During February, Rialto Documentary brings cities to life with a fabulous collection of thought provoking and beautifully crafted documentaries looking at how people live their lives in some of the most famous cities in the world. Richard Hankin takes us through the long, difficult task of rebuilding on New York’s Ground Zero (16 Acres), and Ron Fricke takes us around the world, stunning us with beautiful visuals that capture the diversity of our world and its people (Samsara). This week however, filmmaker Julien Temple explores what makes London tick in London, The Modern Babylon.
During February, Rialto Documentary brings cities to life with a fabulous collection of thought provoking and beautifully crafted documentaries looking at how people live their lives in some of the most famous cities in the world. Richard Hankin takes us through the long, difficult task of rebuilding on New York’s Ground Zero (16 Acres), and Ron Fricke takes us around the world, stunning us with beautiful visuals that capture the diversity of our world and its people (Samsara). This week however, filmmaker Julien Temple explores what makes London tick in London, The Modern Babylon.
Here are my picks for the week:
Starring: Michael Gambon, Malcolm McLaren, Bill Nighy & David Bowie
Directed by: Julien Temple
Premiering: Thursday 6th February, 8.30pm
Remote record here
Filmmaker and music-video director Julien Temple (Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten) takes us on an epic time-travelling voyage to the heart of his hometown, London. Temple describes London as a vortex or whirlpool, and the centre of human life today. He proves it by going back to the film archives and taking us through the history and culture of this fascinating city. All sorts of Londoners share their experiences over the last hundred years or so (one of the most charming participant’s is 106). It makes for a fascinating glimpse into how life in London has, and in some cases hasn’t, changed.
Starring: Blake Lively, Chloe Grace Moretz, Eddie Redmayne
Directed by: Derick Martini
Premiering: Saturday 8th February, 8.30pm
Remote record here
I was drawn to this film because of the cast and that it’s the second film from director Derick Martini, responsible for 2008’s Lymelife. Alec Baldwin and Rory Culkin were both in Lymelife and reappear in Hick, but the film belongs to young Chloe Grace Moretz (Kick Ass, Hugo), who plays a 13 year old runaway who discovers life isn’t much fun on the road. A strong start fades a little but the performances are excellent, coming from a strong cast that includes Juliette Lewis, Ray McKinnon and Blake Lively, who as a cocaine-snorting drifter couldn’t be further away from the set of Gossip Girls.
Starring: Stephanie Sigman, James Russo & Jose Yenque
Directed by: Gerardo Naranjo
Premiering: Tuesday 4th February, 8.30pm
Nominated for the Un Certain Regard Award at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, Miss Bala follows in the footsteps of fellow Mexican gangsta epic El Narco, which screened on Rialto Channel in December. El Narco, directed by actor turned writer-director Luis Estrada, did little to dispel Mexico’s reputation for being overrun by drug dealing terrorists, and nor does Miss Bala. Written by Gerardo Naranjo, with Mauricio Katz, and also directed by Naranjo, Miss Bala tells the story of working class Laura. Laura decides to give the local beauty pageant a go and in the process finds herself in the middle of a war between the police and violent drug dealers. Stephanie Sigman is brilliant as Laura, the innocent victim thrown into extreme danger, and it’s her performance that keeps you gripped to this provocative thriller.