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London Film Festival · 2017

London Film Festival 2017

Journey

Programme

26 films · 6 reviews

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Araby (Arábia)

The story of ex-con and eternal optimist Cristiano, as he journeys across Brazil in search of work and self-knowledge.

(Country: Brazil; Year: 2017; Director: João Dumans, Affonso Uchoa; Writer: João Dumans, Affonso Uchoa; Stars: Aristides de Sousa, Murilo Caliari, Gláucia Vandeveld, Renata Cabral, Renan Rovida)

Abu (Father)

The filmmaker, who is gay, examines his troubled relationship with his devout Muslim father.

(Country: Japan, Canada, Thailand, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia; Year: 2017; Director: Arshad Khan; Writer: Arshad Khan, Arshad Khan)

Chateau

Life near the Château d’Eau metro station as seen through the eyes of hairdressers making a living there.

(Country: France; Year: 2017; Director: Modi Barry, Cédric Ido; Writer: Modi Barry, Cédric Ido, Joseph Denize; Stars: Jacky Ido, Tatiana Rojo, Jean-Baptiste Anoumon)

The Drummer And The Keeper

An unlikely bond forms between a bipolar drummer and an institutionalised teenager who has Asperger's.

(Country: Ireland; Year: 2017; Director: Nick Kelly; Writer: Nick Kelly; Stars: Niamh Algar, Peter Coonan, Phelim Drew, Olwen Fouere, Jane Herbert, Adrian Hudson, Tiny James, Beibhinn Jones, Charlie Kelly, Dale Leadon Bolger, Hannah Mamalis, Jacob McCarthy, Aoibhinn McGinnity, Dermot Murphy, Ally Ni Chiarain)

Equilibrium (l'equilibrio)

When a priest gets a transfer to his home region, he discovers some uncomfortable truths about where he has come to live.

(Country: Italy; Year: 2017; Director: Vincenzo Marra; Writer: Vincenzo Marra; Stars: Mimmo Borrelli, Roberto del Gaudio, Lucio Giannetti, Giuseppe D'Ambrosio, Francesca Zazzera, Autilia Ranieri, Paolo Sassanelli, Astrid Meloni, Francesco Pio Romano, Sergio Del Prete)

The Journey

Thriller that tackles what might just be the final moments of a potential suicide bomber’s life.

(Country: UK, Iraq, France, Qatar, Netherlands; Year: 2017; Director: Mohamed Al-Daradji; Writer: Mohamed Al-Daradji, Isabelle Stead)

Lebanon Factory

Portmanteau film about Lebanon.

(Country: France; Year: 2017; Director: Ahmad Ghossein, Lucie La Chimia, Shirin AbuShaqra, Manuel Maria Perrone, Una Gunjak, Rami Kodeih, Mounia Akl, Neto Villalobos; Writer: Ahmad Ghossein, Lucie La Chimia, Shirin AbuShaqra, Manuel Maria Perrone, Una Gunjak, Rami Kodeih, Mounia Akl, Neto Villalobos)

Lucía

The history of Cuba as illustrated by three episodes in the life of one woman, who is betrayed by the man she loves.

(Country: Cuba; Year: 1968; Director: Humberto Solas; Writer: Julio García Espinosa, Nelson Rodríguez, Humberto Solás; Stars: Raquel Revuelta, Eslinda Núñez, Adela Legrá, Eduardo Moure, Ramón Brito, Adolfo Llauradó, Idalia Anreus, Silvia Planas, Flora Lauten, Rogelio Blain, Maria Elena Molinet, Aramís Delgado, Teté Vergara, Flavio Calderín, Nelson Rodríguez)

Lucky

Review preview for Lucky

Deadpan absurdity, everyday madness and enlightenment through routine merge in an attempt to answer the big questions of life.

Anne-Katrin Titze · 4 out of 5
The spiritual journey of a 90-year-old atheist.

(Country: US; Year: 2017; Director: John Carroll Lynch; Writer: Logan Sparks, Drago Sumonja; Stars: Harry Dean Stanton, David Lynch, Ron Livingston, Ed Begley Jr., Tom Skerritt, Beth Grant, James Darren, Barry Shabaka Henley, Yvonne Huff, Hugo Armstrong, Bertila Damas, Ana Mercedes, Sarah Cook, Amy Claire, Ulysses Olmedo)

Full review See: Article about the work of Harry Dean Stanton

My Generation

The story of Michael Caine's personal journey through Sixties London.

(Country: UK; Year: 2017; Director: David Batty; Writer: Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais; Stars: Michael Caine, Joan Collins, Lulu, Paul McCartney, Twiggy, Roger Daltrey, Marianne Faithfull, Terry O'Neill, David Puttnam, David Bailey, Sandie Shaw, Penelope Tree, Mary Quant, Bárbara Hulanicki)

One Thousand Ropes

Story about a man trying to face his past, his daughter - and his inner ‘demons’.

(Country: New Zealand; Year: 2016; Director: Tusi Tamasese; Writer: Tusi Tamasese)

Our Time Will Come (Ming yue ji shi you)

A woman is drawn into Hong Kong’s underground resistance movement.

(Country: Hong Kong, China; Year: 2017; Director: Ann Hui; Writer: Jiping He; Stars: Xun Zhou, Eddie Peng, Wallace Huo, Deannie Yip, Tony Ka Fai Leung, Siu-Fai Cheung, Joman Chiang, Stanley Sui-Fan Fung, Tao Guo, Zhi-zhong Huang, Wenli Jiang, Sam Lee, Jessie Li, Candy Lo, Ray Lui)

Pickups

Comedy about an actor in the wake of his divorce.

