Garage Screen. IN FOCUS. British Documentary Film Festival

Date

Place

Garage Screen summer cinema

DESCRIPTION

The British Council presents the first edition of the IN FOCUS documentary film festival that will take place in six Russian cities from August 1 to 15, 2017. In Moscow, the festival is organised in partnership with Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, it will take place from August 3 to 7, 2017. The screenings in Moscow will take place at the Garage Screen summer cinema in Garage Square.

It is said that ‘whoever tells the best story shapes the culture’ and what could be a better story than the life of an artist—a creator, a rioter, and a genius, who stands out from the crowd and whose incredible talent changes the world? Through the lens of the camera, IN FOCUS looks at five people, each of whom has become a symbol of contemporary Britain and an idol for generations of people across the globe. 

David Hockney and Lucian Freud turned the traditions of visual art upside down. Hockney—the godfather of pop-art, who spent most of his life in the United States, first made a splash with his vital portraits and ultramarine-blue pools, then dived into experiments with the camera and collage techniques and finally switched to the painting of landscapes, where the fog of Kensington is replaced with the sunshine of California. Freud is a master of figurative art, famous for his naturalistic portraits, penetrating one’s mind and exploring the relationship between the artist and the model—in the traditions set by his legendary grandfather.

Ted (Edward James) Hughes, Poet Laureate and one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century, the creative beneficiary of T.S. Eliot and a poet of mythic and elemental power, whose vers libre echoes the best masterpieces of British impressionism and whose controversial and tragic biography made him the main romantic hero of the époque. 

Another two (to be exact—three) people who quite literally ‘set the tone’ of the time.  Liam and Noel Gallagher and Amy Winehouse are as different as musicians can be, but both of their stories consist of a series of rises and falls, admiration and blame, glory and oblivion. While Oasis went through all the stages from the early success with Definitely Maybe to a decade of triumph in the nineties and the further split followed by numerous attempts of reunion, Amy ‘left the stage’ at the peak of her career by joining the immortal Twenty-Seven Club.

The life stories of this ‘famous five’ gave rise to these documentaries, each of which is a creative journey. The BAFTA winner Asif Kapadia repeats his success with Senna (2010) by exploring Amy’s life through her texts, archive chronicles, friends’ and fans' comments and her rare interviews. Both of Randall Wright’s films show artists’ lives behind the scenes and, following the canon of BBC movies, combine detailed research with creative essay.  Matt Whitecross made Supersonic hoping that “a little bit of the spirit of Oasis could spark something in a new group of misfits, and they’ll go out and change the world again”. And Richard Curson-Smith once again turns his camera to a prominent figure in British art history, depicting Ted Hughes’s tragic life and poetic passions.

IN FOCUS invites you to join the dialogue and to look back at those who proved with their own lives: you are who you choose to be. The festival will take place in Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Krasnoyarsk, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, and Saint Petersburg.

The films will be presented by the film critic Maksim Semenov.

ABOUT

Maksim Semenov graduated from the historical faculty of MSU and from High Courses for Scriptwriters and Film Directors. His articles are published in Séance, Art of Cinema and at Colta.ru.  He works in the Film Library named after Sergey Eisenstein and in Moscow Film School of New Cinema.

ORGANIZER

HOW TO TAKE PART

Free admission with advance registration.

The films are shown in English with Russian subtitles. 

The events are accessible to deaf and hard of hearing visitors.

REGISTRATION

Schedule

Oasis: Supersonic   

In August 1996, an indie band from the council estates of Manchester achieved something that had never before been done.

REGISTRATION

Date
Thursday, August 3
Time
21:00–23:00
Place
Garage Screen summer cinema

Lucian Freud: Painted Life

Lucian Freud: Painted Life explores the life and work of Lucian Freud, undoubtedly one of Britain's greatest artists. Freud gave his full backing to the documentary shortly before his death. Uniquely, he was filmed painting his last work, a portrait of his assistant David Dawson.

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Date
Friday, August 4
Time
21:00–23:00
Place
Garage Screen summer cinema

Hockney

Hockney is the definitive exploration of one of the most important artists of his generation.

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Date
Saturday, August 5
Time
21:00–23:00
Place
Garage Screen summer cinema

Amy

From BAFTA award-winning director Asif Kapadia (Senna), Amy tells the incredible story of six-time Grammy-winner Amy Winehouse—in her own words.

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Date
Sunday, August 6
Time
21:00–23:00
Place
Garage Screen summer cinema

Ted Hughes: Stronger than Death

Ted Hughes is widely recognised as one of our greatest poets. He is also one of the most controversial. The 'Heathcliff' of poetry who “attracted more scandal than any other literary figure with the exception of Lord Byron” as one contributor notes. Now, for the first time the events of his life and the breadth and influence of his poetry are the focus of a major documentary.

REGISTRATION

Date
Monday, August 7
Time
21:00–23:00
Place
Garage Screen summer cinema