DELVE DEEPER INTO THE WORLD OF MODERN FILMS— CATCH UP ON PAST Q+AS AND FIND OUT ABOUT OUR LATEST EVENTS, SCREENINGS, PANELS AND DISCUSSIONS.
Arthur Erickson – Beauty Between the Lines (+ Q&A via Zoom)
A rare UK showing of Arthur Erickson: Beauty Between The Lines. The film chronicles the untold personal and professional triumphs and tragedies of one of the most captivating modernist architects of the 20th Century.
Beauty Between the Lines delves into the life and work of Arthur Erickson, a visionary architect first in Canada and ultimately throughout the world. With intimate interviews, unseen archival footage, and an exploration of his architectural masterpieces, the film weaves together the complexities of Erickson's personal and professional life.
In the shadows of his visionary buildings he lived another life as a gay man. Some say his partner, interior designer Francisco Kripacz, was the catalyst to his eventual bankruptcy but he was the true love of Arthur’s life. A tragedy of personal and professional triumphs, the film reveals a man who transcended traditional boundaries, who fused art, culture, and nature and in the process, redefined modern architecture.
More info on the film and trailer here
The film will also involve a Q&A via zoom with the producers/ directors
LEONORA IN THE MORNING LIGHT (+ Q&A)
DCA is thrilled to welcome co-directors Lena Vurma and Thor Klein for a post-film Q&A.
Defiant, brilliant, and untamable, Leonora Carrington refused to live by anyone’s rules but her own. In the charged atmosphere of 1930s Paris, she falls under the spell of the Surrealist movement – and into a passionate, volatile love affair with the German artist Max Ernst. Together, they create a world where art and life blur, surrounded by icons like André Breton and Salvador Dalí, and build an otherworldly refuge in the south of France filled with sculpted creatures and strange, living dreams.
But as war engulfs Europe, their fantasy shatters. Ernst is arrested as an enemy alien, and Leonora is thrust into a nightmare of loss, madness, and survival. Fleeing to Spain, she spirals into psychological torment and endures brutal institutional treatment. Emerging scarred but unbroken, Leonora finds her way to Mexico, where she reclaims her art, her identity, and her freedom.
Leonora in the Morning Light is the epic true story of a woman who turned trauma into transcendence, creating beauty from chaos and forging a legacy that changed the history of modern art.
Arthur Erickson – Beauty Between the Lines (+ Q&A)
Beauty Between the Lines delves into the life and work of Arthur Erickson, a visionary architect first in Canada and ultimately throughout the world.
With intimate interviews, unseen archival footage, and an exploration of his architectural masterpieces, the film weaves together the complexities of Erickson’s personal and professional life. It reveals a man who transcended traditional boundaries, who fused art, culture, and nature and in the process, redefined modern architecture.
Followed by a Q&A with architect, university professor and film participant Michael Prokopow and producer Leah Mallen.
LEONORA IN THE MORNING LIGHT (+ Q&A)
The epic true story of a woman who turned trauma into transcendence, creating beauty from chaos and forging a legacy that changed the history of modern art.
Defiant, brilliant, and untameable, Leonora Carrington refused to live by anyone’s rules but her own. In the charged atmosphere of 1930s Paris, she falls under the spell of the Surrealist movement—and into a passionate, volatile love affair with the German artist Max Ernst. Together, they create a world where art and life blur, surrounded by icons like André Breton and Salvador Dalí, and build an otherworldly refuge in the south of France filled with sculpted creatures and strange, living dreams.
But as war engulfs Europe, their fantasy shatters. Ernst is arrested as an enemy alien, and Leonora is thrust into a nightmare of loss, madness, and survival. Fleeing to Spain, she spirals into psychological torment and endures brutal institutional treatment. Emerging scarred but unbroken, Leonora finds her way to Mexico—a place of magic and rebirth—where she reclaims her art, her identity, and her freedom.
LEONORA IN THE MORNING LIGHT (+ Q&A)
Leonora Carrington, an outstanding figure of surrealism, along with Frida Kahlo, was one of Mexico’s most famous painters. As the long-time partner of Max Ernst and close friend of André Breton and Jean Miró, she continually struggles with her visionary imagination, which often triggers serious psychological crises.
