For immediate release: Tue 3 Oct 2023

Barbican Cinema November 2023

It’s Festivals time at the Barbican Cinema
November brings an eclectic cinema programme at the Barbican, with a wealth of returning
partner Festivals including the London Palestine Film Festival, London International
Animation Festival and Doc’n Roll Film Festival.

Music fans will also enjoy the EFG London Jazz Festival: Jazz on Screen season, with
three rarely seen films that shine a light on some of the modern jazz legends, in an era of
change between the 1950s and 1960s, complementing the EFG London Jazz Festival
concerts at the Barbican

Festivals, Seasons and Special Events:

 Doc’n Roll Film Festival - Wed 1 Nov – Sat 4 Nov

 Jazz On Screen - Sat 11 – Tue 14 Nov
 London Palestine Film Festival - Fri 17 – Thu 23 Nov
 London International Animation Festival - Fri 24 Nov – Sun 3 Dec

Regular Programme strands:

 Science on Screen: Science on Screen: Jurassic Park 4K Restoration +

Presentation by Sandra Wachter - Tue 7 Nov
 New East Cinema: Between Revolutions + ScreenTalk - Thu 9 Nov
 Architecture on Film: London Premiere Pictures of Ghosts - Wed 29 Nov
 Family Film Club - every Sat am
 Relaxed Screenings - one Fri daytime and one Mon evening
 Senior Community Screenings - every second Mon am
 Pay What You Can Screenings – every Fri

Event Cinema:

 Royal Opera House Live: Don Quixote - Sun 12 Nov

 MET Opera Live in HD: The Life and Times of Malcolm X - Sat 18 Nov

Further highlights include a New East Cinema screening of Between Revolutions in which
two women, one in Bucharest and one in Tehran, exchange letters as their countries
undergo two very different revolutions, leading to a similar sense of disillusionment in their
people. The screening will be followed by a ScreenTalk.

Architecture on Film screens the London Premiere of Kleber Mendonça Filho’s

documentary Pictures of Ghosts, in which the director blends together personal and urban
biography, architecture and filmmaking, to craft a map of his hometown of Recife, Brazil; and
Science on Screen presents Steven Spielberg’s Academy Award-winning Jurassic Park,
in a 4K restoration, accompanied by a presentation by Sandra Wachter, Professor of
Technology and Regulation at the University of Oxford, who will explore the ethics of science
and innovation. The ever-popular Family Film Club includes the first London screenings of
the French film Ernest and Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia, and Elemental and Strange
World, the latest from Disney.

Festivals, Seasons and Special Events

Doc’n Roll Film Festival

Wed 1 – Sat 4 Nov
Cinemas 1, 2 & 3
The tenth edition of Doc’n Roll London, the UK’s Music Documentary Festival, returns to
the Barbican with compelling feature-length documentaries about alternative music,
musicians, and the worlds they inhabit. The line-up includes:

London Premiere: Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzses (15)*

US 2023, Dir. Ben Shapiro & Sam Pollard, 82min
Wed 1 Nov, 6.30pm
Cinema 2
The groundbreaking story of bebop pioneer, virtuoso percussionist, and bandleader Max
Roach. His was an epic musical journey - from the revolutionary jazz of the 1940s to the
Civil Rights years, through to experiments in hip hop, multi-media works, and beyond.

UK Premiere: Miúcha, The Voice of Bossa Nova (12A*) + ScreenTalk

US 2023, Dir. Ben Shapiro & Sam Pollard, 82min
Thu 2 Nov, 6.20pm
Cinema 2
The story of the singer Miúcha, the anti-muse of the bossa nova, a poignant life story told
through a feminist perspective, of the only woman who performed with Tom Jobim, Vinicius
de Moraes and João Gilberto.

UK Premiere: Hung Up on a Dream: The Zombies Documentary (12A*) + ScreenTalk

US 2023, Dir. Robert Schwartzman, 116mins
Sat 4 Nov, 5.30pm
Cinema 1
The UK Premiere of the first ever feature documentary about the iconic rock band The
Zombies, and their journey in the music world.

