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NEWSLETTER #18 - 11/03/2022
Dear DPFC People.
At last the Dartmouth Park Film Club is back. We tried to do it a year ago but Covid conspired against us. This time we're confident we can make the date: Wednesday 4th May.
It will be an evening with multi award-winning, constantly critically acclaimed Dartmouth Park documentary maker Vanessa Engle. She made films about - among others - Ray Davies of the Kinks, Mervyn Peake and Sarah Lucas - and that was all before she started to get to grips with films which - in her words - "explore our fundamental values and belief systems": feminism, left wing politics, Anglo-Jewry, money, health, all got in her sights. And during lockdown she completed The Unbelievable Story of Carl Beech, which told the jaw-dropping story of a man who claimed to have been the victim of a high-profile paedophile ring. We'll show clips from Vanessa's films and hear from her about her career as a documentary filmmaker.
People pay good money to come and spend an evening with a filmmaker like this and see some of her work. But, as you know, at DPFC, you pay what you think it is worth and you get a glass of wine - the quality of which has only improved over the lockdown. All profits from the event will support the DEC’s Ukraine Humanitarian appeal.
-> Weds May 4
-> 7pm
-> First in, first served
-> Highgate Library Civic & Cultural Centre, NW5 1HB-> There will be wine & cake
We're excited to get our lovely local film club going again.
Hope to see you there!
Lizzie, Christo, Matt, Jodi and Navene
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NEWSLETTER #17 - 25/09/2017
Hello DPFC People!
We hope you've all had a wonderful time over the summer and you are ready for the next instalment of the Dartmouth Park Film Club.
Our next event is Thursday 19th October, and we are really pleased to bring you Soul Boys of the Western World, about local 80s pop icons Spandau Ballet.
Directed by George Hencken, it's a poignant and cheeky tale of working-class aspiration and worldwide acclaim. Made entirely from archive footage, it's also a fascinating document of the time.
We are incredibly pleased that George will be joining us for a post-screening Q&A. She has produced some very fine documentaries in the last few years, including Julien Temple's Requiem for Detroit and Oil City Confidential.
You can watch the trailer for Soul Boys of the Western World below.
Hope to see you all there on the 19th, with wine, cake and snacks from 7pm!Matt, Lizzie and Christo
AN ADDED ATTRACTION
This year we are really excited to be part of the INTO FILM Festival. This is the world's largest free film and education event for young people presenting 3,000 free cinema screenings, and showcasing over 140 films at more than 600 venues across the UK.At 10 am on 21st November we are showing THEIR FINEST. Described as a comedy/drama/romance and set in 1940 it tells the story of a married woman (Gemma Arterton) and a screenwriter (Sam Claflin) who develop a growing attraction while working together on a propaganda film about the evacuation of Allied troops from Dunkirk, France. It also stars Bill Nighy, Jack Hutson and Richard E Grant. We are sure there is someone in our area who worked on this film. If anyone knows them and thinks they would like to come to talk to the exclusively young audience, tell them to get in touch with Christo at screenings@dartmouthfilms.com.
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NEWSLETTER #16 - 16/05/2017
Dear DPFC People,
I’m excited. We have our 'Works In Progress' screening next week where we get to hear from local filmmakers about projects they’re currently making.
Do you remember the amazing animator, Osbert, who presented his noir film at our DPFC Shorts night? He’s kicking off the evening by sharing two short films he’s making, one about acid attacks on women and one where he’s trying to illustrate a jazz track with inanimate objects (including fire extinguishers!) I saw him at work in his Swain’s Lane studio (pics attached) and I was blown away: no wonder he’s been nominated for three BAFTAs and made adverts for Coca-Cola, Nike, Budweiser, Channel 4, and MTV.
Next up we have comedy writer and producer Dan Mazer - who presented ‘Borat' at the DPFC last year but is best known for writing ‘The Ali G Show' (with Sacha Baron Cohen) and 'Bridget Jones’ Baby’. Dan’s going to talk about the script he’s currently writing and developing films in general.
