Film

ON FILM Andy Hastie, Yeovil Cinematheque

At the time of writing this (the beginning of August), Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer to the Government, has just announced that in order to fully open up schools in September, we have probably gone as far as is possible in easing the lockdown for now. Whilst completely understanding the need to keep everyone safe, it does suggest that the date when cinemas, theatres and concert venues can open meaningfully is disappearing into an unknown future black hole. Our film society, Cinematheque, is caught up in this limbo land, so we will have to wait until it is possible for large groups of people to collect inside, without fear of contracting Coronavirus. After being involved with a variety of film societies for nearly 50 years, it is a strange feeling to be ‘on hold’, and not actively researching, watching, and programming a season of films with others.

In 1971, I left school after my A-levels and wanted some experience of life before further education. I joined the Maudsley Psychiatric Hospital in Camberwell as a porter. On the same site is the Institute of Psychiatry. These were the days when Hans Eysenck was Professor of Psychology there, and it was the world-leading psychiatric centre.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)

'The film society committee and a handful of nurses stayed to the end - it seemed a shame not to - but I learnt a good lesson back then: always check the film before you show it!'

One day, I came across a notice asking if anyone was interested in starting up a film society. I went along to the introductory meeting - me, an 18-year-old porter, and a group of psychiatrists and research psychologists! We managed to set the whole thing up, showing films in the institute lecture theatre. There were many French films - Chabrol and Truffaut were both very popular, but I also remember Mike Leigh coming along to introduce his film Bleak Moments. For some reason, I’m not sure why, Terry Jones was with him (he did live just around the corner).

Once the film society was up and running, we had a request ‘from above’ to show the newly released documentary Asylum, outlining controversial psychoanalyst R D Laing’s Archway Community Project, where patients and therapists lived together in less confrontational, anti-psychiatry harmony. We managed to order the film and set the date.

A few weeks later, the lecture theatre was packed full of many world class psychiatrists, psychologists and psychoanalysts. The film had arrived - reel to reel projection in those days - and the site technician had set everything up. There was a short introduction, then the film started.

It didn’t take long before the first bang of a flip seat turned into a cacophony of bangs as almost the entire audience upped and walked out. We had ordered the right ‘Asylum’ but the distributor had sent the wrong film! Same title, very different films. The ‘Asylum’ we were showing was an Amicus horror film, the middle of a trilogy, which included The House that Dripped Blood and Tales from the Crypt, about deranged patients escaping from a gated, secured hospital to terrorise the locals, with the great Patrick Magee overacting as only he can. The film society committee and a handful of nurses stayed to the end - it seemed a shame not to - but I learnt a good lesson back then: always check the film before you show it!

If you are looking for any current film suggestions, I would highly recommend Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Set in 18th century France, it tells the love story between a female artist and a reluctant bride whose portrait she is painting. This is such a beautiful and heartbreaking film which I am sure I will be returning to in this column. It is available on Amazon Prime. Stay safe.

cinematheque.org.uk swan-theatre.co.uk