual piano trio, this group is formed of tenor saxophone, bass and drums. The saxophonist is the brilliant young virtuoso Riley Stone-Lonergan and the bassist is my old friend Eddie Myer. We play in a deliberately wide range of styles, ranging from the swing era, through bebop to the avant-garde, slipping in the odd calypso, standard and ballad on the way! Our first CD was recently released on the Ubuntu label to great critical acclaim, and we hope that the cinema audience will really love our music.

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A Love Supreme

The story of a creatively driven and spiritually motivated man, this film traces the unique career of Spike Wells, renowned jazz drummer, aka Fr. Michael Wells. Anglican Spike achieved early success on the drums during the 1960s and 70s with the Tubby Hayes Quartet. He also toured with Stan Getz, Roland Kirk and Ronnie Scott and did stints as house drummer at Ronnie’s club. After too many late nights and miles on the motorway, he opted for a secure day job by qualifying as a lawyer, but music didn’t take a back seat for long. He was soon back, joining the bands of Peter King and Bobby Wellins. Then another twist. In his mid-40s, a religious conversion led swiftly to the priesthood. After this, he happily combined parish work with his beloved jazz gigs. And still does. The film was first released in 2000 featuring interviews with the drummer, his family, Bobby Wellins and others. This 2020 edit has been updated and extended with additional interviews from Simon Spillett, Art Themen and Wells reflecting on his life to date. UK 2000/20 Gary Barber 60m

An Evening of Billie Holiday

Vimala Rowe/John Etheridge/Andrew Cleyndert play Billie Holiday – Film and Live Jazz Booking Ref

Mon 23 Aug 19:30-22:45 (Auditorium) Film at 19:30; Gig at 21:30 Tickets £17.50

Billie

Billie Holiday’s remarkable career was cut short in 1959 aged 44 with 77 cents in her bank account. In 1971, journalist Linda Kuehl set out to write the definitive biography of Billie Holiday. The book was never finished, and the 200 hours of extraordinary interviews remained unheard until now. Interviews with friends and family, insight from Tony Bennett and even an arresting officer from one of her notorious drug busts, provide unprecedented appraisal of the legendary jazz singer. Testimony from a chuckling pimp who pressed her into prostitution at the age of 16 is particularly troubling. Other interviewees include musicians Charles Mingus and Count Basie, as well as actress Sylvia Syms. “What was essential to me was to make sure there was enough room in the film to sit back and admire her power, her genius, and also to ensure the audience grasped that Billie’s story was told through the songs she sang,” Director – James Erskine. Holiday died of cirrhosis having been arrested in her hospital bed just a month earlier. A fascinating documentary about a troubled genius. USA 2019 James Erskine 95m

Proceeded by

Vimala Rowe, John Etheridge and Andrew Cleyndert play Billie Holiday

To accompany the film ‘Billie’ is a very special tribute to Billie Holiday led by the sensational vocalist Vimala Rowe together with John Etheridge guitar and Andrew Cleyndert (bass). Vimala’s performances are never less than expressive, engaging and sensational. She has already performed at the Film Festival in a tribute to Annie Ross illustrating her infectious natural feel for the music. This tribute gives Vimala the opportunity to express her respect for one of the 20th century’s most important musical icons and to bring a unique insight into Billie Holiday’s music. Vimala’s ‘kinship’ with this particular artist has already found critical acclaim through the Café Society show at the theatre Royal Stratford. NB. The bar will be open during the 30-minute interval at 21:00 approx. between the film and live gig, and afterwards.

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SPECIAL EVENTS AND JAZZ ON FILM

Booking Ref

Jazz on a Summer’s Day

Fri 27 Aug 21:00 (Auditorium)

Summer of Soul

Deftly interweaving incredible live footage with a series of revealing interviews, ‘Summer of Soul’ captures the spirit and context of a watershed moment while tying it firmly to the present. US 2021 Questlove 117m

Round Midnight

A troubled, but talented musician (Dexter Gordon) flees the US to escape his problems, finding refuge and support in Paris. Possibly the greatest film ever made about American Jazz – and created by a European!

See Black Directors Matter for full details on pg60. Tue 24 Aug 20.45

See Bernard Tavernier Tribute for full details on pg79. Tue 17 Aug 20:45

Django

Lovers Rock

See European Cinema for full details on pg15. Fri 20 Aug 17:30 (+Jazz Guitar Duo) Sat 21 Aug 21:00

See full details of ‘Small Axe’ on pg60. Mon 16 Aug 21:00

UK Premiere The story of Django Reinhardt, famous guitarist and composer, and his flight from German-occupied Paris in 1943.

As quietly vital a political document as it is a gloriously entertaining sprint through that long weekend. The best live jazz concert ever made. This documentary concert film captures the sounds and performances of some of the major jazz artists at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival. Unlike earlier jazz movies that had been filmed in smoky black and white, this is shot in vibrant color. While musicians such as Louis Armstrong, Thelonious Monk, Anita O’Day and Mahalia Jackson perform, images of beaches, sailboats on water, dancing couples and the faces of joyful audience members are intercut into the proceedings. The film has been beautifully and extensively restored in 4K. USA 1958 Bert Stern 85m

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Steve McQueen’s ‘Lovers Rock’ (from ‘Small Axe’) tells a fictional story of young love at a Blues party in 1980.