LEONORA IN THE MORNING LIGHT (+ Q&A)
Leonora Carrington, an outstanding figure of surrealism, along with Frida Kahlo, was one of Mexico's most famous painters. As the long-time partner of Max Ernst and close friend of André Breton and Jean Miró, she continually struggles with her visionary imagination, which often triggers serious psychological crises.
LEONORA IN THE MORNING LIGHT (+Q&A)
Defiant, brilliant, and untamable, Leonora Carrington refused to live by anyone’s rules but her own. In the charged atmosphere of 1930s Paris, she falls under the spell of the Surrealist movement - and into a passionate, volatile love affair with the German artist Max Ernst. Together, they create a world where art and life blur, surrounded by icons like André Breton and Salvador Dalí, and build an otherworldly refuge in the south of France filled with sculpted creatures and strange, living dreams. But as war engulfs Europe, their fantasy shatters. Ernst is arrested as an enemy alien, and Leonora is thrust into a nightmare of loss, madness, and survival. Fleeing to Spain, she spirals into psychological torment and endures brutal institutional treatment. Emerging scarred but unbroken, Leonora finds her way to Mexico - a place of magic and rebirth - where she reclaims her art, her identity, and her freedom.
Leonora in the Morning Light is the story of a woman who turned trauma into transcendence, creating beauty from chaos and forging a legacy that changed the history of modern art, making her currently the highest-selling female British artist.
LEONORA IN THE MORNING LIGHT (+ Q&A)
Defiant, brilliant, and untamable, Leonora Carrington refused to live by anyone’s rules but her own. In the charged atmosphere of 1930s Paris, she falls under the spell of the Surrealist movement - and into a passionate, volatile love affair with the German artist Max Ernst. Together, they create a world where art and life blur, surrounded by icons like André Breton and Salvador Dalí, and build an otherworldly refuge in the south of France filled with sculpted creatures and strange, living dreams. But as war engulfs Europe, their fantasy shatters. Ernst is arrested as an enemy alien, and Leonora is thrust into a nightmare of loss, madness, and survival. Fleeing to Spain, she spirals into psychological torment and endures brutal institutional treatment. Emerging scarred but unbroken, Leonora finds her way to Mexico - a place of magic and rebirth - where she reclaims her art, her identity, and her freedom.
Leonora in the Morning Light is the story of a woman who turned trauma into transcendence, creating beauty from chaos and forging a legacy that changed the history of modern art, making her currently the highest-selling female British artist.
After the film there will be a 30m Q&A featuring the directors of the film -- Thor Klein and Lena Vurma -- and Dawn Henderby, Arts Officer with Dumfries + Galloway Council.
LEONORA IN THE MORNING LIGHT (+ Q&A)
In the early 1930s, painter Leonora Carrington, a rebel against social expectations, joins the surrealist movement and its iconic figures like André Breton and Salvador Dalí in Paris. A whirlwind love affair with artist Max Ernst confronts her with her inner demons. Leonora in the Morning Light is the story of a woman who turned trauma into transcendence, creating beauty from chaos and forging a legacy that changed the history of modern art. Following this screening, we will be joined by directors Thorsten Klein & Lena Vurma for a special Q&A.
LEONORA IN THE MORNING LIGHT (+ Q&A)
We're delighted that our screening on Wednesday 3 June will include an in-person Q&A with directors Thor Klein and Lena Vurma.
Elegant and handsomely shot biopic of the surrealist artist Leonora Carrington, portrayed with impressive nuance by newcomer Olivia Vinall. Directors Thor Klein and Lena Vurma, adapting Elena Poniatowska’s novel, focus on two key periods. In 1930s France, Leonora is influenced by surrealists Salvador Dalí and André Breton while forging a turbulent relationship with Max Ernst (Alexander Scheer). The Second World War brings trouble to their doorstep, leading Klein and Vurma to take us into Leonora’s headspace as she battles her psychological demons, past and present. Finally, in 1950s Mexico, we see how her experiences helped cement her distinctive artistic voice. Nowadays, Leonora Carrington is the highest selling female British artist.