(Country: UK; Year: 2017; Director: Jamie Thraves; Writer: Aidan Gillen, Jamie Thraves; Stars: Antonia Campbell-Hughes, Amy De Bhrún, Sophia Del Pizzo, Echo, Charlotte Gascoyne, Aidan Gillen, Paul Goodwin, Chris Howitt, Francisco Javier Diaz Izquierdo, Elaine Kennedy, Johnny Lamb, Nick Lee, Berry Murphy, Joe Murphy, Camille O'Sullivan)

Pop Aye

Review preview for Pop Aye

Like all good road trips, the destination may be a the top of the protagonist's mind but the film says a lot more about his past and present than his future.

Amber Wilkinson · 3 out of 5
A disenchanted architect goes on a road trip with an elephant.

(Country: Thailand, Singapore; Year: 2017; Director: Kirsten Tan; Writer: Kirsten Tan; Stars: Thaneth Warakulnukroh, Penpak Sirikul, Yukontorn Sukkijja, Chaiwat Khumdee)

Full review

Promised Land

(Country: US; Year: 2017; Director: Eugene Jaracki)

Ravens (Korparna)

Review preview for Ravens

Assur is adept at creating striking images - such as the shadows of the ravens of the title on a barn wall or the threat of violence posed by a piece of machinery.

Amber Wilkinson · 3 out of 5
A troubled farmer and his family struggle with the hardships of their lives.

(Country: Sweden; Year: 2017; Director: Jens Assur; Writer: Jens Assur, based on the novel by Tomas Bannerhed; Stars: Reine Brynolfsson, Jacob Nordström, Maria Heiskanen)

Full review

The Rider

Review preview for The Rider

The craft, the knowledge, the deep communication with the animal, shown without words - this is breathtaking, transcendent cinema.

Anne-Katrin Titze · 5 out of 5
A young cowboy tries to carve out a new identity.

(Country: US; Year: 2017; Director: Chloé Zhao; Writer: Chloé Zhao; Stars: Brady Jandreau, Tim Jandreau, Lilly Jandreau, Cat Clifford, Terri Dawn Pourier, Lane Scott, Tanner Langdeau, James Calhoon, Derrick Janis)

Full review See: Chloé Zhao and Brady Jandreau in conversation on Brady's family, autism, training horses, and cinematographer Joshua James Richards for The Rider , Chloé Zhao and Brady Jandreau in conversation on Werner Herzog and filming The Rider

Salesman

Following four door-to-door salesmen around the States in the late Sixties.

(Country: US; Year: 1969; Director: Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin)

Full review

Sheikh Jackson

An Islamic cleric has a crisis of faith when he hears his childhood idol, Michael Jackson, has died.

(Country: Egypt; Year: 2017; Director: Amr Salama; Writer: Amr Salama, Omar Khaled; Stars: Basma, Ahmad El-Fishawi, Amina Khalil, Ahmed Malek, Maged El Kedwany, Dorra Zarrouk, Mahmoud El-Bezzawy)

A Season In France (Un Saison En France)

An African teacher flees his war-torn country for France, where he falls in love.

(Country: France; Year: 2017; Director: Mahamat-Saleh Haroun; Stars: Sandrine Bonnaire, Eriq Ebouaney)

Tides

Men go on a boat trip after a devastating loss.

(Country: UK; Year: 2017; Director: Tupaq Felber; Writer: Tupaq Felber, Jon Foster, Simon Meacock, Jamie Zubairi; Stars: Simon Meacock, Dinah Stabb, Amanda Rawnsley, Jon Foster, Jamie Zubairi, Roderick Hill, Robyn Isaac)

Untitled

“This film is intended to show an image of the world that can only be created when one does not pursue any subject, or make any value judgement or follow any objective. When one lets one’s self be carried along by nothing more than one’s own curiosity and intuition.”

(Country: Austria, Germany; Year: 2017; Director: Michael Glawogger, Monika Willi; Writer: Michael Glawogger, Monika Willi)

Walk With Me

Documentary about the art of mindfulness.

(Country: UK; Year: 2017; Director: Marc J. Francis, Max Pugh; Writer: Marc J. Francis, Max Pugh; Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Brother Pháp De, Brother Pháp Dung, Thich Nhat Hanh, Brother Pháp Huu, Sister Chân Không, Brother Pháp Linh, Sister Dang Nghiêm, Sister Dinh Nghiêm, Brother Pháp Siêu)

Wallay

A French teenager verging on delinquency is sent to his father's hometown of Burkina Faso.

(Country: France, Burkina Faso; Year: 2017; Director: Berni Goldblat; Stars: Makan Nathan Diarra, Ibrahim Koma, Hamadoun Kassogué, Mounira Kankolé, Joséphine Kaboré)

The White Girl

The lives of a fisherman and his daughter, an artist and a street kid intersect.

(Country: Hong Kong; Year: 2017; Director: Jenny Suen; Writer: Jenny Suen; Stars: Joe Odagiri, Angela Yuen, Jeff Yiu)

Wonderstruck

Review preview for Wonderstruck

This creative and visually arresting adaptation of Brian Selznick’s critically acclaimed novel marks a filmmaker at the top of his game.

Richard Mowe · 4 out of 5
Ben and Rose are children from two different eras who secretly wish their lives were different. Both set out on quests.

(Country: US; Year: 2017; Director: Todd Haynes; Writer: Brian Selznick, based on his novel; Stars: Amy Hargreaves, Michelle Williams, Julianne Moore, Oakes Fegley, Tom Noonan, Cory Michael Smith, James Urbaniak, Marko Caka, Damian Young, Hays Wellford, Morgan Turner, Ekaterina Samsonov, Brian Berrebbi, Michael Wren Gucciardo, Jaden Michael)

Full review

Strand gala