“Bros: After The Screening Stops…”

I was never going to sleep, after a documentary like that!!

A richly, visual statement-of-intent, of two, larger-than-life-sized personalities, whose high-definition, practically perpendicular, emotional narratives could barely be contained within the confines of a physical cinema frame, in super-surround sound… but could only, ever, have been retold upon it…

The culmination of twenty-four months worth of painstaking preparation, five months worth of seventeen-hour days, in meticulous editing and a close-shave with divorce, the outcome is an absolute masterclass in audiovisual story-telling, executed under the distinctly genius co-direction of David Soutar and Joe Pearlman.

From the opening gambit, a volcanic eruption of an expletive-filled argument, “Bros: After The Screaming Stops” is, often, as devastatingly shocking to the system as an arctic ice-bucket challenge, with frequently frosty exchanges, to match… a fraught insider’s guide into a restless sibling rivalry, revisited, in agonising detail, en route to the most significant concert series of their lives… a career-redefining reunion!!

Set against the backdrop of being one of the most successful British bands of all time, the doors to the lives of Luke and Matt Goss, aren’t just flung open, but positively, blown off, to reveal the devastating effect of personal tragedy and charts the grossly unfair vilification from a media-machine, ravenously ready for new fodder, at the merest sign of a preconceived “dip” in chart positions.

Skilfully-crafted, so as to keep you constantly poised on the knife-edge of your psychological seat, it is the scattered remnants, strewn upon the battlefield of historical fall-out, woven into the contextual highs, lows, turning points and epiphanies, that has you rooting for these profoundly sensitive souls, fighting to co-exist, once again, determined to be heard and fiercely passionate about emerging with a relationship, purged of the poison that tore them apart, so cataclysmically.

Were this a mere petri-dish observation of the behavioural tendencies of twin brothers, you could, perhaps, maintain a, somewhat, clichéd distance… In fact, a lesser offering might have been exactly that… but, in being, documentary, first, with the aspirational by-product of intensely pleasing the fans, it is a truly impacting, non-patronising, non-judgmental exploration of life, on an epic scale.

Quite frankly, they’ve been judged enough and so, this is Bros, 30 years later… setting the records straight, in dynamic, heart-breaking, glorious technicolour. They are not boys. Not highly-conceptual living images, becoming, literal, pop art, growing up in front of the piercing eyes of a fast-paced, global hit-factory, called the Music Industry… Not apprentices, on, arguably, the most public on-the-job training course…

No. Emphatically, not.

Years have passed.

These objets d’art have evolved into men. Now 50. They are forces of nature… Even more impressive Artists, reinvented and rebirthed, in their own right, albeit, predominantly Stateside, due to the haranguing experienced in the place that they should always have been able to call “Home”.

The reconstruction phase has made for bolder, braver, artisanal entrepreneurs, with extensive bodies of work, who are no longer slaves to fear of reprisals… Having cultivated their respective and respected creative careers in, both, music and film, to exponential critical acclaim, they know who they are, what they have to bring to the table and, most crucially, we see that they have the captivating ability to articulate it… No matter how raw the consequential exchanges, in order to do so…

Whether or not you have this foreknowledge, it is clear that the pressure release-valve has, long been, much needed.

The chance to spill their guts. To tear the plasters off emotional wounds, cut the callouses and learn to heal… Much like Luke’s hands, as he relearnt the drums… remembered the joy of playing and rediscovered how incredibly gifted at it, he is. As if driving out demons with every strike on the skins of the, Christmas-come-early, kit… he crashes cymbals and beats out bass rhythms as if, not only the heartbeat of the musical set, but his life depends upon it… Meanwhile, as Matt seems mired by the subliminal strangle-hold of serpents, wound around his vocal chords, post another communication collapse…his commitment to authentically deliver, no matter what, is spine-tinglingly inspirational and puts a lump in your own throat. At times, barely breaking-even, when attempting to perform songs (the candid nature, of which, harshly rake over the coals of, nigh-on unbearable, memories), serves to facilitate their family bond, which gets them through the contempt of familiarity.. and has them surmounting it all, so tenderly and touchingly, together…

Yes, this is their opportunity to tell it like it is, on their own terms… and boy, do they take it.. and, boy, how privileged are we, for the first-hand access to every twist and turn!

Of course, there is light relief… There has to be… and it is immensely welcomed!

Coupled with capturing their lives through multiple lenses, tiredness from the relentless schedule tends to precipitate Matt’s most magical moments to camera… from anecdotal musing, over 7-hour man-scaping sessions… to public service announcements about the need to play conkers without goggles, he is the younger… the playful, puppy-like energy, with a deep-rooted desire to ensure that all around him are happy, especially Luke… the elder, with a more self-contained, yet no less rapier-sharp, glint-in-the-eye, wit.