Dirk Bogarde Centenary Tribute 1921-1999 Two landmark films and a conversation between the great screen actor’s nephew, Brock Van den Bogaerde, and his official biographer, John Coldstream – plus a related documentary. Booking Ref

Fri 20 Aug 20.30 (Slindon Cinema) Screened in a rare 35mm print at Slindon Cinema

Accident

Dirk Bogarde gives a finely understated performance in a collaboration between director Joseph Losey and playwright Harold Pinter. Often acknowledged as the pinnacle of Losey’s distinguished career, ‘Accident’ is a compelling and unforgettable masterpiece. Stephen (Dirk Bogarde) is a middle-aged professor at Oxford University. Stifled by academia and marriage, he yearns for an affair with his beautiful and enigmatic student Anna (Jacqueline Sassard). He is locked into a battle for her affection with her fiancé, William (Michael York), whose youthful vitality he envies, and with his friend and academic rival Charley (Stanley Baker), whose media profile and sexual success he covets. Bogarde plays the leading man with complete conviction, even down to his unassuming pipesmoking, withstanding the minutest scrutiny. Also watch out for his unmistakable trademark expression in a scene with Baker – never has a simple mannerism conveyed so much more than words ever could. This exemplifies perfectly Bogarde’s belief that the camera could capture thought. The deep, intelligent, at times challenging Pinter script is a work of creative brilliance without an ounce of fat, providing the viewer with an overview of the situations, human problems and emotions that confront the characters, yet deftly allowing us to fill in the gaps and draw our own conclusions – a class act that few can match. UK 1957 Joseph Losey 105m

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DIRK BOGARDE CENTENARY TRIBUTE 1921-1999

Booking Ref

Death In Venice

Sat 21 Aug 11:30 (Auditorium)

While recovering in Venice, sickly composer Gustav von Aschenbach (Dirk Bogarde) becomes dangerously fixated with teenager Tadzio. Based on the classic novella by Thomas Mann, this late-career masterpiece from Luchino Visconti (The Leopard) is a meditation on the nature of art, the allure of beauty, and the inescapability of death. A fastidious composer reeling from a disastrous concert, Gustav von Aschenbach (Dirk Bogarde, in an exquisitely nuanced performance) travels to Venice to recover. There, he is struck by a vision of pure beauty in the form of a young boy (Björn Andrésen), his infatuation developing into an obsession even as rumours of a plague spread through the city. Setting Mann’s story of queer desire and bodily decay against the sublime music of Gustav Mahler, ‘Death in Venice’ is one of cinema’s most exalted literary adaptations, as sensually rich as it is allegorically resonant. Presented in a digitally restored print. Italy/France 1971 Luchino Visconti 130m

Bogarde and the Europeans: An illustrated conversation

In the latter part of his career Dirk Bogarde collaborated memorably with some of the giants of European cinema: Visconti, Fassbinder, Cavani, Resnais and Tavernier. To mark Bogarde’s centenary his nephew, Brock Van den Bogaerde, and his official biographer, John Coldstream, meet to discuss a distinguished body of work, illustrated with extracts selected from ‘The Damned’ (1969), ‘Death in Venice’ (1971), ‘The Night Porter’ (1975), ‘Providence’ (1977), ‘Despair’ (1978) and Bogarde’s poignant 1990 swansong, ‘Daddy Nostalgie’ (These Foolish Things). Sat 21 Aug 13.30 (Studio)

The Most Beautiful Boy in the World

Visconti proclaimed his Tadzio as the world’s most beautiful boy. Fifty years later, that shadow continues to darken Björn Andresen’s life, as we see in this new documentary. See fiull details in the Documenatry section on pg41. Sat 21 Aug 13.30 (Studio)

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Covid Catch-Up

During the various lockdown periods, many new releases suffered various delays and cancellations, and some went straight to streaming platforms. Here are three of the best returning to the Cinema screen where they were meant to be experienced. Booking Ref

County Lines

Henry Blake’s assured atmospheric debut feature casts its 14-year-old protagonist into the wilds of cross-country drug trafficking. Tyler (Conrad Kahn) is disengaged from his studies and the target of bullies, so when his single mother loses her job, he feels obliged to step up and falls under the spell of Simon, (portrayed chillingly by rising star Harris Dickinson). A cycle of debt and exploitation unfolds in which Tyler’s mother Toni (Ashley Madekwe) struggles to save him from becoming collateral damage in a ruthless drugs trade. This is an astounding debut which combines a vivid, empathetic approach to the working-class characters as well as a thriller master’s ability to unsettle. “A short, sharp jab to the national conscience.” (Screen International) UK 2019 Henry Blake 90m

Fri 20 Aug 20:30 (Studio) Fri 27 Aug 16:00 (Studio)

Booking Ref

Les Misérables

Three French policemen preside over a delicate status quo that soon escalates to boiling point. By-the-book cop Stephane (Damien Bonnard), only just arrived from Cherbourg, joins the anti-criminality brigade of Montfermeil in a sensitive district of the Paris suburbs. Paired up with Chris (Alexis Manenti) and Gwada (Djebril Zonga) whose methods are less scrupulous, he witnesses the tensions between the various neighbourhood groups. The theft of a lion cub from a travelling circus is the catalyst for violence. Throw in a cop with a hairtrigger, and ingredients for a full-blown riot are ready to stir. Propelled by Pink Noise’s electronic score, Ladj Ly’s debut is a deft depiction of the escalation of chaos. Victor Hugo would have greatly approved, from the joyful opening to the unforgettable final fadeout. (Subtitles) France 2019 Ladj Ly 104m Sat 21 Aug 18:30 (Studio) Thu 26 Aug 10:30 (Studio)

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COVID CATCH-UP

Booking Ref

Persian Lessons

Tue 24 Aug 13:30 (Studio) Wed 25 Aug 18:15 (Studio)

Booking Ref

Rocks

Thu 26 Aug 18.45 (Studio) Fri 27 Aug 10:30 (Studio)

This brilliant coming-of-age film shows a young girl’s conversion from teenage innocence to adulthood and responsibility. Authentic and honest it received 5-star reviews from Empire, The Guardian and The Telegraph. Set amongst the concrete council houses of a vibrant Hackney, a young teenage girl finds herself struggling to take care of herself and her younger brother after being abandoned by their single mother. Determined not to be taken into care, the titular Rocks attempts to fend for herself. The film could easily have taken a turn for the miserable but instead director Sarah Gavron delivers a surprising portrait of resilience that avoids all the usual tropes of poverty porn. The must-see British film of 2020. ‘A wonderful, heart-breaking, life-affirming gem of a movie’ – Mark Kermode. UK 2019 Sarah Gavron 93m