LEONORA IN THE MORNING LIGHT (+ Q&A)
Defiant, brilliant, and untamable, Leonora Carrington refused to live by anyone’s rules but her own.
In the charged atmosphere of 1930s Paris, she falls under the spell of the Surrealist movement—and into a passionate, volatile love affair with the German artist Max Ernst. Together, they create a world where art and life blur, surrounded by icons like André Breton and Salvador Dalí, and build an otherworldly refuge in the south of France filled with sculpted creatures and strange, living dreams. But as war engulfs Europe, their fantasy shatters. Ernst is arrested as an enemy alien, and Leonora is thrust into a nightmare of loss, madness, and survival. Fleeing to Spain, she spirals into psychological torment and endures brutal institutional treatment. Emerging scarred but unbroken, Leonora finds her way to Mexico—a place of magic and rebirth—where she reclaims her art, her identity, and her freedom.
Leonora in the Morning Light is the story of a woman who turned trauma into transcendence, creating beauty from chaos and forging a legacy that changed the history of modern art, making her currently the highest-selling female British artist.
DIRECTOR Q&A: The screening on Tuesday 2nd June will be accompanied by a Director Q&A
Book now
LEONORA IN THE MORNING LIGHT (+ Q&A)
The story of British artist Leonora Carrington, recognized as the key female Surrealist painter, and her creative and personal experiences in France, Spain and Mexico. Based on the bestselling novel ‘Leonora’ by Elena Poniatowska.
The Q&A screening will feature an in-person conversation with the film’s directors, Thor Klein and Lena Vurma, following the credits of the main feature screening on Sunday 31 May and will last for approximately 40 minutes.
LEONORA IN THE MORNING LIGHT (+ Q&A)
Defiant, brilliant, and untamable, Leonora Carrington refused to live by anyone’s rules but her own. In the charged atmosphere of 1930s Paris, she falls under the spell of the Surrealist movement – and into a passionate, volatile love affair with the German artist Max Ernst. Together, they create a world where art and life blur, surrounded by icons like André Breton and Salvador Dalí, and build an otherworldly refuge in the south of France filled with sculpted creatures and strange, living dreams. But as war engulfs Europe, their fantasy shatters. Ernst is arrested as an enemy alien, and Leonora is thrust into a nightmare of loss, madness, and survival. Fleeing to Spain, she spirals into psychological torment and endures brutal institutional treatment. Emerging scarred but unbroken, Leonora finds her way to Mexico – a place of magic and rebirth - where she reclaims her art, her identity, and her freedom.
The screening on Saturday 30 May will be followed by a Q&A.
Book now.
Leonora in the morning light. london premiere + Q&A
The preview screening on 28 May will be followed by a Q&A with directors Lena Vurma & Thor Klein
Book now
The Underground Cinema
Presented by The Underground Cinema, Sound & Vision: A Season of Films About Music is a season of music-oriented films featuring legendary live shows, iconic documentaries and cult classics, including Modern Films titles Keyboard Fantasies, Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda and Sisters with Transistors.
Keyboard Fantasies
Directed by Posy Dixon, 2019
Emerging from years in isolation to an enraptured crowd, transgender, septuagenarian musical genius Beverly Glenn-Copeland finally finds his place in the world. Keyboard Fantasies tells the tale of this mystical musician as he embarks on his first international tour at the age of 74.
Screening dates – May 1, 2, 3, 6, 7
Sisters with Transistors
Directed by Lisa Rovner, 2020
The story of electronic music’s female pioneers, including Delia Darbyshire, Laurie Anderson and Suzanne Ciani – composers who embraced machines and their liberating technologies.
Screening dates – May 22, 23, 24, 27, 28
Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda
Directed by Stephen Nomura Schible, 2017
An intimate documentary chronicling the legendary composer’s life, focusing on his creation of the album async following a cancer diagnosis, his activism against nuclear power, and his career spanning four decades.
Screening dates – May 29, 30, 31, June 3, 4
E.1027 Q&A at Cine Lumiere
This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Beatrice Minger.