There are also beautifully lucid descriptions of the journey, from both…

Pontificating about the metaphorical road upon which he and his Brother are travelling, Matt has a way of clutching at the air, as if to catch the ideas which hover in his divergent and visionary thought process. Luke has a wonderfully pragmatic and linear manner of soul and self-expression, citing their collaborative experience as two people, each with a brush, trying to paint onto one canvas…

…which makes it all-the-more important for them to do so, within the rehearsal space… the arena for most of their tussles for creative territory… or the green rooms of television studios… both, of which, see Matt and Luke crumble like the very old wall in their lyrics…. and makes them all-the-more remarkable, for their selfless ability to shelve conflict, when meeting with their precious M.G.A (Matt Goss Army) and L.G.A (Luke Goss Army)… The long-time devotees who have, admittedly, been their constant, through the proverbial and material wind, rain and sunshine of their lives.

It is an astonishing resilience and composure, reminiscent of that which they were forced to develop, literally overnight, after receiving the devastating news that their dear sister Carolyn had tragically passed in a car crash…. and again, after the earth-shattering loss of their beloved Mother despite her valiant battle against cancer.

This, for me, is where the documentary, further, comes into its own.

Sharing their sorrow, the distress is undeniable, the tears, tangible… Yet, the sheer courage to be so vulnerable, sets them apart, as superhumanly strong.. It is deeply humbling and admirable…with a cathartic power that is palpable and pure. From high stakes to high hopes, you cannot counterfeit these feelings of carrying dangerous dynamite, on a, seemingly endless, bumpy road.

Nor can you deny them the triumphant ending… and why would you?!!

Two unforgettable nights at the O2, which sold out in a record-breaking, number-of-completion, 7 seconds, cap-off a rapturous return to the height of the music game, without game-playing… proof positive that this pain-through-the-pixels is the acute birth pang of regeneration… that such pain, can and does, become Purpose.

What is even more evident, is that we are seeing the most promising incarnation of Bros, yet….

They have lived up to the past, broken through its spectres and exceeded expectations.. and by the film’s conclusion, you feel that, as the band-entity and, moreover, as Brothers, they should, never again, exit the stage, separately… and you trust and believe, that, having survived this warts-and-all bootcamp, they won’t ever let that happen…

…they won’t ever allow such rupture through disruption to be felt again, because they are a re-united front, who are stronger than ever…

Therefore, see this, perfect pitch-ure of reconnection, as a matter of priority…

“Bros: After The Screaming Stops” is no ordinary documentary… but, then again, the Goss Brothers are no ordinary siblings… pigeon-hole these fine examples of spiritual ambassadors at your peril… They have been, misguidedly, typecast and underestimated before… and just look at the extraordinary legacy which is following them, now..

As one proud Brosette tearfully declared, even if the world-at-large wouldn’t tell them, they are so loved… and with new music and a 2019 tour on the way, I can categorically state that, after the screening stops and the most beautifully empowering lessons begin, within…

…the screaming and the legends, themselves, continue…

…Long may they reign!

 

 

© A_F_R_O_W2018-2019. All Rights Reserved.

~

Click-thru to:-

See “Bros: After The Screaming Stops” (In Cinemas: 09/ 11/ 2018)

Buy “Bros: After The Screaming Stops” (On DVD/ Digital Release: 12/ 11/ 2018)

Interact with “Bros: After The Screaming Stops

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“BROS: After The Screaming Stops”

It is said that one never gets a second chance to make a first impression.

Of course, the original conjugation was in an offline sense. However, on Thursday 30th August, the prevalence of the spike of a certain set of digital impressions was impossible to ignore…

Permit me, friends, to extrapolate the lead-up because, as PR campaigns go, leave alone those of social media ilk, this was inherently stylish, oozing less-is-more class, with the consummate ease of an haute couturier, in preparation for Fashion Week.

All vision, no sound, rendered the volume icon redundant… a pleasant rejection from the “so yesterday“, consumptive trend, concurrent with today’s computer-crammed society. Now, do not get me wrong, friends, for communication, being my wheelhouse, the efficiency of modern modes of connectivity are a blessing… and yet, I appreciated the fact that there was no need for tech savvy… None of it. Instead, picture after picture of conjoined moving imagery was presented, over consecutive days, fuelling the driving momentum of an imminent announcement.

In a countdown where sneak peeks of practiced paradiddles, raw, frame-gripping grief and a, final, stance of brotherhood, from an onstage p.o.v, piqued increasing interest, each tantalising taste of things to come culminated in the revelation that the highly-anticipated documentary of “BROS: After The Screaming Stops” was, not only, available for pre-order, but had also gained BFI-accredited feature status, and was destined to be premiered at the upcoming, London Film Festival… arguably the most prestigious of its kind, upon the creative calendar.

Thus, the method of keeping the quiet out had been encouraging silent-movie engagement… creating the mental space for us to listen to our own internal reactions to the visuals, whilst also engendering empathy of the impact of the deafening nature that such silence brings, both, post-show and in everyday life.

You see, friends… I told you it was classy!

The Twitterverse was sent into a, veritable, hashtag-frenzy and I even think that I heard the echo of screaming, onset by the epic news… I, further, expect the flurry to continue, until ticket lines go live… partnered with the unadulterated glee at the successful purchases, thereof… although that might just be a self-fulfilling prophecy of she who is currently tapping away upon the keyboard, on the other side of your screen!!!

