And it’s going to be plenty amazing! It all kicks off this weekend too, at Chichester’s very own Chichester Cinema at New Park, a beautiful art house cinema supported by volunteers and lovers of quality independent film. The residents of this beautiful Cathedral town are the lucky ones, but it’s just a hop, skip, and a jump from London, so if you’re stuck in the city for August and September, consider going down for a weekend!
Brightwide will be presenting three tremendous documentaries that can each be seen on the big screen as part of the festival. Brightwide’s Executive Director Paola de Leo will also be leading a panel discussion following In the Land of the Free… on Wednesday evening, September 1st (click here to book this, or any of the films). Of course, if you don’t feel like getting out of your pajamas, you can also watch them on our site from the warm (and dry) comfort of your own home.
In the Land of the Free – Most would believe it impossible that anyone in the US could be held in solitary confinement for thirty-seven years. They would be wrong. Samuel L Jackson narrates the story of the Angola 3, extraordinary men targeted by prison authorities for becoming members of the Black Panther Party and fighting the degrading conditions, abuse, and sexual slavery rampant in America’s most infamous prison.
La Forteresse – Long white corridors stretch, sterile. Guards patrol, kids play football on the pavement, surrounded by wire fences. La Forteresse gives us unique access to a Swiss asylum centre, those who work there, and the refugees arriving from every corner of the world to wait for their dreams of a new life to be processed. It manages to hold the two realities side by side: that of a prison, however kindly its face, and the living breathing humanity within it.
Pray the Devil Back to Hell – The men would not end Liberia’s civil war, so the women did. Christian and Muslim together braved bullets and arrest day after day to demand peace. They went on a sex strike, argued with religious leaders and politicians, and barricaded the warring factions into the negotiating room until they got peace. Their words, their courage, and their struggle will make your heart swell up with a hope and a pride in humanity that you would not have thought possible.
We’re also very happy to say that one of the festival features is a Colin Firth Retrospective; Firth is a founder of Brightwide, and a damn fine actor. Firth Among Equals, an illustrated talk on his work and films given by Phillip Kemp is on Tuesday 31st August at 14:00. And Kemp has chosen a further ten films to illustrate Firth’s career. They’re not the usual suspects either, so definitely check them out.
And the final reasons to take a jaunt down to Chichester, as if all the above were not enough? The slew of rare films under the heading Surreal Friends: Viva Mexico & Surrealist Cinema, and the Akira Kurosawa tribute. It’s going to be a brilliant 18 days in Chichester, so don’t miss it.