Producer Christopher Hird, who founded the DPFC along with Matt and I, is showing a clip from ‘I Am Belmaya’, which follows the story of a Nepalese girl who takes on her abusive husband and oppressive family through becoming a filmmaker. Filmed over 10 years, it’s a documentary with a happy ending. Christo is soliciting feedback so come prepared to have opinions!
We also have a local director talking about a BBC documentary series that’s at an early stage.
So it’s shaping up to be a truly fascinating evening.
Please come and bring your friends - especially if they’re interested in how films are made.
See you next Monday evening, Monday 22nd.Lizzie, Matt and Christo
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NEWSLETTER #15 - 12/01/2017
Dear DPFC People,
Happy 2017! We’re excited to launch our new season of DPFC screenings.First up, we have hit comedy Fleabag on Thursday Feb 2nd. It’s a very dark and funny BBC Three series filmed in Dartmouth Park. The location manager, Ian Hutchison, is coming for the Q&A. Ian has tons of experience working on films like the recent Absolutely Fabulous movie and Netflix’s huge hit series about the queen, The Crown. We’re interested to hear more about how a location manager finds the best spots, what his role entails, and why he chose Dartmouth Park for Fleabag.
Fleabag’s had incredible reviews - see below - and I personally feel it’s a deeply empowering show for women. However, we must include a warning: the program has a 15 rating, for good reason. There are explicit sex scenes, sex references and a lot of bad language (I won’t be letting my daughter stay for this screening!)
Hope to see you on Thursday Feb 2nd.
Best wishes
Lizzie
Fleabag - reviews
“A gloriously rude, and far funnier, update of Bridget Jones” - Telegraph
“A precision black-humor mechanism, a warped and affecting tale about one single woman’s existence.” - The New Yorker
“A hilarious sitcom about terrible people and broken lives” - Guardian
“Heralding a new voice on television” - The Hollywood Reporter
“Fleabag's sex scenes are the filthiest on TV. But the heartbreak makes it revolutionary” - Telegraph
"Biting, Bitter and Pushing Boundaries” - NY Times
“Ms. Waller-Bridge knows how to combine naked confessionalism and comic artifice, and it allows her to tap veins of honest emotion — anger, fear and particularly deep sadness — rarely felt in half-hour comedies.” NY Times
"Utterly riveting” - Guardian
“Scathingly funny” - Variety
“Restless, almost feral energy and its slap-in-the-face attitude” - NY Times
“Achingly beautiful” - HitFix
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NEWSLETTER #14 - 12/11/2016
Dear DPFC People,
Wow! That was incredible on Tuesday. What a turnout! People were even sitting on yoga cushions and on the floor.
The films were so different from each other and I loved hearing from the filmmakers and stars themselves about how the films were made. We were worried people might not show up for a night of shorts (which are notoriously hard to market to audiences) but it was our second biggest audience ever. We’ll definitely do another DPFC Shorts night at some point next year - so get your thinking caps on now filmmakers….
I’m sure some of you will want to share the films with friends and / or colleagues. You can do so by visiting the DPFC Shorts page - which has links to the films (or to the filmmakers if the film isn’t online). I’ve also listed the links below, in case that’s easier.
Thanks very very much to the five film teams who came and shared their films and experiences. You guys made it awesome, so thank you.
We’re taking a break in December - everyone will be busy with Christmas etc - but we’ll be back in January with another DPFC event.
Best wishes
Lizzie, Christo and MattP.S. One of our lovely DPFC members wrote in to point out another local connection. Virginia says "The grave of the most famous Victorian bare knuckle fighter Tom Sayers is in Highgate West Cemetery. It's said that 10,000 people attended his funeral. His chief mourner was his faithful dog. That resonates also with Across Still Water.” More info here: http://www.victorianweb.org/sculpture/funerary/222.html
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NEWSLETTER #13 - 10/10/2016
Earlier this year, at one of the screenings, we asked people if they would like a night of short films and a large number of people put up their hands. So, on 8th November, we are holding our first night of shorts, all of which have strong connections with the area. Shorts are often viewed as the poor relation in film – and there are some terrible short films out there. But, as you can see, there is independent evidence for the high quality of the films and filmmakers we have chosen.