What I know, for sure, is that this meticulous exposition, directed by David Soutar and Joe Pearlman, will bear the grit behind the glamour, the art and the graft, will challenge and cheer, and signify the ultimate exploration of a bond of brothers, brought to the brink and back…

For no-one knows it, like these men in the arena, but after taking such an authentic tour with Matt and Luke Goss, after the screaming stops, I’m fully confident that a rapturous round of applause will start… the script of documentary-making will change and the incremental effect will continue to be felt, for some time to come.

 

©A_F_R_O_W2018-2019. All Rights Reserved

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Click-through to:-

Pre-order “BROS: After The Screaming Stops” before general digital release on November 12th 2018.

For further information about the film’s cinematic release on 9th November 2018 at www.brosthefilm.com .

For BFI ticket information and updates regarding the London Film Festival Premiere on 17th October 2018.

Further Social Media Links:-

@BrosTheFilm ~ @Fulwell73 ~ @mattgoss ~ @LukeGoss ~ @BFI

#AfterTheScreamingStops ~ #BrosTheFilm ~ #LFF ~ #LondonFilmFestival

 

2-4-1 Ticket Bonanza at BFI!

I think it’s time we talked ‘December’, friends!

No, not the fact that it’s the twelfth month of the year, but that it’s time to get your ‘Christmas’ on!!!

 So, heads-up, because December’s BFI schedule is bursting-at-the-seams, like a well-fed guest, post-Christmas lunch!

With personal appearances from Danny Glover, Sir Lenny Henry and Ashley Walters, to a Desmond’s cast reunion featuring Trix Worrell (Creator-Director), Carmen Munroe and Robbie Gee…From fantastic panel discussions on such topics as the concept of Black Beauty in cinema, to chances and challenges for BAME artists within the entertainment industry…PLUS screenings, screenings, screenings and MORE screenings spanning classic comedic turns from Eddie Murphy in ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ to the feelgood melodrama of ‘Waiting To Exhale’…bases are covered for film-buffs-to-fashionistas-to-first-timers!

Now here’s the cinematic-science bit!

 To redeem the 2-4-1 ticket offer, you must quote ‘STAR241’ when booking online, in person or by phone (020 7928 3232). The code CAN be used more than once but the offer ONLY applies to the purchase of two tickets for the SAME film. The offer EXCLUDES previews and special events.

For Under-25’s, it’s £3 on-the-door at BFI Southbank, for any film, at any time (including previews for new releases and big-screen classics)!

Just click-thru  below to add to the reason-for-the-season this ‘Giving Tuesday’ and get some early gifting sorted!

Enjoy!

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BFI BLACK STAR DECEMBER SCHEDULE

Under 25’s Tickets T’s and C’s

(Ticket Offer information and T’s and C’s correct at time of going to press). 

©AFROW2016-2019. All Rights Reserved.

The TriForce is strong with this Creative Network!

T.C.N.

An acronym, small in letters, but big in ambition.

If I were to mention it, you might not know what it stood for, but the people behind it certainly do, for this triumvirate of capitals signifies the ‘TriForce Creative Network’, an absolute, organisational antetype, rather than a copy-and-paste prototype. Founded by Actors and best friends, Jimmy Akingbola and Fraser Ayres, to be an edifying agency of change within the Creative Arts arena, it has at its core, a strategy which promotes diversity, inclusivity and access, via multi-disciplinary collaboration, innovation and support of, both, emerging and developing artistic talent.

Achieving such altruistic objectives demands optimism, idealism and pragmatism and the use of compound creative outlets, allows the Network to manifest its goals. For example, beneath the umbrella of T.C.N, reside the ‘Monologue Slam U.K.’, ‘Writer Slam’, ‘TriForce Productions’ and ‘TriForce Short Film Festival’, each serving to concretise an infrastructure, generating definitive opportunities for independent talent to shine (whether performance or production), in addition to encouraging increased audience engagement.

With such an ambitious ethos, it was the best of times, then, to attend the press launch of this year’s ‘TriForce Short Film Festival’, not only to learn more about the imminent December 3rd event (to be held at BAFTA H.Q), but also to view the UK premiere of Jessica Oyelowo’s stunning directorial debut, ‘After The Storm’.

From the lively Q and A session, it was an sheer joy to uncover how the fruit of the seed sown in Edinburgh 2004, by “creatives who wanted to open up Arts”*, was going “beyond labels…beyond the term ‘BAME'”*…an utter delight to ascertain that, a wide variety of categories, such as; ‘Family Values’, ‘A Question of Identity’, ‘Non-Scripted’ and ‘Microshorts’, within the competitive film-making element represented this by, yet again, producing a truly exceptional shortlist (expositions, of which, will be seen on the day and at the evening Gala).