For further info: www.docnrollfestival.com

Jazz On Screen 23
EFG London Jazz Festival 2023
Sat 11 – Tue 14 Nov
Cinema 2
As is tradition, Jazz on Screen returns to Barbican Cinema during EFG London Jazz
Festival with three rarely seen films that shine a cinema light on some of the modern jazz
legends in an era of change and creativity, the 1950s and 1960s. Screenings include special
introductions with writer, comedian and documentary filmmaker Stewart Lee about the
avant-garde, free jazz movement, and with film curator, critic and filmmaker Ehsan
Khoshbakht about Sven Klang’s small dance band which explores a clash between
tradition and innovation, and the power of music to shape destinies.

Imagine the Sound + Introduction by Stewart Lee (*12)

Canada 1981, Dir Ronn Mann, 91min
Sat 11 Nov, 3.45pm
Cinema 2
Directed by Ron Mann, Imagine the Sound explores the creative processes, philosophies,
and ground-breaking contributions of trailblazing musicians Cecil Taylor, Archie Shepp,
Bill Dixon, and Paul Bley. Their stories are woven together through candid interviews, rare
footage, and ground-breaking performances.

Sven Klang’s Combo + Introduction by Ehsan Khoshbakht (*12)

Sweden 1976, Dir Stellan Olsson, 114min
Sun 12 Nov, 5.45pm
Cinema 2
Stellan Olsson heart-warming Sven Klang’s Combo paints a vivid picture of a small dance
band performing local wedding and hops in the 1950s, bonded by their passion for music,
camaraderie, and the thrill of live performances. Ehsan Khoshbakht is co-director and
curator of Il Cinema Ritrovato film festival, held annually in Bologna, Italy.

The Stormy Man (*12)

Japan 1957, Dir Umetsugu Inoue, 101min,
Tue 14 Nov, 6.30pm
Cinema 2
The Stormy Man provides an atmospheric view of 50s Japan, following an angry young
man (played by star Yujiro Ishihara) aspiring to make it in the competitive and occasionally
violent world Ginza’s seedy jazz nocturnal clubs.

London Palestine Film Festival

Nov 17– 23
Cinemas 1 & 2
London Palestine Film Festival returns to Barbican Cinema and other venues across the
capital from 17-30 Nov for its 24th edition.

The Festival’s opening film is the intimate documentary feature Tomorrow’s Freedom,
which builds a powerful portrait of the political prisoner Marwan Barghouti, followed by a
ScreenTalk with the Lawyer and Politician Fadwa Barghouti (the wife of Marwan
Barghhouti). Waiting for Gaza puts the spotlight on the filmmaking twins Arab and Tarzan
Nasser, as we follow them to the heart of their relationship, five years after their Cannes
nomination for Dégradé. Also on the big screen is writer and director Tawfik Abu Wael’s
debut film from 2004, Atash (Thirst).

This year’s Festival has a specific focus on Gaza, with titles including Dégradé, made by
Arab and Tarzan Nasser and inspired by true events from Gaza in 2007. At SOAS,
University of London, LPFF will present the book launch of Nadia Yaqub’s Gaza on Screen,
a title that includes contributions from scholars and Gazan filmmakers, who explore the
practice, production, and impact of film and videos from and about the Gaza Strip.

Opening Night: London Palestine Film Festival: Tomorrow's Freedom (18*) +

ScreenTalk with the Lawyer and Politician Fadwa Barghouti
UK 2022, Dirs Georgia Scott & Sophia Scott, 130min
Fri 17 Nov, 8.30pm
Cinema 1

Waiting for Gaza (15*)

France 2020, Dir Guillaume Kozakiewiez, 74min
Mon 20 Nov, 6.45pm
Cinema 2
Atash (Thirst) (15*)
Palestine/ Israel 2004, Dir Tawfik Abu Wael, 90min
Wed 22 Nov, 6.30pm
Cinema 2

Dégradé (15*)
Palestine, France & Qatar 2015, Dirs Arab Nasser & Tarzan Nasser, 85min
Thu 23 Nov, 8.45pm
Cinema 2

For further information: www.palestinefilm.org.uk

London International Animation Festival (LIAF)

Fri 24 Nov – Sun 3 Dec
Cinemas 1 & 2
The UK’s largest animation festival returns to the Barbican with a selection of the best
animated shorts from around the world, plus ScreenTalks and discussions.