Booking Ref

Summerland

Wed 25 Aug 13.30 (Studio) Fri 27 Aug 18:30 (Studio)

A Jewish man pretends to be Iranian to avoid being executed in a concentration camp. 1942. Gilles, (Nahuel Pérez Biscayart), a young Belgian man, is arrested by the SS and sent to a concentration camp in Germany. He narrowly avoids execution by swearing to the guards that he is not Jewish, but Persian. This lie temporarily saves him, but then Gilles is assigned a seemingly untenable mission: to teach Persian to an officer (Lars Eidinger), who dreams of opening a restaurant in Persia (Iran) once the war is over. Gilles finds himself having to invent a language he doesn’t know, word by word. As the unusual relationship between the two men begins to incite jealousy and suspicion, Gilles becomes acutely aware that one false move could expose his swindle. Culminates in a virtuoso climax. (Subtitles) Russia / Germany / Belarus 2020 Vadim Perelman 127m

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Gemma Arterton gives a knockout performance as a crotchety loner who takes in a child evacuee. Arterton is Alice, a reclusive writer living on the south coast who is regarded with suspicion by the village. One morning she finds herself burdened with a young London evacuee Frank (Lucas Bond). Her initial hostility turns to grudging affection for the boy against the background of the war and the antipathy of the village. Filmed in Kent and Sussex, ‘Summerland’ delivers nostalgia, humour and melancholy while never straying into the sentimental. Arterton and young Bond are a triumph as the odd couple while Tom Courtney, Penelope Wilton and the coastal landscape co-star. UK 2020 Jessica Swale 99m

Bertrand Tavernier: A Tribute 1941-2021 Having decided at the age of fourteen that he wanted to be a film director, it took Bertrand Tavernier just six years before he became an assistant director to Jean-Pierre Melville on ‘Léon Morin, Prêtre’ but another thirteen before he made his first feature, ‘The Watchmaker of St Paul’ in 1974’. It was worth the wait, however, and that striking debut, with its evocative location shots of the director’s home city of Lyon, is part of this five-film retrospective, featuring some of the notable early films and a late documentary of this remarkably eclectic filmmaker, who died in March this year. The eighties proved to be perhaps the richest period of his career and three films are drawn from that decade, including the shocking crime comedy ‘Coup de Torchon’, set in colonial French West Africa, and ‘A Sunday in the Country’, an intimate, poignant family drama set in the dying years of La Belle Epoque, which brought him the Best Director prize at Cannes. We will also be going with him to the jazz clubs of Paris in the fifties, with the noirish, smoky ‘Round Midnight’. Tavernier was always a cineaste in both senses of the word – not just a filmmaker but a film buff – and it was apt that he finished his career with his own fascinating and moving retrospective, ‘A Journey Through French Cinema’, replete with clips to savour from his favourite films and illuminated with Tavernian insights. Philippe Noiret (1930–2006): This is also a belated tribute to one of Tavernier’s favourite actors, who appears in three of the films: ‘The Watchmaker of St Paul’, ‘Coup de Torchon’ and ‘Round Midnight’. NB. Tavernier’s last film ‘Daddy Nostalgie’ (‘These Foolish Things’ – 1990) is discussed in a tribute talk on Dirk Bogarde by John Coldstream On pg76. Selected films introduced by Professor Hugo Frey (University of Chichester), author, Nationalism and the Cinema in France. Booking Ref

Sat 14 Aug 15.00 (Studio)

Tavernier Laissez-Passer

An illustrated talk by Patrick Hargood and Sandy Guthrie from Chichester Cinema at New Park’s Education team. Collect a laissez-passer (safe conduct pass) to the films of Bertrand Tavernier at this year’s Film Festival and discover the astonishing variety of his work, encompassing an extraordinary range of genres, settings and themes. Crime films, period dramas, science fiction, the war film, social realism, political satire and the swashbuckler are among the genres he tackled but there are common themes, threads and styles in his work and this talk will attempt to identify some of them, including a generous selection of clips. Tavernier despised labels and categories but we will attempt to identify the distinctive qualities of his cinema. 120m NB. Preceding this illustrated talk there will be a separate screening of Tavernier’s debut film ‘The Watchmaker of St Paul’ in the Studio at 12:30.

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BERTRAND TAVERNIER: A TRIBUTE 1941-2021

Booking Ref

A Journey Through French Cinema

Voyage à Travers Le Cinéma Français Bertrand Tavernier writes and directs this very personal documentary which looks at some of the most influential figures from French cinema during a period of 40 years up to the late 1970s. Tavernier examines the French filmmakers that most inspired him in his youth (Jacques Becker, Marcel Carné and Jean Renoir), his favourite actors (Jean Gabin, Eddie Constantine and Lino Ventura), film composers (Maurice Jaubert and Joseph Kosma), Jean-Pierre Melville, with whom he worked as an assistant, and the films he promoted when working as a publicist for Georges de Beauregard’s Rome-Paris Films. It also includes an appreciation of the little known and appreciated Edmond T. Gréville and concludes with his admiration for Claude Sautet. Featuring archive clips (often beautifully restored) and rare behind-thescenes footage, this is fascinating viewing and a privileged insight to the memories of a great filmmaker and film lover. (Subtitles) France 2016 Bertrand Tavernier 201m Fri 13 Aug 10:45 (Auditorium)

Booking Ref

The Watchmaker of St Paul

L’Horloger de Saint-Paul A mild-mannered watchmaker discovers that his son has murdered a local factory foreman. He befriends the investigating officer and tries to understand the motivations behind his son’s crime. This film is a beautifully crafted, technically brilliant effort with a script and great acting to match. Director Bertrand Tavernier’s debut film fashions a subtle, conservative character study inserted into the framework of a crime story, based upon a George Simenon novel. It is a study of an ageing, middle-class clockmaker with a downcast disposition, played, or rather inhabited, by Philippe Noiret. This unremarkable man is stunned to find out that his only son has been arrested for murder. Tavernier’s recreation of Lyons is novel after a decade of Paris overkill, and you can feel the post1968 political tension, the alarming shift to the right, and the straying of decent men into violence. (Subtitles) France 1974 Bertrand Tavernier 105m