First up is local resident Valeria Coizza’s comedic film My Bidet. This film was so well received when it came out that it lead to Valeria winning the Documentary Filmmakers Group competition to make a film in the Channel 4/BFI Britain Recut series. The documentary Across Still Water, directed by Ruth Grimberg from Tufnell Park, tells the story of Kentish Towner, John Chapman, as he loses his sight. Filmed in the area the film was winner of the best documentary award in the Aesthetica Short Film Festival and selected for the BFI London Film Festival. The Birch, a horror film starring local resident Corinna Marlowe, has become an online phenomenon with literally millions of views. Yours Truly, an animation made by Swain’s Lane resident Osbert Parker was nominated for a BAFTA. Corinthian, a boxing drama starring David Whitney, was shown at Cannes – and 50 other film festivals around the world. Valeria, Ruth, Corinna, Osbert and David will all be there on 8th November.
With best wishes,
Christo, Lizzie and Matt
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NEWSLETTER #12 - 21/09/2016
Continue readingDear DPFC People,
We had about 60 people for our screening on Tuesday night so thanks to all of you who came. The film was very moving and there were quite a few tears amongst the audience, including me.
The most common feedback was that the film should be more widely available: you can’t buy it on DVD nor is it available online anywhere. Ideally our audience members wanted the BBC to re-broadcast the film which was shown on TV about 12 years ago but still feels very current. So we’ve taken matters into our own hands and put the film up on the Dartmouth Park Film Club website. It is here:
dartmouthparkfilmclub.com/film
If you enjoyed the film please spread this link with your friends and family so they can watch it too.
Until next time
Lizzie, Christo and Matt
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NEWSLETTER #11 - 31/08/2016
Dear DPFC People,
We hope you've all had a wonderful time over the summer and you're ready for our community film club to get going again.
First up we have the internationally renowned director and DP local, Sarah Gavron, coming to present one of her earlier films, THIS LITTLE LIFE. It's a drama film following a married couple after the premature birth of their son. It was broadcast on the BBC but hasn't been seen much since which is a huge pity as it won many awards and was critically acclaimed. It won the:
- Dennis Potter Award for the script
- a BAFTA for Best New Writer
- Jury Prize for Best Debut Feature at the Toronto International Film Festival
- Best Film at the Banff TV awards, in Canada
- And Best Single Drama at the Royal Television Awards
Sarah has gone on to direct BRICK LANE and, more recently, the hit film starring Carey Mulligan, SUFFRAGETTE.
So we're in for a treat.
As usual for our DPFC, Sarah will be doing a Q&A afterwards, which I'm already excited about.
See you on Tuesday Sept 20. 7pm for drinks and chit chat, then we start the film at 7:30pm.Lizzie, Christo and Matt
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NEWSLETTER #10 - 18/07/2016
Dear DPFC People,
Hope you're all enjoying this amazing sunshine. Finally eh!
Tonight is our final event of our first season of films and it would be lovely to see as many of you as possible before our summer break. So please come and bring friends! We're screening Borat which should be a laugh and, as ever, we'll have delicious snacks, cakes, popcorn and wine.
Check out the trailer to get in the mood
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_I3tIjztj8
Do you know any aspiring filmmakers? We're hosting a night of short films on October 10 and we're now inviting submissions. As with our regular events, the films need to have a connection to Dartmouth Park - they could be made by a local or about the area. We plan to screen about five short films and do a quick Q&A after each one. You can submit films directly to me on: lizzie.gillett@gmail.com
See you tonight. If it's this hot we might have to break out the Pimms!