The Irish artist and architect Eileen Gray had a truly eminent sense of design. She created some of the most iconic furniture of the 20th century, mostly in France where she lived most of her life. When she focused her unique artistic vision on developing a house for herself on the Riviera in 1929, the result was a modernist triumph. A house and a work of art in one, overlooking the sun-sparkled infinity of the Mediterranean. The house is named E.1027, a cryptic contraction of the names of Gray and her lover, Romanian architect Jean Badovici.
When Swiss-French star architect Le Corbusier learns of the house, he becomes obsessed with it and manages to upstage it by building another house next to it.
This docufiction about the fight for women’s recognition in a male dominated industry is a stunningly beautiful and cinematic film, where Gray’s inspiration is present in lines, colours and shapes.
Book here.
E.1027 Q&A at Curzon Bloomsbury
This screening on Wed 4 Jun will be followed by a Q&A with director Beatrice Minger and actor Natalie Radmall-Quirke. Screening in partnership with The Architecture Club.
A love triangle of jealousy in the Parisian art scene of the 1930s is brought to life in a stylish docufiction about iconic artist and architect Eileen Gray, who built her modernist dream house on the Riviera, only to be upstaged by Le Corbusier.
Irish artist and architect Eileen Gray created some of the most iconic furniture of the 20th century, so when she focussed her unique artistic vision on developing a house for herself on the Riviera in 1929, the result was a modernist triumph. The house is named E.1027, a cryptic contraction of the names of Gray and her lover, Romanian architect Jean Badovici. But when the Swiss-French star architect Le Corbusier learns of the house, he becomes obsessed – perhaps because Gray breathes light, air and soul into her building, which is not just a machine to live in.
E.1027 – Eileen Gray and the House by the Sea reconstructs the dramatic story of Gray and the house that Le Corbusier amazingly managed to convince the world he had built himself. A stunningly beautiful and cinematic docufiction where the inspiration from Gray is present in lines, colours and shapes – but where they serve the narrative of a brilliant female artist who spent a long life in the shadow of her male colleagues.
Book here.
Two Strangers x The Cinema at Selfridges
Film Lovers - please join us for our next SCREEN PLAYERS FILM CLUB for a special screening of the mesmerising and profoundly moving documentary Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other.
After the screening, filmmakers Manon Ouimet and Jacob Perlmutter, and the subjects of their film- the artist Maggie Barrett and legendary photographerJoel Meyerowitz will be in conversation with Charlotte Bogard Macleod.
TWO STRANGERS TRYING NOT TO KILL EACH OTHER:
Life, mortality and the artistic process are at the heart of this beautiful and often very funny documentary about brilliant artist and writer Maggie Barrett and her husband, the legendary photographer Joel Meyerowitz.
It’s a documentary made by one artist couple filming another artist couple, who discover that they share similar values. Although separated by many decades of life experience and artistic output and practice, both couples find a shared commitment to the creative process, and an extraordinary openness to discuss life’s more important questions.
Two Strangers Not to Kill Each Other offers a profound yet tender exploration of love, art and the ephemeral beauty of life. Unmissable.
SCREEN PLAYERS FILM CLUB is hosted by The Cinema in Selfdriges, in partnership with The Script Factory and Soho Square Studios.
Blue Road Q&A at Kiln Theatre
We are delighted to welcome director Sinéad O’Shea for an in-person Q&A in our screening on 15th May. Sinéad will be in conversation with Irish Cultural Centre Hammersmith Culture Director Rosalind Scanlon.
Edna O’Brien is the rare writer who not only represented her country’s spirit, she also shaped and profoundly altered it. Speaking about topics deemed unspeakable by others as she rose to prominence and controversy in the 1960s, including having her books banned in her native Ireland.
Before her death at 93, O’Brien recounts her controversial life, novels, love affairs and stardom through personal journals read by actress Jessie Buckley, with perspectives from writers like Gabriel Byrne and Walter Mosley. In this stunning documentary from the acclaimed director of Pray for Our Sinners and A Mother Brings Her Son to Be Shot, this is a fitting tribute to a life of great complexity, perseverance and inspiration.
Blue Road: The Edna O'Brien Story Preview and Q&A at Bertha DocHouse
Irish writer Edna O'Brien became a literary sensation after releasing her sexually frank 1960 debut novel, The Country Girls.