Sat 14 Aug (Studio)

80 chichesterfilmfestival.co.uk

Booking Ref

A Sunday in the Country

Un Dimanche à la Campagne Every Sunday, an old painter living in the country is visited by his son Gonzague, and his wife and his three children. Then, his daughter Irene arrives, and tensions begin to rise. ‘A Sunday in the Country’ is exactly that – the action takes place on a single day, and mostly in the house and garden of the artist Monsieur Lamiral (Louis Ducreux) An elderly widower, he lives alone except for Sunday, the day when his son and family visit from Paris. On the face of it nothing much happens, apart from the unexpected arrival of his daughter, and yet by the end we know much more about these characters, and their relationships with each other. ‘A Sunday in the Country’ has a haunting, sweet, sad quality. It is about this family, and many families. It is told by Tavernier with great attention to detail, and the details add up to the way life is. (Subtitles) France 1984 Bertrand Tavernier 90m

Sun 15 Aug 15.30 (Studio) Sat 28 Aug 18:30 (Studio)

Booking Ref

Round Midnight

Tue 17 Aug 20.45 (Auditorium)

A gifted saxophonist with a drinking problem, leaves behind New York and his estranged family and relocates to Paris. Possibly the greatest film ever made about American Jazz – and made by a European! In ‘Round Midnight,’ real-life jazz legend Dexter Gordon brilliantly portrays the fictional tenor sax player Dale Turner (a hybrid invention of Lester Young and Bud Powell), a musician slowly losing the battle with alcoholism, estranged from his family, and hanging on by a thread in the 1950s New York jazz world. Dale gets an offer to play in Paris, where, like many other black American musicians at the time, he enjoys a respect not based upon the colour of his skin. A Parisian man who is obsessed with Turner’s music befriends him and attempts to save Turner from himself. Although for Dale the damage is already done, his poignant relationship with the man and his young daughter rekindles his spirit and his music as the end draws near. One of the joys in watching this film is spotting who’s who in the cast of supporting musicians, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Wayne Shorter, etc, – a roll call of jazz talent. France 1986 Bertrand Tavernier 127m

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BERTRAND TAVERNIER: A TRIBUTE 1941-2021

Booking Ref

Clean Slate

Coup De Torchon An inept police chief is humiliated by everyone around him. When things become too much, he decides to take matters into his own hands with deadly results. Adapted from the novel “Pop.1280” by Jim Thompson set in North Carolina, this is a riveting noirish film set in Senegal in 1938. At that time, it was a French colony that exhibited similar social and racial patterns as in the American South. Tavernier’s black comedy is about a bumbling West African police chief who decides to take revenge on his oppressors. Stationed in a remote town in Senegal, ineffectual police chief Lucien Cordier (Philippe Noiret) is routinely harassed by thugs and nagged by his adulterous wife Huguette (Stéphane Audran). Pushed to the edge, Lucien finally flips, embarking on a killing spree aimed at ridding himself of his tormentors and anyone else who has ever slighted him. Featuring pitch-perfect performances by Philippe Noiret and Isabelle Huppert, this striking noir straddles the line between violence and lyricism with dark humour and visual elegance. (Subtitles) France 1981 Bertrand Tavernier 128m Wed 18 Aug 15:15 (Studio) Sat 28 Aug 20:45 (Studio)

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Sir Malcolm Arnold Centenary We celebrate Malcolm Arnold, one of the most important and prolific British film composers, with an illuminating documentary by Tony Palmer, who introduces his film, and ‘The Bridge on the River Kwai’, illustrating one of Arnold’s best and most famous film scores. Booking Ref

Towards the Unknown Region: Malcolm Arnold – A Story of Survival

Tony Palmer’s illuminating documentary won the audience award for best documentary when it was first premiered at the Chichester International Film Festival in 2004. This documentary celebrates Malcolm Arnold, one of Britain’s most underestimated and yet most popular composers, who wrote scores to altogether 132 films including ‘Whistle Down the Wind’, ‘Hobson’s Choice’ and the Oscar winning ‘Bridge Over the River Kwai’. Sir Malcolm also composed ballets, symphonies and operas. The film features interviews with friends and family, and includes extracts from his works, however, it does not shirk the darker side of Arnold’s life full of complications caused by mental illness. UK 2004 Tony Palmer 133m Sun 15 Aug 14.00 (Auditorium)

We are delighted to welcome Tony Palmer to introduce his documentary

Booking Ref

The Bridge on the River Kwai

British POWs are forced to build a railway bridge across the river Kwai for their Japanese captors, not knowing that the allied forces are planning to destroy it. Based on the true story, this is one of the greatest war films ever made. The film received seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Director, Performance (Alex Guinness), for Sir Malcolm Arnold’s superb music, and for the screenplay. The story does take considerable liberties with history, including the addition of an American saboteur played by William Holden. Made on a vast scale, the film reinvented the war movie as something truly epic, establishing the cinematic beachhead for ‘The Longest Day’ (1962), ‘Patton’ (1970) and ‘A Bridge Too Far’ (1977). Showing in a digitally restored print. UK/USA 1957 David Lean 161m Sun 15 Aug 10.00 (Auditorium)

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Special Events

Booking Ref

Thu 26 Aug 21:00 (Auditorium) Guildhall, Priory Park Tickets £12.00 (Unreserved)