Being able to dream dreams and pursue them as a bonafide profession will also be explored, via an ‘Industry Expo’, with a unique selection of seminars, to be hosted by the multi-talents of Reggie Yates and Charlene White, and keynote speeches from the likes of industry-leaders, ‘Shine Media’, ‘4Talent’ and ‘Creative Skillset’. Further endorsing the effectiveness of the sessions was last year’s ‘Best-In-Fest’ winner, David Kitchen. Enthusiastically attesting to their importance, he highlighted them as “so informative…[because] you get to speak to people…, [so] even if you don’t win, you still feel a part of a network.” In fact, making connections and forging friendships, led to the Director being able to call upon those very contacts, within the year (2015-16), resultant in his film now being developed into a three-part television series and a feature! (Cue audible gasps of excitement from the screening-room audience!).

My mind began racing…

…If concentrating on career development could work for adults, I had to inquire as to whether there might be the opportunity for an educational roll-out of such a bold initiative. Minnie Ayres (Actress and T.C.N Company Director), ebulliently explained that, being free to submit entries, the ‘MicroShort’ section was particularly popular with under-18’s. She also revealed the idea of expanding the entry-age of the ‘Monologue Slam’ competition, extending the reach of showcasing untapped acting excellence.

My heart leapt!

A mere 24-hours after an election, which seemed to have contracted global hope, here was TriForce, an outstanding network of understanding that navigating myriad creative pathways with ongoing support has never been more crucial… a shining beacon of an organisation, nay, a Family, which is not only proving itself to be game-changing within the Arts Industry but, undoubtedly, life-changing!

©A_F_R_O_W2016-2019. All Rights Reserved.

~

TRIFORCE SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 2016

DATE: DECEMBER 3RD ~ LOCATION: BAFTA, 195 PICADILLY

SCHEDULE & TICKETS

TFSFF 2016 SHORT LIST

@TriForceFest    ~ @TriForceEvents

TriForce Creative Network

TRIFORCE MONOLOGUE SLAM

@MonologueSlamUK   

*Quote: Fraser Ayres (Post-Screening Q and A)

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Sincere Afrow-Appreciation to Minnie Ayres and Sophie Spirit for organising the invite! Super-congrats on a fantastic launch!

INTERVIEW: “A 2014 SPACE ODYSSEY, WITH KEIR DULLEA AND GARY LOCKWOOD!”

…Somewhere in deepest Londinium, a truly unique event was about to begin…

The Mission:

To join a select group of journalists, for a ‘Q and A’ session with Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood, star protagonists of Stanley Kubrick’s legendary cinematic opus, ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’.

…Undoubtedly, I had enthusiastically chosen to accept, and yet, somehow, I could not dismiss the overriding feeling that the stars had aligned and the opportunity had chosen me…

Arriving early, I took the space and time to dwell upon the imminent proceedings. Only in November had I disembarked upon my journey with the blockbuster movie…and now, I was installed in a low-lit, BFI Southbank Studio, sharing a front-row, replete with male counterparts, conversing about Kubrick’s created world and the chance for further enlightenment thereof, with the giddy excitement of a child, about to unwrap a plethora of gifts, on Christmas morning!

Our expedition ‘Captain’ was Rhidian Davis, Producer of the BFI’s hugely impressive ‘Sci-Fi: Days of Fear and Wonder’ Season. Relaxed and congenial, he was also enlivened by the audience response to the scheduled UK-wide selection of events, particularly indicated by all of the “really positive” social media feedback. As he waxed lyrically, the gentle hum of classical music began piping through the surround-sound, in turn, sending my mind through its own wormhole, to the opening sequence of ‘2001’..Seemingly, wherever I went, my world was happily fated to an endless soundtrack, without the need of Soundcloud! Yet, with a topline punctuated, every so often, by the swing of a door, I would fall back into the realms of the present…to darkness falling…to the majestic ‘2001’ trailer…to new voices joining the chorus…and, at its close, to the recognition of the word “Fantastic” being uttered by one particularly familiar American accent…

…That of ‘Dave Bowman’…the one and only, Mr Keir Dullea! (Cue internal applause!)…quickly followed by another Stateside inflection, which (by process of elimination), could have been (and was) none other than ‘Frank Poole’, a.k.a, Mr Gary Lockwood! (Ditto, with the applause!)… In stature, they were the exact opposite! Dullea, tall, lithe, piercingly-bright-eyed, silver-haired, bearded and elegantly-suited, with an air of suave, Savile Row. Lockwood, gracefully-greying, with eyes of warm, deep-set intensity and an imposing silhouette, wrapped in smart-casual attire, signalling the powerful physique of his days as a quarterback and stuntman. Yet, we were to learn that their personalities made them quite the most perfect interview double-act and their arrival had signalled our take-off, into streams of consciousness, run-on lines and priceless memories, which were to become an integral part of my own, and went a little something like this (‘stage directions’ and all!)…

[The room falls into an enjoyable outer space silence].

…Of the premiere of ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’…

KD [Thoughtful. Considered. Bowman-like!]: “It blew me away… Nothing readies you… The ‘Dawn of Man’ Sequence surprised me the most..”

(It transpires that they had seen no rushes of that section, as the scenes were filmed after they had wrapped their own).

GL [Excitedly, as if reliving the moment.]: “Everyone was reading about the hype of the film… but it wasn’t all that well received..”