Her success enraged many in her home country, including her husband, but she continued a lifetime of writing, making a home in London and living a famously colourful life.
Blue Road is an archive-rich portrait that captures the life and spirit of Edna O’Brien. She provides a final testimony, aged 93, along with perspectives from writers like Gabriel Byrne, Walter Mosley and Andrew O’Hagan, and extracts from her personal journals read by Jessie Buckley.
The screening on Thursday 17 April will be followed by a Q&A with director Sinead O’Shea and poet and novelist Martina Evans. Presented in partnership with the Royal Society of Literature.
Book tickets here.
Blue Road: The Edna O'Brien Story preview and Q&A at the Irish Cultural Centre
A 93-year-old Irish writer Edna O’Brien recounts her controversial life, novels, love affairs, and stardom through personal journals read by actress Jessie Buckley, with perspectives from writers like Gabriel Byrne and Walter Mosley.
The ICC is delighted to present a special preview screening of the documentary The Blue Road: The Edna O’Brien Story, before its UK Premiere on 18 April in London’s West End. Edna O’Brien was the ICC most treasured patron from 1995 until her recent death in 2024.
This screening will be followed by a Q&A with the Director Sinéad O’Shea.
The Return Preview Screening with Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche
Join us for a special Q&A preview screening of THE RETURN, followed by a Q&A with Juliette Binoche, Ralph Fiennes and director Uberto Pasolini.
After 20 years Odysseus finally returns to Ithaca, where he finds his wife held prisoner by suitors vying to be king and his son facing death at their hands. To win back his family and all he has lost, Odysseus must rediscover his strength.
Book tickets here.
The Return live from the British Museum with Ralph Fiennes
Join us for a special preview screening of THE RETURN, starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche, directed by Uberto Pasolini, followed by a discussion with Fiennes and Pasolini.
They will be joined by the British Museum's Keeper of Greece and Rome, Tom Harrison, and Curator: Reception of the Ancient Mediterranean, Vicky Donnellan, to discuss this major new film.
It tells the story of the mythical Greek hero, Odysseus (Fiennes) who, after 20 years away, washes up on the shores of Ithaca, haggard and unrecognisable. The king has returned from the Trojan War, but much has changed in his kingdom. His beloved wife Penelope (Binoche) is a prisoner in her own home, hounded by suitors vying to be king and planning the death of Telemachus, the son he never knew. Shattered by his experience of war, Odysseus must rediscover his strength in order to win back all that he has lost.
This exclusive preview screening will be broadcast live from the British Museum to cinemas nationwide on 9 April before the film's UK release on 11 April. Book a ticket to a screening at your local cinema here.
Two Strangers Trying Not To Kill Each Other Q&A Screening
Life, death and making meaning are the heart of this beautiful and often very funny film about ageing artist couple Maggie and Joel who, after an accident, face the inevitability of impermanence and seek a deep peace in their relationship while they still can.
When artist Maggie Barrett (75) breaks her femur, her husband Joel Meyerowitz (84), a world-famous photographer, becomes her caregiver. In the shadow of mortality, each with a long and dramatic life behind them, the hard truths of life together provoke in Maggie and Joel an attempt to find a shared inner-peace while there is still time.
The screening on Friday 21st March will be followed by a Q&A with filmmakers Manon Ouimet and Jacob Perlmutter and film participants Maggie Barrett and Joel Meyerowitz.
Book here.
Two Strangers Trying Not To Kill Each Other | Q&A Screening
Preview Screening and Q&A with directors Manon Ouimet and Jacob Perlmutter and film subjects Joel Meyerowitz and Maggie Barrett.
When artist Maggie Barrett (75) breaks her femur, her husband Joel Meyerowitz (84), a world-famous photographer, becomes her caregiver. In the shadow of mortality, each with a long and dramatic life behind them, the hard truths of life together provoke in Maggie and Joel an attempt to find a shared inner-peace while there is still time.
Book tickets here.