The Golem

Der Golem, Wie er in Die Welt Kam With live piano accompaniment by John Sweeney at the Guildhall, Priory Park, Chichester An iconic early horror masterpiece, Paul Wegener’s ‘Der Golem’ (1920) is presented with amazing piano accompaniment by John Sweeney, master of bringing silent films to life. Prepare to be chilled and thrilled in the atmospheric Guildhall. In the Jewish ghetto in 16th century Prague, Rabbi Low (Albert Streinruck) creates a forbidding clay Golem (played by director Paul Wegener) to protect his people from the tyrannical Emperor Luhois (Otto Gebuhr). Brought to life with a demon spirit and an amulet placed in the centre of the creature’s chest, the Golem is a seemingly indestructible juggernaut, performing acts of great heroism. But when the Rabbi’s assistant attempts to control the Golem for selfish gain, it becomes a terrifying force of destruction, rampaging through the ghetto leaving fire and death in its wake. A landmark film in the horror canon, influencing most notably James Whale’s 1931 adaptation of ‘Frankenstein’, ‘Der Golem, Wie er in Die Welt Kam’ (The Ghoul, How He Came into the World) is also a pre-eminent example of German Expressionism, and an important contribution to the golden age of Weimar Cinema. It was created one year after ‘The Cabinet of Caligari’. Also, because alleys, rooms and furniture are angled, bent and without right angles, ‘Der Golem’ is considered one of the most important so-called expressionist films; the setting and the numerous dramatic lighting effects reflect the fear and psychological inner life of the participants. It presented in a brand new 4K restoration. Germany 1920 Paul Wegener 76m We are delighted to welcome back to Chichester, John Sweeney, silent film pianist par excellence, who last thrilled us with his dazzling virtuosity accompanying Eisenstein’s ‘Battleship Potemkin.’

chichesterfilmfestival.co.uk

Booking Ref

Surprise Film

Two of our Surprise Films have recently won the Audience Award for Best Film (‘Untouchable’ and ‘Pride’), so don’t miss what will surely be an unforgettable experience. Following the launch of a Surprise Film in the Festival in 2012, we continue this idea where you settle down for a film, not knowing what it will be, and finding out along with your fellow patrons once the opening scene or credits give it away. In past years our surprise films have been ‘Julie & Julia’ (which became one of our most popular films when it was finally released), ‘Jane Eyre’, ‘Untouchable’ (which became the most popular French film in 2012), ‘Blue Jasmine’, and ‘Pride’ – an impressive list. So what will we have on Thursday 26th August? Join in the fun and take the opportunity to gamble by booking in advance for hopefully a very worthwhile surprise! – Roger Gibson.

Thu 26 Aug 17:30 (Auditorium)

Film & Live Jazz Events:

See ‘All That Jazz!’ for more details on pg72.

An Evening with Spike Wells & His Trio plus documentary Thu 19 Aug Guildhall 20:00

An Evening with Billie Holiday (Vimala Rowe Trio) plus documentary Mon 23 Aug 19:30

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Visiting Filmmakers & Talks A list of the 2021 Festival’s introductions, Q&A’s, visiting filmmakers and illustrated talks.

Visiting Filmmakers The Last Bus

We welcome Timothy Spall, Gillies MacKinnon (director) and Phyllis Logan (tbc). Full details on pg8. Thu 12 Aug 18:00

Towards the Unknown Region: Malcolm Arnold – a Story of Survival We welcome Tony Palmer (director). Full details on pg83. Sun 15 Aug 14.00

Sisters

We welcome Tony Klinger (producer). Full details on pg32. Mon 16 Aug 13:30

Election Night We welcome Neil Monaghan (writer/ director).

Full details on pg11. Fri 20 Aug 14:30

The Duke

We hope to welcome Roger Michell (director) tbc for the Closing Gala. Full details on pg9. Sun 29 Aug 18:00

Talks Bertrand Tavernier

Professor Hugo Frey briefly introduces selected films in the retrospective. Plus an illustrated talk by Patrick Hardwood and Sandy Guthrie. Full details on pg79. From Sat 14 Aug 15.00

Bogarde and the Europeans

Illustrated conversation between John Coldstream (Bogarde’s biographer) and Brock Van Bogaerde (Bogarde’s nephew). Full details on pg75. Sat 21 Aug 13:30

Small Axe / Black Directors Matter

‘If You Are the Big Tree’: Illustrated talk by Grace Barber-Plentie. Full details on pg62. Sun 22 Aug 15:00

Federico Fellini

In His Dreams: illustrated talk by film historian Ian Christie. Full details on pg58. Mon 23 Aug 13:30

Christopher Nolan

The Traumatic Screen: illustrated talk by Dr. Stuart Joy and Patrick Hargood. Full details on pg65. Sat 28 Aug 13.30

chichesterfilmfestival.co.uk

Chichester Cinema at New Park supporting the wider community Chichester Cinema at New Park (CCNP) is committed to extending and developing the love of Cinema, not just amongst those who are able to attend screenings. As a consequence, this year the Board of Trustees decided to embark on the first of several projects designed to reach different areas of the local community.

Cinema in a Box Realising that when people reach a certain age going to the cinema becomes far more difficult, we decided to design a scheme which could work for older members of the local community. Now up and running, thanks to the Cinema’s Operations Manager Richard Warburton and some of our volunteers who carry out the deliveries, once a month CCNP’s Cinema in a Box orders a DVD of a recent film which is sent out together with delicious cakes supplied at a generous discount by COOK in Chichester. Residential care homes in Chichester and the wider area have signed up to the scheme, which enables them to plan showing the film at a time to suit their schedules, along with a cup of tea and a delicious treat. We would be delighted to receive further enquiries from other homes who would like to join the scheme; and the best news is, it’s free!

So having taken steps to support the older generation, we then looked at how we could work alongside some younger members of our local community. The Snowdrop Trust is a local charity supporting children with challenging illness and their families. They too can experience difficulty coming to a regular screening, and thus Chichester Cinema, Movie Magic in a Box was born! We wanted families to enjoy a night at the movies in the comfort of their own home. So we put together a box of goodies including a Just Eat voucher, a three month Netflix subscription, so that all generations could enjoy movies to suit them and completed the box with popcorn and delicious chocolate generously supplied at discount by Montezuma.

that all the children have been super excited to receive the goody boxes. Both schemes could not function without the generous support of those who support CCNP, be it on a regular basis, generously offering the value of the tickets when screenings were cancelled due to COVID-19, and to those who have made donations in memory of someone who has enjoyed time spent sharing the love of film with fellow cinema goers.

