Losing the Plot #5

LTP#5 takes a proposal from The New Social Function of Cinema, the seminal publication of this country's  countercinema movement of the 1970's, “...we are concerned to develop a spectator's, rather than a filmmaker's or artist's cinema'  to consider the modes in which we spectate together in 2017.  In the year we build a new DIY, Star and Shadow cinema in Newcastle, a general election defines our next half decade, and our relationship to media and truth is uncertain, it feels timely to imagine and talk about what off-line modes of spectatorshp we want to cultivate for ourselves.

Over the 16-18 June, we will present various aesthetic directions taken by film artists, documentarians, feminists and prime-time comedians to expose and start dialogue, cross-referencing between today and the period of the New Social Function of Cinema (late 1970's early 1980's.)

Emphasising the collective experience of viewing that makes Cinema special, LTP revolves around camping, watching, reading, walking, discussing and eating together with a bunch of other people over a long weekend.  Exploring the self-imposed strategy of 'The Ignorant Curator', all films are programmed 'unseen' to encourage a non-hierarchical approach to post-film discussion.  We set up good audience relationships with amazing food and a beautiful place, and then add the films.

Interspersed through the weekend:
The Other Cinema: Which Parade's Gone By... (M. Karlin, UK, 1977, documentary)

Friday 16th June
8pm: Accursed, Amazed, Other...
The Accursed Stare (D. Ferrando Girault, Spain, 2016, artist film), The Amazed Spectator (E. Pera, Portugal, 2016, experimental film)

Saturday 17th June
11am - A Question of Silence (M Gorris, Netherlands, 1982, feature film)
2pm - Limpiadores & The NIghtcleaners pt.1 (F. Mitjans, Cuba, 2015, documentary / Berwick st. Collective, UK, 1975, experimental documentary)
5pm - Endless Poetry (A. Jodorowsky, Chile, 2016, feature film)
8.30pm - Aquarius (K. Mendonco Filho, Brazil, 2016, feature film)

Sunday 18th June
11am - Uncertain (E. McNicol and A. Sandilands,USA, 2015, documentary)
2pm - Tickling Giants (S. Taskler, Egypt, 2016, documentary)

The event is family friendly: screenings are certificated, but Burnlaw has a great play area and plenty of space to explore.