Blue Road: The Edna O'Brien Story | Preview and Q&A
A 93-year-old Irish writer Edna O'Brien recounts her controversial life, novels, love affairs, and stardom through personal journals read by actress Jessie Buckley, with perspectives from writers like Gabriel Byrne and Walter Mosley.
Preview screening followed by Q&A with director Sinead O’Shea.
Book here.
Memoir of a Snail Preview and Q&A at Mockingbird Cinema
This screening is the first of Flatpack's new monthly residency at The Mockingbird. Expect all manner of films – previews, rediscovered gems, and under-the-radar curiosities you won't find anywhere else
Forcibly separated from her twin brother when they are orphaned, a melancholic misfit learns how to find confidence within herself amid the clutter of misfortunes and everyday life.
Book tickets.
Memoir of a Snail Preview and Q&A at Hyde Park Picture House
Grace Pudel is a lonely misfit with an affinity for collecting ornamental snails and an intense love for books. At a young age, when Grace is separated from her fire-breathing twin brother Gilbert, she falls into a spiral of anxiety and angst. Despite a continued series of hardships, inspiration and hope emerge when she strikes up an enduring friendship with an elderly eccentric woman named Pinky, who is full of grit and lust for life. From Academy Award-winning® animation writer and director Adam Elliot (Mary and Max), Memoir of a Snail is a poignant, heartfelt, hilarious chronicle of the life of an outsider finding her confidence and silver linings amongst the clutter of everyday life.
Our special preview of Memoir of a Snail on the 19th of January will be followed by a Q&A with the film’s director, Adam Elliot.
Book tickets.
Memoir of a Snail Preview and Q&A at Showroom Cinema
Grace Pudel is a lonely misfit with an affinity for collecting ornamental snails and an intense love for books. At a young age, when Grace is separated from her fire-breathing twin brother Gilbert, she falls into a spiral of anxiety and angst.
Despite a continued series of hardships, inspiration and hope emerge when she strikes up an enduring friendship with an elderly eccentric woman named Pinky, who is full of grit and lust for life.
From Academy Award-winning animation writer and director Adam Elliot, Memoir of a Snail is a poignant, heartfelt, hilarious chronicle of the life of an outsider finding her confidence and silver linings amongst the clutter of everyday life.
Memoir of a Snail won the top prize at the prestigious Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2024 and Best Film at the BFI London Film Festival 2024.
This special preview screening will be followed by an in-person Q&A with acclaimed writer-director Adam Elliot (Mary and Max, Harvie Krumpet) hosted by Melvyn Ternan, Senior Lecturer in Animation at Sheffield Hallam University.
Book tickets.
Memoir of a Snail Preview + Q&A at Watershed
From Academy Award®-winning animation writer and director Adam Elliot, Memoir of a Snail is a poignant, heartfelt, hilarious chronicle of the life of an outsider finding confidence and silver linings amongst the clutter of everyday life.
Grace Pudel is a lonely misfit with an affinity for collecting ornamental snails and an intense love for books. At a young age, when Grace is separated from her fire-breathing twin brother Gilbert, she falls into a spiral of anxiety and angst. Despite a continued series of hardships, a morsel of hope emerges when she strikes up an enduring friendship with an elderly eccentric woman named Pinky.
Memoir of a Snail is 100%-CG-free stop-motion with an incredible voice cast including Nick Cave and Eric Bana, and precicely the heart-warmer we need during these colder seasons.
Followed by a Q&A with director Adam Elliot.
Book tickets
Memoir of a Snail preview at BFI Southbank + Q&A
Oscar-winning director Adam Elliot’s tale of separated twins in 1970s Australia is a funny and moving stop-motion triumph.
This year’s LFF Best Film Award winner, Adam Elliot’s tale of separated twins in 1970s Australia is a funny and moving stop-motion triumph. Grace and Gilbert are separated as children due to tragic circumstances; Grace goes to live with a ‘swinger’ couple, while Gilbert is ensconced with a religious fundamentalist family. Then Grace’s life changes when she meets old Pinkie, who has ‘done it all’ – from making love to John Denver to playing ping pong with Fidel Castro. We’re delighted to welcome Adam Elliot to talk about his witty and moving masterpiece.
Tickets £17, concessions £14 (Members pay £2 less).
Book now