Echo Chamber: LFF21 - Day 5
We're already at 'Day 5' and the '65th BFI London Film Festival', just goes from strength to strength!
Today we have the quirky machinations of a cinematic legend, and then a look at a legend of the court & activism that many don't know the extent of his shadow on the world today!
The @EchoChamberFP festival coverage is at full steam!
Wes Anderson writes & directs 'The French Dispatch' a high-brow magazine based in the imagined Gallic town of Blasé-sur-Ennui, has reached its end. Its founder (Bill Murray) has died and his beloved creation looks set to shut down operations. In doing so, its staff reflect nostalgically on the publication’s halcyon days, when the writers were as celebrated as the subjects they covered. There’s the art critic (Tilda Swinton) who regales with the story of a jailed painter’s (Benicio Del Toro) obsession with his muse (Léa Seydoux); a political correspondent (Frances McDormand) whose ‘current affairs’ once included a young insurgent (Timothée Chalamet) during a student protest; and the rarefied food critic (Jeffrey Wright) who becomes quite the pot-au-feu when he finds himself caught up in a kidnapping plot.
Rex Miller, Sam Pollard & T.J. Volgare 'Citizen Ashe'. Colin Kaepernick, Serena Williams, Simone Biles, and Naomi Osaka have all been lauded and vilified for their expression of activism within sports. This documentary tells the story of the original sports activist. The first Black man to win Wimbledon, The US Open, and the Australian Open, Ashe dissects his incredible personal journey, in his own words, from singularly-focused tennis player who refused to bow to pressure on what kind of Black man he should be, to his transformation into a militant voice who to this day has an enduring legacy for his work within the Civil Rights Movement, against apartheid in South Africa and for AIDS activism. Citizen Ashe is an uplifting story of one man’s integrity and grace in the face of challenge and obstacle.
In today's episode:
The French Dispatch - Poster
The French Dispatch
Watch Review: Here.
London Film Festival Date: 10th October 2021
London Film Festival Date: 11th October 2021
London Film Festival Date: 13th October 2021
London Film Festival Date: 17th October 2021
Theatrical Release Date: 22nd October 2021
Director: Wes Anderson
Cast: Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Léa Seydoux, Timothée Chalamet, Jeffrey Wright
Credit: Searchlight Pictures, American Empirical Pictures, Indian Paintbrush, Studio Babelsberg
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Romance
Running Time: 108 min
Cert: 18
Trailer: Here.
BFI Website: Here.
Website: Here.
Twitter: @french_dispatch
Facebook: Here.
Instagram: @frenchdispatch
Citizen Ashe - Poster
Citizen Ashe
Watch Review: Here.
London Film Festival Date: 10th October 2021
London Film Festival Date: 11th October 2021
Theatrical Release Date: 3rd December 2021
Director: Rex Miller, Sam Pollard
Cast: Arthur Ashe. Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, Johnnie Ashe, Billie Jean King, John McEnroe, Donald Dell, Lenny Simpson, Harry Edwards
Credit: Dogwoof, HBO Max, Rexpix Media, Artemis Rising Foundation, CNN Films, Magnolia Pictures, Get Lifted Film Company, Stick Figure Productions
Genre: Documentary, Sports
Running Time: 94 min
Cert: 12a
BFI Website: Here.
Website: Here.
BFI Flare Festival 2021
Festival Date: 6th - 17th October 2021
From Wednesday 6th to Sunday 17th October 2021, join the BFI for in person & online screenings and entertainment over the next 12 days.
Twitter: @BFI
Twitter: @BFIFlare
Facebook: Here.
Instagram: @britishfilminstitute
YouTube: Here.
*(Music)
'DNA' by Kendrick Lamar – 2017