This September is a film lover’s dream at An Lanntair. We have a some very special film events lined up, as well as great movies for kids and grown-ups alike. This is all on top of Hebrides International Film Festival which we will be telling you much more about very soon.
PARTY AT THE PICTURES PRESENTS: DEEWAR WITH AZIZ AND DAL
You might have come along to one of our Party at the Pictures nights before, when we swap our usual seating from comfy sofas and chairs and transform the look of the auditorium to suit the theme of the event. We’ve shown surreal Arcade Fire documentary The Reflektor Tapes followed by an indie disco, held an ‘80s prom with a screening of Pretty in Pink at Valentines, and watched local cold water surf films and incredible VJing by Chris McClean to live music from CJ Mirra.
This time we’ve collaborated with Purvai to create a special Bollywood night which is going to be an absolute blast.
The evening kicks off with a screening of the 1975 film Deewar at 6pm. Deewar features Bollywood superstar (and this writer’s personal imaginary boyfriend) Amitabh Bachchan as Vijay, a good-hearted but hot-headed dock worker who finds himself on the wrong side of the law. Nirupa Rov plays his brother Ravi: a police officer who lives by a strict moral code.
Deewar was an instant hit upon its release, and remains a classic piece of Bollywood cinema. It treads that fine line between 1970s cheese and genuine heart-felt drama. Plus, just look at Amitabh Bachchan in this movie:
My gosh. The film will be followed by some highly danceable “Asian blues” from Aziz Ibrahim and Dalbir Singh Rattan. Aziz began his professional career in Simply Red, followed by ‘Asia’, and the Stone Roses. He has also worked as a songwriter for Ian Brown and Paul Weller (who described his and Dal’s music as ‘the White Stripes of Mumbai’.) Dal is a gifted drummer who has also worked and recorded with Paul Weller, as well as Ocean Colour Scene and Richard Ashcroft.
To round the evening off we’ll have a very cool and unusual live DJ set from our own Deljeem and Fraser, who have layered classic Bollywood tunes over modern dance music.
I told you it was going to be a blast.
PRINCE ACHMED WITH LIVE MUSIC BY SINK
Amitabh Bachchan is not in Prince Achmed, but we are still very excited about showing it. Firstly because it is generally considered to be the first full-length animated feature in the history of cinema, and is a beautifully crafted piece of story-telling. And secondly because it is going to be screened with live accompaniment from Edinburgh three-piece Sink.
Take a look at the film’s trailer to get an idea of what we mean when we say this film and the music playing alongside it will transport you to a whole other world.
TOP PICK FOR KIDS: FINDING DORY
Show me the man, woman, child or intelligent animal that didn’t love Pixar’s Finding Nemo. It’s taken them 13 years, but the film’s sequel Finding Dory promises to be ‘an intimate, hopeful tale of perseverance, friendship and leaping the sea wall of your personal limitations,’ according to Empire.
Have a read of their full review here, and rest assured that we will not judge you if you enjoy the film just as much as your 4-year-old nephew.
TOP PICK FOR GROWN-UPS: THE NEON DEMON
Nicolas Winding Refn, director of Drive, Bronson and Only God Forgives, returns with a dark and glamorous fairy tale described by the Guradian in their four-star review as ‘a horror-inflected, high-fashion fable replete with wicked witches and big bad wolves ready to devour a flaxen-haired youth in the wild woods of Los Angeles’.
Read their full review to see why this story of corruptible youth and all the hideousness that beauty can belie is definitely worth a watch.
