This morning Facebook cast up one of those 'On this day' memories. It was a status update I wrote last year:
“I’m hoping that my mini-London Film Festival will distract me for a week from the clusterfucked basket case that is the UK right now. #somechance”
How little has changed and how much I/we still need some serious cinematic distraction. Following Theresa May's recent Florence speech and the slow-motion pile-up of the Conservative Party Conference I feel I must strigil myself clean of all this depressing and debilitating talk of British lions roaring; of the British dream (currently a waking nightmare without the cathartic relief of 'Fine' appearing on screen and the red velvet curtains closing); of citizens of nowhere and the dubious claim that Britain doesn't feel at home in the European Union.
So it's wonderful to be entering another week of film festival viewing: a week of international collaborations, unforeseen stories, perspective-shifting revelations, and the overwhelming power of what individuals, nations and continents can do when they work together.
It also gives me the impetus to do some blogging. I always mean to blog more consistently but always fall into a cycle of boom and bust. I blogged all the films I saw this year and I'm going to do the same this week. So far the films on my list are:
- Ana, Mon Amour (Romania-Germany-France)
- The Dead Nation (Romania)
- The Party (UK)
- Dark River (UK)
- Sicilian Ghost Story (Italy-France-Switzerland)
- 78/52 (USA)
- Suspiria (Italy)
As with last year's Phantasm Remastered, I already know one film on this list very well (that crazy Italian baroque extravaganza – now in 4K – at the bottom) but the others are a delicious mystery. I wish I could see more and I may add some extras on the spur of the moment, depending on time and money.
Up next: Ana, Mon Amour.