The Review - AT THE MOVIES with WILLIAM HALL Published: 27 March 2008
Pick of the Indies
THERE is something attractive about the Highgate Film Society. I like the idea of people getting together and saying: “If the films we want to watch are not going to be screened by cinemas, we’ll jolly well put them on ourselves!” The society’s spring programme is heavily influenced by classical music.
It kicks off next week with a version of King Lear (April 3) directed by Russian film-maker Grigori Kozintsev. Influenced by Citizen Kane and translated into Russian by Boris Pasternak, the score was composed by Dmitri Shostakovich.
The following week (April 13), film-maker Christopher Nupen will be presenting excerpts from five films he made on his close friend the cellist Jacqueline du Pre, and discussing her music. On May 15 the society celebrates the centenary of composer Olivier Messiaen.
The society, based at the Highgate Scientific and Literary Institute, is lining up a screening of the documentary The Crystal Liturgy which tells the story of Messiaen. To add to it they are having recitals of his music and organiser Eric Dalton says the society hopes to offer members a greater understanding of cultural figures.
He said: “We’ve pursued the idea over the last few years of combining a documentary film about a composer or author with a live performance of one or two of his works.”
Visit www.hlsi.co.uk DAN CARRIER