Best wishesLizzie, Christo and Matt
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NEWSLETTER #9 - 11/07/2016
Dear DPFC People,
Please come to our event next Monday night, July 18. We want to pack out the hall for the final event of our first ever DPFC season. We’re screening BORAT and we’re chuffed that the writer, Dan Mazer, is coming for the Q&A. Invite your friends, family, neighbours and anyone who could do with a good laugh: as we all know, and studies have confirmed, laughter is good for your health!
There’s information about the screening in the attached flyer, the press piece in the Camden New Journal and on the DPFC website.
Hopefully see you thereLizzie, Christo and Matt
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NEWSLETTER #8 - 07/06/2016
Hello DPFC People,
Our next screening on Monday June 27 should be a good one. We're showing the new MACBETH - starring Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard - and we've got the editor, Chris Dickens, coming to do the Q&A.
"A kind of Macbeth for the Game of Thrones crowd" - LA Times
"Fassbender was born for this" - The Telegraph
"If you haven't seen Marion Cotillard play Lady Macbeth, you really haven't seen the role inhabited with the glorious fire and ice it needs to haunt your dreams. Purists will raise holy hell. Screw them." Rolling Stone
Hopefully see you there!
Cheers
LizzieP.S. I'm super excited we've confirmed our July event, which will be on Monday July 18. It's very very different from the films we typically show and we're lucky to have the writer, and DP local, coming to do the Q&A. More details to follow but I wanted to get the date in your diaries.
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NEWSLETTER #7 - 28/05/2016
Hello DPFC People,
Just a quick reminder about our event on Tuesday night. We’re screening ‘The Divide’ a documentary about inequality that’s been selling out in UK cinemas and getting brilliant reviews.
It is really hard to make a film, especially independently - i.e. without a confirmed broadcast or confirmed budget. And it’s even harder to get that film in to cinemas. Producer Christopher Hird and director Katharine Round have made a powerful film which has now screened in cinemas across the UK. So huge kudos to them.
Please come on Tuesday night to hear how they made the film independently, what the biggest challenges have been, how you can support the film going forward and to discuss inequality - which seems to be on the rise in Dartmouth Park.
Info here.See you there!
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NEWSLETTER #6 - 24/04/2016
Dear DPFC People,
Wow! What an amazing night that was on Monday. More than 110 people crammed in to the hall to see Earl Cameron and the 1959 film SAPPHIRE. People were sitting on the stairs, sitting on children’s chairs, standing at the back and we even had to turn some people away.
Earl Cameron was so moving and inspiring - especially when he spoke about racism and enduring hard times in life - I only wished we’d recorded him. This blog by local historian Andrew Whitehead (author of ‘Curious Camden Town’) sums up the evening and includes some of the filming locations in Dartmouth Park.
I’d watched the film on my own and enjoyed it, but seeing it with a big group of people - all cheering and laughing and gasping - was just magic. It reminded me why I love film so much and how different the experience is when you watch a film with a community of likeminded souls. Thank you for coming and making it so special!
Earl and his wife, Barbara, were chuffed with the whole thing. The next day we took them to some of the filming locations and also to have brunch at the cafe on the Heath.
So 'Thank You' to Earl and Barbara for coming all the way from Kenilworth for the screening. And a huge thanks to Virginia Kerridge who took two days out of her life to drive Earl and Barbara down to London and back home again. Thank you also to everyone who helped make it happen - from the tree poster volunteers to Carole who made popcorn to Joginder’s Supper Club for the delicious Indian snacks, to all of you who helped on the night.
Finally, I wanted to share a lovely comment we had through our website.
"Just wanted to say that I saw this event published in 'The Kentishtowner' which I picked up by chance outside Gospel Oak station on Monday morning. I remember seeing the film 'Sapphire' when it came out. My mum took me to the Odeon cinema on Haverstock Hill when I was twelve. It made an enormous impression on me at the time as it brought up two shocking and controversial issues: of sex outside marriage and outright racism. I am always reminded of the film each time I walk over the Heath and pass the place where 'the body' was found! I have always wanted to see the film again, so was delighted at the serendipity of finding that article.