Opening Night – 20 years celebration and a tribute to Paul Bush (15*)

Fri 24 Nov, 6.15pm (approx. 150min)
Cinema 1
This year’s opening night celebrates the late great filmmaker Paul Bush. Over a 30-year
career Bush produced over 20 short films and features that challenged the boundaries of
fiction, documentary, and animation. He was tragically killed in a motorbike accident last
month and this programme includes a screening of some of his most loved films and a
ScreenTalk with leading animators in the industry, paying tribute to this iconic British
filmmaker.

The British Showcase (15*)

Fri 24 Nov, 9pm (approx. 105min)
Cinema 1
This is a snapshot of British animation which paints a vibrant picture of a spirited and
imaginative animation nation featuring the UK’s most promising newcomers and several
regulars. Some of the filmmakers whose films are screening will take to the stage before the
programme to present their films.

Figures in Focus: Apocalyptic + ScreenTalk (15*)

Sat 25 Nov, 8.45pm (approx. 112min)
Cinema 2
A programme of contemporary animations in recognition of the under-representation of
female and non-binary animators and their stories within independent animation. This
selection of artists' animations includes films that delve into darkest fears and great hopes.
Artists Elizabeth Hobbs, Carla MacKinnon, Lauren Orme and Suraya Raja will join
programmer Abigail Addison for the post-screening discussion.

Marvellous Animations for 8-15 year-olds (PG*)

Sun 26 Nov, 2pm (approx. 80min)
Cinema 2
A selection of short animated films, full of joy from all around the world, with several cheeky,
loveable humans and animals in all sorts of adventures.

Disrupting the Narrative: Changing Mindsets, Expanding Voices (15*) + Screentalk

Mon 27 Nov, 8.45pm (approx. 120min)
Cinema 2
Following on from last year’s inaugural programme exploring the way Black British and
ethnically diverse filmmakers are pushing the boundaries of animation, this year expands on
the theme to include international filmmakers who collectively explore identity, race, family,
cultural taboos, gender and the shared joy of play that pushes the artform to the outer limits.

Family Film Club: Amazing Animations for 0-7 year-olds (U*)

Sat 2 Dec, 11am (approx. 70min)
Cinema 2
This carefully chosen programme for our youngest audience contains 14 of the best, most
recent short animated films. There’ll be talking animals, fun adventures, and wondrous tales
to spark those little imaginations. Adults must be accompanied by a child, and children must
be accompanied by an adult.

LIAF 2023: Closing Night Gala – The Best of the Fest (15*)
Sun 3 Dec, 5.15 pm, (approx. 120min)
Cinema 1
The last chance to see this year’s LIAF ‘must-see films’ before the curtain comes down on
another Festival, selected by several panels of industry experts and audience votes.
For further information visit: www.liaf.org.uk

Regular Programme Strands

Science on Screen: Jurassic Park (12A) 4K Restoration + Presentation by Sandra

Wachter
US 1993, Dir Steven Spielberg 127 min
Tue 7 Nov, 6.30pm
Cinema 1
Preparations for a Dinosaur theme park go terribly wrong in this Academy Award-winning
action adventure from director Steven Spielberg, in a 4K restoration, with a mesmerizing
score from John Williams.

When should scientists stop and think about the ethical implications of their work? As
academia and industry work ever closer, the risk of private industry taking control becomes
more acute. Professor Sandra Wachter, Professor of Technology and Regulation at the
University of Oxford, will explore the ethics of science and innovation before a screening of
this 90s classic, which allowed cinema audiences to glimpse an exciting new world where
dinosaurs could be brought to life (both in this future reality, as well as on film).

