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DESIDERIUM | IRANIAN YELLOW PAGES | KARAVIDHE | PUSH
ST PANCRAS SUNRISE | WANDER TO WONDER | WE BEG TO DIFFER


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Beautifully shot and edited to a driving beat, this gritty, earthy story traces life on the rough streets around Kings Cross in the early 1980s, set against the context of an issue-highlighting protest that hit the headlines. It springs from filmmaker Maeve Murphy's novella Christmas at the Cross, which is based on real-life experiences of young Irish migrants who arrived in London and found community in the sex trade.

Arriving from Ireland in 1981 London, a young woman named Blathnaid (Regan) finds a room in a squat occupied by prostitutes near St Pancras Station. As she walks down a darkened street, she has an unnerving encounter with a sneering undercover cop (Wilson), then befriends Nadina (Meienberg), a friendly prostitute who lives in her building. They make a strong connection as they hang out together, but Nadina is on a collision course with the policeman.

This evocative short opens and closes with newsreel footage of the 15 sex workers who locked themselves in a Kings Cross church as a protest against police violence. Appallingly, it took more than 40 years before an investigation determined that London's police force was institutionally sexist. And this short's closing captions reveal the larger, powerfully urgent story that continues today.

18.Apr.24

Lushly photographed in beautiful locations, this short drama hones in on a friendship between two young men, each of whom is grappling with darker internal impulses. The title refers to both a deep desire and a profound feeling of loss, and the film is a strikingly moving look at mental health issues, revealing some very bleak emotions along the way. Even if it feels a little loose, the film is skilfully put together to highlight some important, painful truths.

Feeling overwhelmed by pressures in his life, Brendan (Dellicompagni) hangs out with his best pal Casper (Feasby), who is visiting for a few days after moving away. Brendan's newly single mother Sarah (Dowler) tries to encourage both of them, but doesn't want to let Brendan shirk his responsibilities. He finds doing even the smallest things difficult. Meanwhile, Casper has his own issues at home after dropping out of university.

Performances are open-handed and full of nuance, offering insight into what these people are thinking. Each is going through his or her own serious issues, and they struggle to open up to each other. Casper's swaggering banter cheers Brendan up, and it takes a confessional moment for Casper to realise that Brendan is genuinely struggling. But this leaves him feeling alone in his own difficulties. So the film becomes a call for us to be more observant about the people in our lives. It closes with a pointed message about mental health from Chasing the Stigma founder Jake Mills.

1.Sep.24

With inventive visual flourishes, this documentary short explores a London subculture through the eyes of a likeable immigrant who has a dream for his family. The film is observant and engaging, even if it feels somewhat slight, jumping ahead to its happy conclusion without much of an explanation. But as a glimpse into another world, it's warm and enjoyable.

At 51, delivery driver Reza works the streets of northwest London, delivering food while listening to meditation podcasts. But what he really wants to do is build up his traditional soup business, then bring his wife and son to join him from Iran. So he advertises his home-made soup in the free ads section of London's Iranian community newspaper. And as he works to get his endeavour off the ground, he discovers a vibrant subculture.

Unable to return to his home country, Reza is charming, funny and passionate about food. Filmmaker Anna Snowball also visits others who are advertising in the paper, revealing their quirks and passions. These ads touch on a wide range of issues for a large number of immigrants as they look for ways to connect their new lives in London with the comforts of home. So both the adverts and Reza's experiences offer a fascinating portrait of this culture, even if the film never quite digs beneath the surface.

4.Jan.25

Nicely observed, this understated drama explores the immigrant experience through the eyes of two men who meet while working in their adopted home country. It feels a bit brief, but creates a lovely moment in time. The film is sharply well written and directed by Eoin Doran, with imagery that evokes the internal feelings of the characters, plus some stylistic flourishes involving metaphorical crustaceans. The title means lobster in Albanian.