I thoroughly enjoyed the evening. What a good idea to get local people together and support the library into the bargain! And Earl Cameron is a truly marvellous old man. Thanks once again for a great evening.” - Ruth
See you at our next event on May 10Lizzie, Christo and Matt
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NEWSLETTER #5 - 13/03/2016
Dear DPFC People,
Wow, what a great night it was on Tuesday night. I thought the film was extremely moving and evidently other people did too: one guest had to leave they were crying so much! Thanks to all of you who came and made the event such a success - see a photo of the event attached to this email.
In great news, I finally got hold of the 98-year old actor, Earl Cameron, we’ve been pursuing for a while and he can come and do a Q&A at our club. Yay! He’s one of the only surviving cast or crew from the brilliant 1959 film SAPPHIRE which is shot in and around Hampstead Heath. It won the BAFTA for Best British Film in 1959 and you’ll recognise many of the streets and locations when you see it. In the attached screen grab from the film you can see Earl Cameron and Nigel Patrick on Hampstead Heath.
So, put the date in your diary now: Monday April 18, 7pm, for the Dartmouth Park Film Club
See you there!Lizzie, Christo and Matt
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Newsletter #4 - 15/02/2016
Hi Everyone,
We've confirmed our next screening for Tuesday March 8th and it's going to be a cracker. Legendary documentary producer Simon Chinn is presenting one of his most critically acclaimed films - it scored 98% on the Rotten Tomatoes film review site - called "Project Nim". It tells the story of a chimpanzee, Nim, taken from its mother at birth and raised like a human child by a family in a brownstone on the upper West Side in the 1970s. Following Nim's extraordinary journey through human society, and the enduring impact he makes on the people he meets along the way, the film is an unflinching and unsentimental biography of an animal we tried to make human.
Simon's one of the UK's most prolific and successful documentary producers. He's won two Best Documentary Oscars, one for 'Man on Wire' and one for 'Searching for Sugarman'. Check out his IMDB profile for some of the other amazing 26 documentaries he's produced.
The only catch about Simon? He's from Tufnell Park ;-)
No, in all seriousness we're absolutely thrilled to have Simon come for our next event and we hope you can all come to pack out the hall.
Speaking of which, could any of you lovely people put up posters for our Simon Chinn screening in your street? Ideally you'd put a couple of posters up on trees about one week before the event and then take them down again afterwards. We'll supply the posters and string. We're just a bit short on manpower so any help would be great.
So, next DPFC event: Tuesday, March 8th. Cancel any and all other plans. It's going to be great.
See you there
Lizzie, Christo and Matt
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Newsletter #3 - 14/12/2015
Hello Lovely Dartmouth Park Film Club People,
First we had a documentary about corruption in cricket. Then we had an apocalyptic teen romance. And now, for our third event, we have one of the most original, and well reviewed, British films from the past few years. It’s called LOCKE and it stars Tom Hardy in one of his most powerful performances to date. He’s the only actor we see and the whole film is filmed in a single location, making it hugely innovative & interesting. The film got amazing reviews:“ingeniously executed” VARIETY“totally unique, you must see this movie” BBC RADIO 5 “one of the most nail biting thrillers of the year” TELEGRAPH“a masterclass” TIME OUT.
As you know the films we screen all have one thing in common: a connection to Dartmouth Park. And LOCKE was edited by a super talented editor living locally, Justine Wright. Justine has edited loads of brilliant films including THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND, THE IRON LADY, TOUCHING THE VOID and STATE OF PLAY.
So, please book this event in your calendar:
- Thurs Jan 2 17pm
- Dartmouth Park Film Club
- showing LOCKE followed by a Q&A with editor, Justine Wright
Now for a bit of a crazy request….anyone on this list who enjoys driving and would like to do a good deed?
