In this newsletter:
1 This Thursday: Visit of a film industry art director
2 Extra film on Oct 29: IN THE SHADOW OF THE SUN
3 ABCD display at Abindon ‘Freespace’ – call for help
4 Refreshments at ABCD screenings
1 This Thursday: Visit of a film industry art director
The feature this week is the recent UK production SIXTEEN. A young man, Jumah, attends a school in London, but was previously a child soldier in the Congo. The film addresses both Jumah’s past and present lives and has very convincing performances. Sight & Sound wrote of it: “The film has a polish that belies its resources”.
The film will be introduced and discussed by Susannah Brough, the film’s art director. Susannah is early in her film career, but is definitely making her mark. Since SIXTEEN she has worked on THE DANISH GIRL, starring Eddie Redmayne and due out in 2016; and on VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN (with Daniel Radcliffe), due for release at Halloween. She is currently stand-by art director on CALL THE MIDWIFE Series 5.
So this event gives us the chance to find out about an aspect of production design, a part of filmmaking not often written or talked about, but surely very important. Guests welcome – the event may be of particular interest to students of art, media studies and film.
Starts at usual time of 7.45pm
2 Extra film on Oct 29: IN THE SHADOW OF THE SUN
We have held a number of “charity screenings” over the past few seasons. As we are ourselves a registered charity, ABCD does not make donations to charity, so we charge just enough for admission to cover the immediate costs of showing the film and invite audience members to make a donation to a particular charity. The screening is outside our annual programme of 22 feature films and admission to all comers will be £3.
We’re showing IN THE SHADOW OF THE SUN (UK 2012, 84 mins) in support of Standing Voice UK (Registered Charity Number 1151250), who work “to stop discrimination and murder of people with albinism in Tanzania and across Africa”. The film will be introduced by their representative, Jamie Walling, with a Q&A session after we have seen the film.
As for the film itself, filmed over six years, it tells the story of two albino men as they attempt to follow their dreams in the face of prejudice and fear in Tanzania. The website Eye for Film described it as a “measured and moving documentary”. The programme note will give fuller information.
3 ABCD display at Abingdon ‘Freespace’ – call for help
As you know, we are always looking for opportunities to publicise ABCD Film Society. To this end we will mount a small display at Abingdon Public Library for the week beginning Monday 26th October.
Two weeks later, from Monday 9th to Saturday 14th November, open every day from 9.30 to 4.30, we will have another promotional display, this time at Freespace. This is the currently vacant shop at the northern end of the Abingdon shopping precinct, not far from Poundland, formerly Woolworths, now given over to community use. But we need as many members as possible to volunteer to be present and to welcome visitors. If you’ve seen a few of our films, then you know enough to talk to people about what we do! But we will brief you in any case.
Please offer a couple of hours or more to help out with this – contact Barry Reeves on 01235 521976 or email him: barryabingdon@waitrose.com .
4 Refreshments at ABCD screenings
We’re very pleased that more members have been making use of the kitchen facilities at the Health and Wellbeing Centre (HWC). We nearly always put out coffee and tea and we would be happy to see others having a beverage before the film. We leave you to decide how big a contribution you make – there’s a little box for your coins.(More on this topic in a future newsletter).
5 Next newsletter
The next newsletter is planned for Tuesday November 3, or perhaps a little earlier. This is the pre AGM edition. Please give some thought to joining the committee – we really could do with a few more hands on deck. If you would like to talk about what you might do, collar a committee member.