On a day job as a painter, immigrant Dee (Fejzo) meets younger fellow Albanian Adrian (Isufaj), and they connect as they share stories from their pasts. Dee was a chef back home, and he is saving to bring his wife to join him in London. He's also a gifted pianist. When their boss (Joshi) leaves them stranded, it's up to Dee to calm Adrian's fiery temper. He also reveals his special skills at providing a delicious improvised meal.

The narrative is cleverly structured to carry us along, seeing through the eyes of both of these very different men as they are forced to think laterally. Each actor brings his own brand of attitude, contrasting Dee's measured experience with Adrian's impulsive emotion. The new friendship between them is nicely played by Fejzo and Isufaj. And the polished production brings it to life in subtle, engaging ways.

4.Jan.25

Writer-director Elly Condron explores the experiences of a woman who is on the verge of giving birth, and plays the lead role herself. It's all perhaps a bit whiny and self-absorbed, as she moans generically that everything just feels "so different". But it's very well shot and edited, and the acting is excellent. So even if the narrative wallows a bit, the film has some fun with a prospective mother's thought process.

It should be more exciting to be facing the miracle of life, but Mags (Condron) is hating her increasing physical discomfort, while doom-scrolling everything that can go wrong. She shares her annoyances with her friend Jo (Ronney), who encourages her to set a goal of enjoying her life after the baby comes. She also urges Mags to have some perspective, to understand that she's not losing her old life, but adding to it.

Essentially a depiction of how it feels to be pregnant for the first time, the film feels somewhat indulgent as it tries to make us feel sympathy for Mags' rather common plight. The film is open-handed enough to pull us in, even if there isn't any particularly original insight or universal resonance. And Condron's offbeat approach to the premise also offers a promising glimpse into the mind of a filmmaker who is worth keeping an eye on.

4.Jan.25

Using eye-catching stop-motion animation, this multinational production spirals out from a vintage-style children's TV series. Scenes from the show are seen on what looks like old VHS tape that was found in the attic, but the short quickly shifts into something much more intriguing, widening the world in unexpected ways. This is a strikingly original idea, produced beautifully with an attention to detail that continually catches us by surprise.

On a classic episode, Uncle Gilly (Salvage) introduces his three furry friends Mary (Lawrence), Billybud (Dunn) and Fumbledon (Jones). But as they film a new show, Fumbledon insists on performing Shakespeare without his trousers, because no one's watching anyway. Indeed, the three tiny performers inside the furry costumes are struggling to survive in what to them feels like a post-apocalyptic world. Perhaps a letter from a fan can offer some help.

The production values are first rate, with expert animation, designs, lighting, editing and music. The contrast is unusually powerful between the joyously bouncy TV show and the harsh present-day reality for these little people. This is a gorgeous mini-epic that shifts from pastiche comedy to heart-stopping action to emotive horror. Within 14 minutes, director Nina Gantz packs in enormous feelings and a steady stream of twists and turns that are both witty and darkly unsettling. It's an unforgettable little gem.

4.Jan.25

From Ireland, this short documentary explores the underground world of diffing, which is similar to drifting, as drivers perform controlled skids in circles. The film is shot with a lush visual sensibility that captures the green Irish countryside and vroom-vroom energy of cars spinning to the delight of entire families. And the open-handed emotionality gives it an unusually powerful kick.

At a funeral for a member of their community, differs pay respects by laying down epic skidmarks on the road. They remember their fallen friends, feeling like their spirits remain a part of the group. Willing to risk injury, members of this secret society continue to gather as the sun sets in isolated locations to perform high-octane displays for each other while trying to avoid the police. Participants speak about how they developed a love for this offbeat sport, relishing the mix of power, noise and control.

In voiceover, these people open up about how diffing is more useful for maintaining mental health than drugs, either prescription or illegal ones. They also allow filmmaker Ruairi Bradley's cameras to come right into their cars while speaking openly about how this makes them feel and how even this burst of expressive energy doesn't necessarily solve the issues going on back home. If you need to shout or cry, go ahead.

4.Jan.25