(Save for the shuffling of a few pens on paper…the room is still, as we absorb their every word).

KD [Glancing over to GL, continuing the thought.]: “…[It] got unbelievably mixed reviews…I began to doubt that it was going to happen [be successful]…Not that it was less of a film…”

…On how they initially got cast…

KD [Measured, with a wry smile.]: “I went to a fortune teller at the Battersea Funfair and the palmist said that he saw a rocketship [in my hand]!!…I returned home and my wife said I was to call my agent…I was told that Stanley Kubrick had offered me the part…but I was also in a play with Laurence Olivier, in London, already…”

GL [Confident. Quickly chimes in!]: “I knew it was over! I knew it would be the job! None of us was going to be in a better part than that! Warren Beatty said ‘They were lucky!’…”

KD [Buoyant.]: “He was right!!!”

(The men look at each other in recognition of two friends having been in the once-in-a-lifetime experience, together. They chuckle along in the moment of nostalgia…Their warmth is infectious and the smiles spread around the room!).

…On Kubrick, himself…

KD [With a real sense of awe.]: “In general, people rave about the experience. Kubrick was so easygoing with us. I felt I was in the presence of genius…He was the most prepared of any director I’d ever worked with. Part of his genius was the way he cast…He cast well.”

(At this point, we learn that prior to ‘2001’, Gary Lockwood was a stuntman and had already been in such epic films as Kubrick’s ‘Spartacus.’ He asked Kubrick why he had been cast)..

GL [With a cheeky glint in his eye.]: “He said, ‘I thought you could do a lot, without doing anything!’…”

KD [Still caught up in awestruck mood.]: “[Kubrick] was the most curious man I’d ever met…”

GL [Bursts into the hushed atmosphere. Continues his thought!]: “People who are really good at something have to have a good I.Q! When the ‘Pentax’ was invented, he gave his daughter the ‘Pentax’ and told her to photgraph everything that looked good. She had ‘the eye’…”

(Recounting Kubrick, increases the momentum of memories, so much so, that the energy behind Gary’s statement somewhat renders it an announcement! The gravitas has us on tenterhooks…)

…Of the movie…

KD [With deep respect.]: “The genius of this film has withstood, generation to generation. What a compliment to Stanley Kubrick.”

(The silence is golden. We all feel the respect. We all agree).

…Of the films, ‘Gravity’ and ‘Interstellar’…

GL [Bold. Objective.]: “ ‘Interstellar?’ It’s not as good as ‘2001’ but there are some really great moments! Symbiotically… all things in ‘2001’ seem to work…I don’t think ‘Interstellar’ did that. The great sci-fi movie, other than ‘2001’, is ‘Blade Runner’… It’s incredible!

KD [Deliberate. Pensive.]: “ ‘Gravity’…It’s a different experience. I enjoyed it enormously. I’m proud to have been part of this movie [‘2001’]. The last really great film I saw, last month, was ‘Force Majeure’..Painfully funny is a good way to describe it. Don’t miss it!

GL [Cheery. Enthusiastic.]: “See ‘Birdman’* everybody! It’s great! Neorealistic film, with trippy little bits!”

(The pace moves evermore swiftly…)

…Of Kubrick’s character profiles for ‘2001’…

KD [Focussed.]: “We had a fictional biography…We [Bowman and Poole] both had double-doctorates and by the year 2001, they would be choosing people [astronauts] based upon their psychological profile, rather than the military [background].”

…On why they were in the pod…

KD[Informative.]: “Stanley would have us improvise scenes and then he would take the workshops and work them into the film…”

…On contributing ideas, in general…

KD [In quiet, secretive tone.]: “In the end, when I’m in that 16th century room and I’m the older person eating, and the glass breaks… The reason why I asked Stanley if I could knock it over, was in order to sense things in a different way……. The old-age make-up took 12 hours to do!”

…On re-acclimatising to Earth, after so many hours in outer space…

KD [Jokily]: “It wasn’t hard…you just had a coffee!”

(Laughter ensues!)

…On the lack of dialogue in the film…

KD [Wonderfully matter-of-fact!]: “We’ve been in space a long while…We know each other so well, that there’s nothing much left to say! It’s laidback, as it would be, after so long…One of the interesting aspects is that the computer was more human than the humans! The only real emotional scene was when I am taking HAL’s brain apart… What I used [for intention/inspiration] was ‘Of Mice and Men’…

…Of actor, Nigel Davenport, as HAL 9000…

KD [Jocular.]: “Nigel Davenport was cast as Hal before the ultimate actor…and for the longest time, it was like Michael Caine!”

(More laughter fills the studio, owing to Keir’s brilliant impersonation of an English-accented HAL…!!)

On such a high, the ‘Q and A’ session was ‘a wrap’!

Time spent in the presence of two of the wisest, most engaging, fun-loving people whom I have been blessed to meet-and-greet, was gone, in warp-speed..

The mission might have been over but, within that silent millisecond, a mental image of Dave Bowman, hurtling into the future, sprang to mind…Proof positive that, not only would the film continue long into my own…but, having met these delightful gentlemen, the words “Open the pod bay doors, HAL” would never be the same again!

