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Starting tonight, film enthusiasts have a unique opportunity to meet two critically acclaimed film directors – Peter Strickland and Mark Cousins – as they visit Plymouth to talk about their works.
Peter Strickland is known for his innovative storytelling and captivating visual style, earning a devoted following among film fans. He will be in conversation with writer Johnny Mains in an introduction to the screening of Berberian Sound Studio at University of Plymouth’s Jill Craigie Cinema tonight (Wednesday 16 October).
Berberian Sound Studio features Toby Jones as Gilderoy, a sound engineer in the 1970s who finds himself entangled in the surreal world of a giallo horror film. As he creates unsettling sound effects and mixes voiceovers, Gilderoy’s mental state deteriorates, blurring the lines between reality and fiction. With its homage to iconic directors like Dario Argento and Lucio Fulci, the film is both a love letter to Italian cinema and a compelling tale in its own right.
Mark Cousins will be at Plymouth Arts Cinema for a Q&A on Monday 21 October, presenting his new documentary to coincide with its UK-wide release, after gaining awards and praise at international festivals.
A Sudden Glimpse To Deeper Things tells the story of Wilhelmina Barns-Graham (1912 -2004), who was part of the St Ives School of artists from the 1940s on, working alongside such art world notables as Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth and Patrick Heron.
Cousins says:
“In her long life Wilhelmina Barns-Graham travelled to many countries, but always returned to England's South West. You can see the region's curved beaches, geology, luminosity and palette in her inspiring art. For decades the South West was the centre of her life and visual imagination. We're delighted to bring the film into her world.”
The documentary’s title is a quote from the private papers of Barns-Graham – voiced in the film by the Oscar-winning actor Tilda Swinton. It refers to a style-transforming trip the artist, known to friends as Willie, made in 1949 to a Swiss glacier.
Several galleries, institutions and arts collectors in the South West hold examples of Wilhelmina Barns-Graham’s works, including Tate St Ives, Arts University Plymouth and The Box, Plymouth and her work will feature in an exhibition opening at Arnolfini, Bristol, on 23 November.