Di Levantine – Snowdrop Founder/Chair (middle), Melanie Driver & David Phillips – Cinema Trustees (left & right)

Another happy film lover Backdating to the start of the year so as to ensure nobody was missed, we have used the birthdays of each child and done our best to ensure that they receive their box on their special day. We have just reached the halfway point, and are delighted to learn from the charity’s fundraising manager, Lucy Ashworth,

We hope to continue and extend these projects as well as offering further links to the local community where we see an opportunity to share our love of film. Throughout the course of the coming year we will keep you posted with the schemes and ideas that we hope some of you will feel able to support, either as volunteers or by making a donation. To find out more, please contact Richard Warburton, Operations Manager at Chichester Cinema at New Park (richard@ chichestercinema.org) or email the Fundraising and Volunteer Committee (mel@mayennaise.com).

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Grid Listing Fri 6 Aug Aug

Page

Open Air Screening at Priory Park 20:45 South Pacific (U) 134m

Open Air Screening at Priory Park 7

Sun 8 Aug Open Air Screening at Priory Park 20:45 Space Jam: A New Legacy (PG) 114m 7

Thu 12 Aug Main Auditorium 18:30 Opening Gala: The Last Bus (12A) 137m Food at 18:30 – Film at 20:30

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Main Auditorium

Sat 7 Aug 20:45 In the Heights (PG) 118m

Sat 14 Aug Aug

10:00 Nashville (15) 160m 69 14:00 Merkel (Adv12A) 118m 16 17.30 Small Axe 1: Mangrove (15) 127m 60 20:45 Censor (15) 84m 10 In the Studio 10:30 Sleeping in Ruins (Adv15) 69m 46 12:30 The Watchmaker of St Paul (15) 105m + Intro 80 15:00 Tavernier Laissez-Passer - Bernard Tavernier Talk 120m 79 18:00 Whisper of Silence (Adv15) 93 29 20:15 Killer News from Chukhloma (Adv15) 83m 35

Sun 15 Aug Main Auditorium 10:00 The Bridge on the River Kwai (12A) 161m 83 14:00 Toward the Unknown Region: Malcolm Arnold Intro by Tony Palmer 133m 83 18:00 Bye Bye Morons (Adv15) 87m 23 20:45 Limbo (15) 103m 11 In the Studio 10:30 Toprak (Adv12A) 106m 35 13:30 White Sheik (U) 86m 54 15:30 A Sunday in the Country (PG) 90m + Intro 81 18:30 The Man Who Ate the World (Adv15) 80m 51 20:30 Fearless (Adv15) 89 35

The Last Bus

Fri 13 Aug Main Auditorium 10:45 A Journey Through French Cinema (15) 210m 80 15:30 The Last Bus (12A) 86m 8 18:00 I’m Your Man (15) 105m 15 20:45 Minamata (15) 115m 10 In the Studio 10:30 Being Dead (Adv15) 100m 34 13:00 Truman & Tennessee: An Intimate ConverSation (12A) 86m 41 15:15 Maria by Callas (12A) 120m 41 21:00 Like (18) 88m 34

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Bye Bye Morons

Wed 18 Aug Aug

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Main Auditorium 11:15 Fellini’s 8½ (15) 138m 57 14:45 Gagarine (12A) 98m 24 17:45 Minamata (15) 115m 10 20:15 Cardboard Pier (15) 93m 37 20:45 Unidentified (Adv15) 122m 18

Night Ride

Mon 16 Aug Aug

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Main Auditorium 12:15 La Strada (PG) 104m 54 15:00 Code: Karim (Adv15) 103m 16 18:00 Merkel (Adv12A) 118m 16 21:00 Small Axe 2: Lovers Rock (15) 70m 61 In the Studio 10:00 Maquis (Adv12A) 107m 36 13:30 Sisters (Adv12A) 80m + Q&A 32 15:45 De Gaulle (Adv15) 105m 24 18:45 Night Ride (Adv15) 95m 26

In the Studio 10:00 Letters of Happiness (AdvU) 100m 37 12:30 Insomnia (15) 118m 66 15:15 Clean Slate + intro (15) 128m 82 18:15 Small Axe 4: Alex Wheatle (Adv 15) 66m 20:15 Cardboard Pier (15) 93m 61

Thu 19 Aug Main Auditorium 12:00 Dawn of War (Adv15) 100m 17 14:45 Misha and the Wolves (12A) 90m 43 17:30 Helene (Adv15) 122m 17 21:00 Code: Karim (Adv15) 103m 16 In the Studio 10:00 A Matter of Perspective (Adv15) 86m 38 12:30 Karajan: Maestro of the Salzburg Easter Festival (U) 42 14:30 9,75 (Adv15) 120m 51 20:00 Fellini’s Casanova (15) 155m 54 Guildhall 20:00 Jazz & Film: An Evening with Spike Wells & His Trio 72

The Badger

Slindon Cinema 20:30 The Prestige (35mm screening) (12A) 133m 66

21:15 Predators (Adv15) 88m 36

Tue 17 Aug Main Auditorium 11:30 Nights of Cabiria (12A) 110m 55 14:30 Here We Are 94m 29 18:00 Gagarine (Adv12A) 98m 24 20:45 Round Midnight (15) 130m + Intro 81 In the Studio 10:00 In My Dream (Adv12A) 100m 36 12:30 De Gaulle (Adv15) 105m 24 15:00 Simply Black (Adv15) 90m 27 18:30 Small Axe 3: Red, White and Blue (15) 80m 61 20:15 The Badger (Adv12A) 93m 32

Helene

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GRID LISTING Fri 20 Aug Aug

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Main Auditorium 10:30 The Conductor (Adv12A) 137m 18 14:00 Stillwater (15) 140m 14 17:30 Django + Jazz Guitar Duo (Adv15) 117m 25 21:00 New Order (18) 86m 30 In the Studio 10:00 Our Land, Our Altar (Adv12A) 78m 46 12:00 The Badger (Adv12A) 100m 32 14:30 Fellini’s Roma (15) 120m 56 18:00 Election Night (Adv18) 90m + Q&A 11 20:30 County Lines (15) 90m 77 Slindon Cinema 20:30 Accident (35mm screening) (12A) 105m 75