©AFROW2014-2019 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

WARMEST AFROW-THANKS TO…

MESSRS KEIR DULLEA (KD) AND GARY LOCKWOOD (GL)

RHIDIAN DAVIS (BFI)

SARAH HARVEY PUBLICITY

THE BFI’S LEGENDARY ‘SCI-FI: DAYS OF FEAR AND WONDER’ SEASON CONTINUES…

*(Since the time of going to press, ‘Birdman’ has received 7 Golden Globes Nominations).

REVIEW: “2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY”

If ever a creation of cinematic endeavour were made for HD technology, then ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ is it!

Currently showing as part of the BFI’s gargantuan ‘Sci-Fi: Days of Fear and Wonder’ Season, it is arguably the knockout centrepiece, within a roomful of genre heavyweights!

Whilst I had heard much of the Stanley Kubrick/ Arthur C. Clarke classic, I only became acquainted with the sci-fi archetype, in all of its visual re-mastered splendour, in November, at a BFI preview screening. You may, indeed, gasp… but I rather saved mine for the believable surreality, expressed by lavish scenes of space and a glorious classical score! In fact, sat in a pod-like room (in shape, rather proportions!), with a screen, which became my ‘visor’ into every impeccable image, for me, neither the timing, nor the location could have been more perfect…

I read, well, excitedly surfed, the synopsis…Words levitated at me… I summised that a monolith visits Earth, mystifies apes, re-appears in 2001, signals Jupiter and astronauts David Bowman (Keir Dullea) and Frank Poole (Gary Lockwood) are sent on a mission to investigate…under the watchful gaze of on-ship computer, HAL!

…And so it began…

From the crescendo of discordant sound against nothingness and visceral vividness of ‘The Dawn of Man’, to the comparative implication of sophistication and elegance of modern man and machine, borne out of the divine works of Strauss, I was hooked!

An overture of sheer fine art was sustained through an uncompromisingly focused vision.

Each frame a multi-platform symmetry of the highest quality and incredible detail…with the genius woven through the process of creatively honouring them.

For example, some of the most impeccable avant-garde apparel, by Sir Hardy Amies, graced the eye, with an aesthetic of lines so clean and sharp, cut so, entirely, be-yond minimal, that I could barely breathe! Out-of-this-world ovoid millinery and super-inventive, zero-gravity gripper shoes only underlined selecting the haute-couture designer! Furthermore, the use of such household names as ‘Pan Am’, as the method to reach the Space Station and staying at the ‘Hilton Hotel’, once there, in addition to such highly innovative technology, as video immigration and phonecard screencalls, were smart , yet utterly convincing.

There really is nothing new under the sun, as over 40 years later, we’re calling them ‘fashion-forward’, ‘product placement’, ‘check-in’ and ‘Skype’!  That said, I have yet to see a 360-degree, rotating elevator, but boy, am I glad that Kubrick not only had it in mind, but beautifully played it out, on-screen… There simply is nothing quite like the lasting image of an intergalactic air-stewardess, completely upside-down, en route to serving technicolour food, to passengers, whose falling arms (when dozing), weightlessly float with balletic grace!

Very much like a dancer extending a fingertip, to interpret a sonic phrase, so the musical movements supported and completed the visual motion. Sometimes dense, with legato strings and minor chord progressions, sometimes tense, with only breathing patterns, like vocal heartbeats, being heard, Kubrick was unafraid to strip back aural interplay, in order to facilitate mood. Of particular note, with the introduction of the monolith, was the motif of acapella chorale, suggesting reverence, yet increasing mystery, as to its significance. However, it is in the extended silences, that Kubrick played his most powerful hand. The everness of Eternity is succinctly captured, by allowing the vastness of Space to be embraced by the literal sound of silence. We see action. We hear no correlation to it. The quietude is deafening. The effect? Incremental hypersensitivity. Emotions are, thus, heightened. A directorial masterstroke…

…As is Kubrick’s casting!

In Keir Dullea (David Bowman), we are arrested by the palest of eyes…nigh-on transparent, save for the most delicate inflection of ice-blue. His voice sparse in modulation..His demeanour still, considered, controlled, to the point of highly-strung. Gary Lockwood (Frank Poole), is the ultimate foil to Dullea, portraying a chilled-out, space-traveller, with an air of the boy-next-door, who ‘lucked-out on landing a pretty cool gig’! Both at complementary ends of shared intensity…Both absolute, in their supreme acting ability to manifest the dynamics of emotion in between.

Then there’s ‘HAL’. ‘HAL 9000‘, to be exact! The conscious entity, which, due to its stratospherically high level of A.I, causes the indefinite, to become definite. Pre-mission interviews in which HAL expresses ‘worry’, only served to elevate ‘relatability’ and exacerbate the fine line between human and high science. Once again, the film deftly explores the narrative, with edge-of-the-seat suspense, which brings us to a most stunning dramatic climax, the like of which only first-person, big-screen viewing can do justice!