New East Cinema: Between Revolutions (12A*) + ScreenTalk

Romania 2023, Dir Vlad Peri, 68mins
Thu 9 Nov, 6.20pm
Cinema 2
Maria and Zahra meet at university in 1970’s Bucharest, where Zahra is an exchange
student. The promise of political change in Iran makes Zahra return to her home country and
the two are separated. For the next decade, the women exchange letters in which the
personal and the political intertwine, drawing a picture of two different revolutions which led
to a similar sense of disillusionment in their people.

Vlad Peri bridges the two revolutions separated by a decade by mixing archive footage and
fictional letters inspired by documents in the Romanian Secret Police Archive.

Architecture on Film: London Premiere Pictures of Ghosts

Brazil 2023, Dir Kleber Mendonça Filho, 93mins
Wed 29 Nov, 6.30pm
Cinema 1
In three chapters and an enigmatic coda, the celebrated director Kleber Mendonça Filho
(Bacurau, Aquarius, Neighbouring Sounds) offers a journey through the physical and urban
structures that shaped his filmmaking, and his being – from his childhood apartment to the
majestic São Luis theatre, host to 50 million people over 70 years.

Filho’s conversational collage, warmly and searchingly narrated over 30 years of images,
crafts a portrait of himself, Brazilian society, and cinephilia, examining the melange of all
three in the urban reality of Recife, and ultimately presenting cinema going as a site of civic
resistance.

Family Film Club

Every Sat, 11 am
Cinema 2
Family Film Club in November includes a mix of new releases, as well as international
gems and a shorts programme curated especially for the youngest of film fans. The line-up
includes one of the first London screenings of Ernest and Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia
(France 2022, Dirs Julien Chhen & Jean-Christophe Roger), the charming sequel that
follows the adventures of gruff violinist bear Ernest and his best friend, the feisty mouse
Celestine. November also sees the latest offering from Disney with Elemental and Strange
World (US 2023, Dir Peter Sohn), and a bespoke shorts programme, curated for young film
fans, about flying and birds.

Please check www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/series/family-film-club for more details.

Relaxed Screenings
One Friday daytime and one Monday evening per month Barbican Cinema welcome cinema
goers to an environment that is specially tailored for a neurodiverse audience,.
www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/series/relaxed-screenings

Senior Community Screenings

Every second Mon, 11am, Cinema 2

The Barbican welcomes 60+ cinema goers, plus guest to enjoy the latest new releases
every second Monday morning. www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/series/senior-community-
screenings

Pay What You Can Screenings

Every Friday one of the new release film screenings is priced Pay What You Can. This is for
customers where ticket price may be a barrier, or for those who want to help others enjoy a
visit to the cinema; audience members are invited to pay between £3-£15.
www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/series/pay-what-you-can-cinema-screenings

Event Cinema

Royal Opera House Live: Don Quixote (12A)

Sun 12 Nov, 2 pm, Cinema 3

Created for The Royal Ballet a decade ago, Carlos Acosta’s exuberant production
featuring Tim Hatley’s characterful designs brings the heat and romance of Cervantes'
classic novel to life.
MET Opera Live: The Life and Times of Malcolm X (12A)
Sat 18 Nov, 5.55 pm, Cinema 1

Anthony Davis’s groundbreaking opera, which premiered in 1986, finally arrives at the Met.
Robert O’Hara oversees a new staging that imagines Malcolm as an everyman whose story
transcends time and space.