If you were at the last event you’ll remember I spoke about a 1959 film we’re keen to screen: SAPPHIRE. It’s a brilliant BAFTA-winning film and it’s all shot in and around Dartmouth Park so it’s absolutely perfect for our club. We’ve tracked down one of the main actors from the film, Earl Cameron, who is still alive but we’ve hit a snag in our planning. Earl is 98 years old and while he’s willing to come and speak after the film, he lives in Warwickshire and he can only come if someone can pick him up & drive him back to London the next day.
We can cover all petrol costs and we’ll put him up for the night but none of us can drive there and back. Would anyone be willing to do this? It’s about a two hour drive from London and we’re looking to do the event in mid Feb.
Hope you have a wonderful Christmas and we’ll see you on Jan 21st.
Cheers
Lizzie, Christo and Matt
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Newletter #2 - 03/11/2015
Morning All,
Just a quick reminder email about our Dartmouth Park Film Club screening next Tuesday night. As you probably remember we’ve persuaded acclaimed director and Dartmouth Park local Kevin Macdonald to share one of his lesser known films, How I Live Now. Kevin has 22 directing credits, an Oscar and many other awards to his name. He's best known for directing 'Marley', 'Touching The Void', and 'Last King of Scotland' and - lucky for us - he'll be answering questions after the film.
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Please forward this to friends and family you think might be interested as we’re eager to pack it out in support of Kevin and his wonderful work.
Looking ahead, we’ve heard about a 1959 film called SAPPHIRE which we’d like to show as our first film of 2016. The film is all shot in this area, it’s about a murder on Hampstead Heath and it won a BAFTA so it seems perfect. The only snag is we need someone from the film to come and speak after the screening. The director, Basil Dearden, and one of the stars, Nigel Patrick, are sadly no longer alive but we *think* that one of the other main actors is still around so we’re trying to get in touch with him. His name is Michael Craig although he was born Michael Francis Gregson. His wikipedia page is here.
The latest press coverage from 2013 I could find about him said he lives in Monmouthshire in Wales. Does anyone know him? Or know anyone who might know him?
Hopefully see you next Tuesday night!
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Newsletter #1 - 22/10/2015
Hello!
This is the first newsletter for our new Dartmouth Park Film Club. You’re getting this email because you signed up at our launch event or because we think the DPFC might be your cup of tea. We plan to send one or two emails a month but if that’s too much for you, please feel free to unsubscribe below.
The DPFC screens films that have a connection to Dartmouth Park - primarily films made by locals but also films shot in the area etc. The club aims to build a community of likeminded people interested in film who want to have fun watching films together. The club also aims to support the Highgate Library, which has had its budget cut lately. Speaking of which, the room we use for the DPFC events is a great space for parties and events that you can hire - info here.
As most of you know - because you were there - our launch event was a success: 65 people came and enjoyed the cricket documentary & a lively Q&A with local filmmaker Sam Collins. Yay!
Our next event is shaping up to be a cracker. It’s on Tuesday Nov 10 and we’re lucky to have world-famous director, Kevin Macdonald, speaking after a screening of one of his lesser known films, HOW I LIVE NOW. It’s a drama about teenage love set in an imaginary World War 3 in Britain. The film has a 15 rating - so the BBFC think the film shouldn’t be seen by anyone under the age of 15. Personally (this is Lizzie speaking), I found it a powerful film with some disturbing moments: I wouldn’t show it to children under 12 but please do bring your teenagers and their friends. We will, of course, let people of any age attend so we’ll leave this decision to your discretion.
There will be wine and snacks, as per last time, and we’re going to simplify the money side of things: anyone can come and eat&drink&watch for free. Then we’ll ask you to donate what you think the evening’s worth when you leave.
Please help us spread the word about our next event as we’d love to pack it out. The flyer is below and at this link
Hopefully see you on Tues Nov 10
From Lizzie, Christo and Matt
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