Thanks to this jaw-droppingly epic film, made in the 60’s, posing questions as to the life-cycle of Man, proposing fully-developed, intergalactic living and investigative missions to Jupiter, in a time when research is well underway for ‘treks’ to Mars in the very near future, the way in which I look at sci-fi will never be the same…no matter what the world of cinema produces!

To quote Keir Dullea, from a recent group interview at which I was priveleged to be present… ‘It blew me away… Nothing quite readies you..’

..My sci-fi sentiments, exactly!

©AFROW2014-2019. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Heartfelt Afrow-thanks to…

The entire Creative Force behind ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’.

Rhidian Davis

Sarah Harvey Publicity

‘2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY’ IS OUT NOW, AS PART OF THE BFI’S ‘SCI-FI: DAYS OF FEAR AND WONDER’ SEASON!

‘MEET MICHAEL LA ROSE…’

…if, that is, you can catch up with him…because Michael la Rose is, in his own words “good, but busy”!

Unsurprising, when you consider the fact that he is; 1) “a cultural and political activist, author and researcher”; 2) “chair of The George Padmore Institute (an archive of the black struggle in Britain of people of African, Caribbean and Asian descent) “; 3)”a director of New Beacon Books”; 4) the Founder of ‘Savannah View’, the umbrella organisation under which he manifests his skills as a writer, lecturer, publisher and event co-ordinator and add to that 5) his role as Curator of the BFI Southbank’s upcoming ‘We Love Carnival’ event, and you’ll understand why this expert in all-things ‘Carnival’ might be more than a tad occupied!

What with May to August, being Carnival season and in spite of Hurricane Bertha’s attempt to rain on the parade, nothing can quell the excitement which surrounds one of the biggest and best examples of street celebrations. Thus, in the run up to the BFI Southbank’s ‘African Odysseys’ festivities, of which ‘We Love Carnival’ forms a significant part, the wonderful organisers arranged the opportunity for yours truly to conduct a thoroughly modern and time-saving e-interview, with the polymath who is, Mr La Rose!

Hailing from Barataria, Trinidad and Tobago, born to activist parents, John and Irma La Rose, whom he cites as having “influenced [his] perspectives and activities”, the family moved to Venezuela, finally settling in North London, where he was brought up. Having established his roots, so began the parallel journey of rooting around the topic of ‘Carnival’, resulting in an extremely enlightening unfurling of answers! I defy you not to become your own expert, by the end!

~

“WHAT IS YOUR EARLIEST CARNIVAL MEMORY?

My brother Keith and myself were taken by my father to the ‘Carnival Gala’ events at the Commonwealth Institute in London. They were electric, exciting and creative.

WHO IS/ARE YOUR MOST INFLUENTIAL CARNIVAL PERSONALITY/IES?

Other than my mother and father, in the Caribbean, it will be the many Kaisonians (Calypsonians) and Soca artistes like ‘Roaring Lion’, ‘Sparrow’, ‘Gabby’, ‘Shadow’, ‘Scrunter’, ‘David Rudder’, ‘Square One’, ‘Machel Montano’. Then ‘Mas’ designers like George Bailey, Stephen Derrick , Frank Smith, Dragon of the Moko Jumbies and Peter Minshall. Finally cultural activists including Lennox Pierre, Ian “Teddy” Belgrave and Gordon Rohlehr. From the London Carnival community it would be Selwyn Baptiste, Johnno Roberts, Dexter Khan, Vernon “Fellows” Williams, Darcus Howe, Keith Lackhan and Philmore “Boots” Davidson.

WHEN DID YOU REALISE THAT ‘CARNIVAL’ WAS YOUR TOPIC OF CHOICE?

Many Trinidadians are born into Carnival. My family and relatives educated me about Carnival. I went to Notting Hill Carnival for the first time in 1973 with my brother, mother and girl cousins from Brooklyn. The experience of dancing in the streets behind ‘Ebony Steelband’ was magical. The pride for the beauty and complexity of the Carnival festival we (Caribbean people) produced was very important to my identity as a young black youth in Britain.

WHAT IS ‘CARNIVAL’ ABOUT?

The Caribbean Carnival is a celebration of the end of slavery and is a festival of cultural resistance, identity and survival, though many do not know it, even those who participate in Carnival. It incorporates Europe, Africa and Asia and is an artistic expression and creation of the poor and oppressed of the Caribbean, the most underprivileged, the ‘Jammette’ (French diametre from the other side). There are similar Carnival histories in South America (Brazil and Colombia), Central America (Panama), Caribbean (Cuba, Barbados, St Vincent, Grenada and Haiti) and North America (New Orleans).

WHY IS THE CARNIVAL TRADITION SO GLOBALLY INFLUENTIAL?

The Caribbean Carnival tradition has global appeal because it is a unique, exciting, expressive, dynamic street festival which empowers the powerless through songs, dance and masquerade. It is theatre of the streets. It is, on many levels, about freedom. It is carried in the hearts and soul of Caribbean people and reproduced in a local form in North America, Caribbean, Europe and now increasingly, Asia and Africa. It is an empowering, exciting, truly inclusive, enjoyable global product.