The Man Who Sold His Skin

Sun 22 Aug Aug

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Main Auditorium 11:30 Amarcord (15) 124m 56 14:45 Délicieux (Adv15) 112m 26 18:00 The Nest (15) 110m 12 21:00 The Man Who Sold His Skin (15) 104m 30 In the Studio

Django

11:00 Another Paradise (AdvPG) 82m 46 13:00 Small Axe 5: Education (15) 66m 62 15:00 Contextualising Small Axe – Black Directors Matter Talk 62 18:30 The Most Beautiful Boy in the World 93m 43 20:45 How to Stop a Recurring Dream (Adv15) 83m 40

Sat 21 Aug Main Auditorium 11:30 Death in Venice (12A) 130m 76 14:45 Unidentified (18) 122m 18 18:00 Délicieux (Adv15) 112m 26 21:00 Django (Adv15) 117m 25 In the Studio 10:00 Danny Boy (Adv15) 97m 38 13:30 Bogarde & the Europeans – Dirk Bogarde Talk 100m 76 16:00 Bruno (Adv12) 90m 39 18:30 Les Misérables (15) 104m 77 20:30 Fellini Satyricon (18) 130m 56 Slindon Cinema 20:00 The Dark Knight Rises (35mm screening) (12A) 161m 67

The Reason I Jump Slindon Cinema 20:30 Dunkirk (35mm screening) (12A) 107m 68

Mon 23 Aug Main Auditorium 10:30 Fellinopolis (Adv15) 78m 58 13:00 Pieces of a Woman (15) 126m 30 16:00 The Reason I Jump (12A) 82m 52 19:30 Live Jazz & Film: Evening with Billie Holiday 165m 73 In the Studio

The Dark Knight Rises

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11:00 Fires in the Dark (Adv12A) 94m 40 13:30 In His Dreams – Fellini Talk 105m 58 16:30 Orchestra Rehearsal (PG) 72m 57 18:30 GOSIA@TOMEK (AdvPG) 90m 52 20:30 Ferroequinology (U) 76m 47

Tue 24 Aug Aug

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Main Auditorium 11:45 The Courier (12A) 112m 12 15:00 The Nest (15) 110m 12 18:00 The War Below (12A) 96m 13 20:45 Summer of Soul (12A) 117m 63 In the Studio 11:00 The Lost Shoes (PG) 104m 47 13:30 Persian Lessons (15) 127m 78 16:00 Night Ride (Adv15) 95m 26 18:15 Simply Black (Adv15) 90m 27 20:30 March for Dignity (Adv15) 75m 48

Wed 25 Aug Main Auditorium 11:45 The War Below (12A) 96m 13 14.45 Master Cheng (Adv12A) 116m 19 17:45 Souad (12A) 96m 31 20:30 Never Too Late (Adv15) 95m 31 In the Studio 11:00 Goodbye Europe (Adv12A) 101m 13 13:30 Summerland (12A) 99m 78 16:00 Undergods (15) 93m 19 18:15 Persian Lessons (15) 127m 78 20:45 The End (Adv15) 103m 40

Summer of Soul

Fri 27 Aug Aug

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Main Auditorium 11:00 Interstellar (12A) 169m 67 15:00 Master Cheng (Adv12A) 116m 19 18:00 The Rose Maker (Adv12A) 95m 27 21:00 Jazz on a Summers Day (U) 85 74 In the Studio 10:30 Rocks (12A) 93m 78 13:45 Pulse (Adv12A) 100m 53 16:00 County Lines (15) 90m 77 18:30 Summerland (12A) 99m 78 20:45 Escher: Journey into Infinity (12A) 80m 44

Sat 28 Aug Main Auditorium 11:00 Tenet (12A) 150m 68 14:30 The Courier (12A) 112m 12 17:30 From the Vine (Adv12A) 97m 21 20:30 Annette (15) 139m 14

Annette

Thu 26 Aug Aug Main Auditorium 11:15 Inception (12A) 138m 67 14:45 Two Roads (Adv12) 80m 53 17:30 Surprise Film 85 21:00 Dawn of War (Adv15) 100m 17 In the Studio 10:30 Les Misérables (15) 104m 77 13:30 Never Too Late (Adv15) 95m 31 16:15 Daughters of the Dust (PG) 112m 63 18:45 Rocks (12A) 93m 78 20:45 Undergods (15) 93m 19 Guildhall 21:00 The Golem – with Live Piano Accompaniment (PG) 76 84

In the Studio 10:30 Escher: Journey into Infinity (12A) 80m 44 13:30 The Traumatic Screen – Christopher Nolan Talk 120m 65 16:00 The White Sheik (U) 86m 54 18:30 Sunday in the Country (PG) 90m 81 20:45 Clean Slate (15) 128m 82

Sun 29 Aug Aug Main Auditorium 10:30 The Duke (tbc) 96m 8 13:30 The Rose Maker (Adv12A) 95m 27 16:15 From the Vine (Adv12A) 97m 21 18:30 Closing Gala: The Duke (tbc) 96m 8 Food at 18:30 – Film at 20:30 In the Studio 11:00 tba 14:00 tba 18:15 tba

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Staff and Trustees of Chichester Cinema at New Park acknowledge and thank the outstanding team of Cinema and Bar Volunteers both during the 2021 Chichester International Film Festival and throughout the cinematic year. A very special thank you also goes out to the Friends of the Cinema whose support makes this Cinema and Festival what it is today, and the New Park Centre for providing a wonderful venue for the Festival. Trustees Michael Cox, Rosemary Coxon, Melanie Driver, Anne-Marie Flynn, Debbie Ford, Roger Harrison, Lynton Morgan, David Phillips, Michael Schurch and Claire Daikin (Secretary). Artistic Director Roger Gibson Cinema Director Walter Francisco Projection Mark Bradshaw – Chief Projectionist; James Stokes – Senior Projectionist; Paul Stanley, Howard Johnson & Bob Bregazzi – Assistant Projectionists.