ENDS

Notes to Editors
For further information contact:

Ian Cuthbert, Communications Manager, Cinema

ian.cuthbert@barbican.org.uk / 07980 925 352

Sarah Harvey, Barbican Cinema Press Consultant

sarah@sarahharveypublicity.co.uk / 07958 597 426

Sumayyah Sheikh, Communications Assistant, Theatre & Dance and Cinema:

sumayyah.sheikh@barbican.org.uk

Box office: www.barbican.org.uk

New Releases:
Standard: £13
Barbican members: £10.40
Young Barbican £5
Concessions: £11
ScreenTalk £13/£14.50
Under 18s: £6

 Pay What You Can Screenings: tickets available from £3-£15 on a new release title
every Friday, for customers where ticket price may be a barrier, or for those who
want to help others enjoy a visit to the cinema.
 Family Film Club Under 18s: £2.50 / Over 18s: £3.50
 Parent & Baby screenings: Standard: £6
 Senior Community Screenings: £6 - and there’s an offer of a slice of cake and a
hot drink for £4.50 in the Beech Street Café.
 Relaxed Screenings welcome cinema goers to an environment that is specially
tailored for a neurodiverse audience, tickets are £6.
 Monday Madness: £6 all new release screenings
 Young Barbican: £5 all new release screenings and curated programmes for
14 - 25-year-olds - when they sign up.

Events/Seasons/Festivals:
Standard: £13
Barbican members: £9.60
Corporate Members: Varied Discount

Young Barbican £5
Concessions: £11
Under 18s: £6
Performance Cinema/Live and Encore:
ROH Live
Standard: £21
Barbican Members: £16.80
Corporate Members: Varied Discount
Young Barbican: £10

Met Opera Live

Standard: £37
Barbican Members: £29.60
Corporate Members: Varied Discount
Young Barbican: £15

There is £1.50 booking fee for purchases made online

# Certificate to be confirmed
* This film has been locally classified by the City of London Corporation

Barbican press room

All Barbican Centre press releases, news announcements and the Communications team’s
contact details are listed on our website at www.barbican.org.uk/our-story/press-room

About the Barbican

The Barbican is a catalyst for creativity, sparking possibilities for artists, audiences, and
communities. We showcase the most exciting art from around the world, pushing traditional
artistic boundaries to entertain and inspire millions of people, create connections, provoke
debate, and reflect the world we live in.

We are an international arts and events centre rooted firmly in our own neighbourhood,
collaborating with local communities and putting the City of London on the map as a
destination for everybody. Central to our purpose is supporting emerging talent and shaping
opportunities that will accelerate the next generation of creatives.

As a not-for-profit, we rely on the generosity of individuals and organisations, including our

principal funder the City of London Corporation. Every ticket purchased, donation made, and
pound earned supports our arts and learning programme and enables the widest possible
range of people to experience the joy of the arts.

Opened in 1982, the Barbican is a unique and audacious building, recognised globally as an
architectural icon. As well as our theatres, galleries, concert halls and cinemas, we have a
large conservatory with over 1,500 species of plants and trees, a library, conference
facilities, public and community spaces, restaurants, bars, and a picturesque lakeside oasis.

We are the home of the London Symphony Orchestra, and a London base of the Royal
Shakespeare Company. We regularly co-commission, produce and showcase the work of
our other partners and associates: the Academy of Ancient Music, the BBC Symphony
Orchestra, Boy Blue, Britten Sinfonia, Cheek by Jowl, Drum Works, the Los Angeles
Philharmonic, Serious and We Are Parable.

For more information, visit our website or connect with us on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook |
YouTube | Spotify | LinkedIn

About Barbican Cinema

We connect audiences with a curated programme of international cinema; from celebrated
filmmakers to ground-breaking and under-heard voices from past and present.
Our programmes are presented in Cinemas 1 in the main centre and Cinemas 2&3 on
Beech Street. Our programme ranges from thematic seasons that respond to today’s world,
to new releases, ScreenTalks, cross-artform collaborations, family events, access
screenings and event cinema that presents the performing arts on screen.
We showcase the work of emerging filmmakers, as well as less familiar work of exceptional
filmmakers from the UK and around the world. We champion the work of Barbican Young
Programmers and give stage to emerging musicians in our ongoing film & live music series
which includes our flagship collaboration with the Guildhall School of Music & Drama.

As part of a cross-arts centre, our cinemas are a cultural space for people to share the
viewing experience. We strive to be inclusive in everything we do; providing platforms for the
widest possible range of filmmakers and ensuring we are an open, welcoming and
accessible venue for all our audiences.