I’ve seen my fair share of films but I’ve never seen one quite like Neptune Frost. Following an intersex African hacker and a coltan miner whose union start a revolution, this astonishing Rwandan film is a romantic sci-fi musical with an electrifying anti-capitalist message. An Afrofuturistic odyssey like no other, written and co-directed by poet-musical Saul Williams, and one that will stay with you for days. A truly unique cinematic experience.
November is Noirvember at Warwick Arts Centre and so we have a selection of films noir for you to (re)discover this month. From original classics of the genre like In A Lonely Place and The Lady From Shanghai, to modern classics like Blade Runner, and with nods to the late great Jean-Luc Godard and Angela Lansbury with Alphaville and Gaslight, we hope you’ll find something to enjoy in this year’s programme. Bring out your trench coats and tilt your hats, things are getting dark this month.
Our Show Me Your Teeth season is also in full swing this month. Show Me Your Teeth is an exploration of vampirism, feminism and the representation of women in vampiric tales. We are delighted to have received funding from the BFI to share this season with you. This month, you can see Catherine Hardwicke’s Twilight, Guy Maddin’s Dracula – Pages from a Virgin’s Diary, Bill Gunn’s Ganja & Hess and Ana Lily Amirpour’s A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night which will be followed by a panel discussion exploring the themes of the season with award-winning producer Jennifer Handorf, Professor Helen Wheatley, and film critic and writer Sabina Stent.
If you came to see Hit the Road this summer, you may want to come and catch No Bears this autumn – the latest from Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, and father of Hit the Road director, Panah Panahi. The film follows Jafar Panahi as he attempts to direct a film remotely from a rental home whilst inadvertently getting involved in the local village’s drama. An incredibly inventive film and as ever, an incisive commentary on the Iranian government who, earlier this year, sentenced Panahi to six years in jail for his criticism of the regime.
Finally, no film has affected me as much as Charlotte Wells’s Aftersun this year – probably my favourite film of the year! A young woman recalls the last holiday she spent with her father as a pre-teen and tries to connect the dots between the memories she has and the man he was. A devastatingly beautiful father-daughter relationship and an exploration of mental health and growing up as a child and an adult, with simply perfect performances from Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio. Absolutely unmissable.
Hope to see you there,
Meli