Operations Manager Richard Warburton Box Office Ninian McGuffie, Nina Hebden and Eleanor Witcomb. Studio Technician Colin Bell Education Officer Rosemary Coxon Accounts Eva Buzquier Hospitality and Patron Relations Carol Godsmark Film Transport Bob Sainsbury Programme Design TGDH Gala Catering Brasserie Blanc

Festival Partners This Festival has been enabled by the BFI and Greenwood Wealth Solutions.

Our deepest thanks go to this year’s individual supporters: Robin & Sarah Axford, Michael Baker, Denis Bennett & Carole Willis, Pat Bowman, Nigel Brookes, Steve Caine, John & Susan Coldstream, June Coleman, Bob Connell, Gilly & Nigel Cutts, Meryl Deane, Glyn Edmunds, Denise Gabriel, Kay Glendinning, Chris Grant, Alan Hakim, Francis Hall, Roy Heathfield, Peter Hillier, June King, Vaughan & Sally Lowe, Stephen & Lynda Marsh, Deborah Mitchelson, Sara Morton, Donna Ockenden, Graham & Sybil Papworth, Janny Reynolds, Sally Rieder, Michael Schurch, Patricia Sloane, David and Rachel Steel, Peter Stoakley, Ann & Jim Tice, John & Paddy Vincent-Townend, Sally Ward, Jane Weeks, Bob Wilson & Pat Clough, Jane & Geoffrey Wilson and Michael Woodley and others wishing to remain anonymous.

And a very special thank you to all the Film Distributors who have allowed us to screen the 130+ films this year. 92

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TICKET PRICES & BOOKING FORM

Booking in advance is strongly recommended during the Film Festival, as many screenings are likely to sell out. All tickets can be booked either in person, by telephone, by email or through the post. A booking fee of 50p per ticket will be charged to all phone and internet bookings, unless you are a Friend of the cinema, whereby there is no fee for internet bookings. Payments can be made by cash, major credit/debit cards, or cheque (payable to Chichester Cinema at New Park). For postal bookings, please send the booking form below with payment to: Chichester Cinema at New Park, New Park Road, Chichester, PO19 7XY, along with a stamped, self-addressed envelope if you would like your tickets sent to you. Box Office Hours during the Film Festival are 15 minutes before the first film to 8.30pm, and 12.30pm to 8.30pm outside of the Festival. Please note that during the busy half hour sales period before each screening, we may not be able to deal with advance bookings, and we thank you in advance for your understanding.

ADMISSION PRICES

SPECIAL OFFERS*

£9.50 Auditorium Screenings £6.50 Studio Talks & Screenings £6.50 Picture Palace £6.50 Slindon Cinema Screenings Special Events as individually priced

Buy 8 Films – Get 2 more Free This offer above excludes Special Events plus Opening and Closing Galas. (Cheapest tickets will be counted as the Free tickets)

Youth Prices – £4.50 (valid 24 hours before the screening)

TICKET RETURNS Please note that we cannot refund or credit your account during the Film Festival, However we can still exchange your ticket for another film during this period. *Please mention any offer before booking. Please note that there are no Friends, Senior Citizens, Students, Unwaged or Young Screen Scene discounts available during the Film Festival unless otherwise stated.

BOOKING FORM Date

Time

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Total

Free

Film

Free

Film

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

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GREENWOOD WEALTH SOLUTIONS BUILD . PROTECT . DIVERSIFY

Advising families across generations Greenwood Wealth Solutions provides specialist financial advice uniquely tailored for each individual client. Plan with confidence with a Chartered Financial Planner Full member of the Society of Trust & Estate Practitioner (STEP) Later Life Accredited Adviser and Member of SOLLA Chartered Certified Accountant – non practicing For a no obligation proposal call us on 01243 850030 or for more information visit greenwoodwealthsolutions.co.uk or email info@greenwoodws.co.uk

Peter Greenwood FPFS, FCCA, TEP, SOLLA Greenwood Wealth Solutions Senior Partner Practice of St. James’s Place Wealth Management, St John’s House, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 1UU t: 01243 850030 The Partner Practice is an Appointed Representative of and represents only St. James’s Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority) for the purpose of advising solely on the Group’s wealth management products and services, more details of which are set out on the Group’s website www.sjp.co.uk/ products. The ‘St. James’s Place Partnership’ and the titles ‘Partner’ and ‘Partner Practice’ are marketing terms used to describe St. James’s Place representatives.

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Open 15 mins before 1st film – 8.30pm every day during festival 12.30pm – 8.30pm outside of Festival dates

Friends Priority booking from Friday 23rd July 2021. Ticket Bookings from Tuesday 27th July 2021. Advance booking of tickets (reserved seating) is available by phone, in person, online or by post. For the latter, please send payment and SAE to:

Wheelchair users welcome, but as space is limited it is essential to book.

Tickets cannot be refunded, but credit can be added to your account if you cancel or exchange your tickets. A minimum of 24 hours notice prior to the ﬁlms performance is required.

Chichester Cinema at New Park New Park Road Chichester, PO19 7XY

The auditorium is ﬁtted with an induction loop. Guide dogs welcome

Programme Mailing (£5 p.a) Posting of our ﬁlm programmes.

Cheques payable to: Chichester Cinema at New Park

Ticket Prices & Booking Form Page 93.

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Films presented by Registered Charity Chichester Cinema at New Park Limited. No. 1099780

CHICHESTER STATION

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The cinema gratefully acknowledges the generous support of:

The 29th Chichester International Film Festival

Articles inside

Film Listings by Date

Covid Catch-Up

Index

Talks & Visiting Filmmakers

Acknowledgements

Europe Calling: European Cinema

Dirk Bogarde Centenary

All That Jazz

Artistic Director Introduction

Window on the World

Gala Screenings

Treasures from the Archive

Vive La France