WHEN DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN THE ‘WE LOVE CARNIVAL’ SEASON?

I used to attend the incredible, monthly ‘African Odysseys’ screenings at the BFI. Someone on the committee suggested to David Somerset at the BFI to approach me to present an anniversary screening of the Brazilian film ‘Orfeu Negro’ (Black Orpheus), which is the Greek myth, brilliantly set in Rio Carnival. After that, I suggested screening ‘Calypso Dreams’ and did other film introductions and presentations for ‘African Odysseys’. I eventually suggested the idea of ‘We Love Carnival Screenings’ in 2012.

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE IN THE ‘WE LOVE CARNIVAL’ SEASON?

I chose the films for the ‘We Love Carnival Screenings 2014’.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE PARTICULAR FILMS INCLUDED IN THE SEASON?

The films, in their different ways, encompass the history of the key moments in the history of the Caribbean Carnival in Britain from 1959 to the present day.

HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS COLLABORATION WITH THE BFI, TO PERPETUATING THE FUTURE OF CARNIVAL?

The collaboration is very important . A national institution like the BFI, through ‘African Odysseys’, is reaching out to a section of British society (the Black community and Carnival community) [and giving] an opportunity for people to see and hear the untold story of the Caribbean Carnival in Britain. Film is a powerful and immediate medium to inform, educate and open up debates about Carnival art and struggle. The future for the Notting Hill Carnival will rest on information and education.

WHO DO YOU ‘SEE’ COMING TO THE ‘WE LOVE CARNIVAL’ SEASON?

In terms of attendance, I would expect the London Carnival community, scholars and academics, teachers and people who want to know more about the history, art and struggle for a Caribbean Carnival in Britain.

WHO WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO SEE ATTEND THE SEASON?

Everyone, all classes, all races, all religions. Caribbean Carnival is totally inclusive and welcoming. I would like to see those people who are curious and want more knowledge and understanding of the Caribbean Carnival and what lies behind the masquerade.

WHERE DO YOU ENVISAGE THE SEASON WILL ‘TAKE’ VISITORS?

The ‘We Love carnival screenings 2014’ will help people understand the role of an important figure in British history, Claudia Jones, on the 50th anniversary of her death. They will understand how Notting Hill Carnival was transformed into a Caribbean Carnival. They will see the events that led to 1976 Notting Hill Carnival insurrection. They will also learn about a Carnival musical institution, the Panorama of the Steel orchestras.

A VISITOR CAN ONLY ATTEND ONE EVENT, WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND?

I would recommend the film on Claudia Jones and [although] there is much debate about her relationship to the Notting Hill Carnival, the film shows the impressive, high-profile, indoor Caribbean Carnivals she ran for 5 consecutive years.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN TO CARNIVAL IN THE FUTURE?

I would like to see the Caribbean Carnival and the Carnival culture of the African Diaspora understood by the people who create it, take part in it and attend it. That it is studied and respected on all the myriad of levels from sociology, economy, maths, folk art to fine art and theatre. That it is recognised and appreciated as a fantastic creation of the poor and underprivileged.

HOW CAN THIS BE FACILITATED IN THE WIDER WORLD, E.G EDUCATION?

It definitely can be achieved through education at all levels, from primary to tertiary, or just by those who are informally interested. I have done a publication for primary children with ‘Tamarind Books’ on the Steel pan and been involved with projects for teachers to incorporate teaching on Carnival culture in performance, maths, history and many other creative classes.

WHAT HAS CARNIVAL TAUGHT YOU?

There is no limit to the imagination or what you can achieve if you work together in unity.

HOW WILL YOU BE PROMOTING CARNIVAL IN THE FUTURE?

For the future, I will be using my skills in unity with other committed people like BFI ‘African Odysseys’ [team], to promote the unknown history of the Caribbean Carnival and promote its art and creativity.

WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT ABOUT CARNIVAL TO YOU…WHY DO YOU LOVE CARNIVAL?!

For each individual, the answer is different. For me as a designer, bandleader, DJ and plain Caribbean Carnival participant and spectator, it is to experience the indefinable ‘Carnival Spirit’. That physical and cerebral joy that comes when the hard work of the preparation [and] practice comes together on the streets, on the days of Carnival. Here masquerade, performance, dance, music and spectators are one, in the freedom of the Carnival Spirit. Unique.”

~

 On that Carnival crescendo, the online ‘q and a’ session was at an end! I was left, ready to join the celebration of the ‘We Love Carnival’ season and after such a rousing e-interview, I wholeheartedly encourage you to do the same!

~

Many Afrow thanks to:-

Michael La Rose for taking the time out of his busy schedule to provide such inspiring answers!

Troy Pickersgill for organising such an amazing interview opportunity!

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TICKETS TO ‘WE LOVE CARNIVAL’, CLICK THE LINK BELOW!

AFRICAN ODYSSEYS 

©AFROW2014-2019 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED (INTERVIEW EDITED BY AFROW) 

***

EMAIL EXCHANGE FROM TROY PICKERSGILL (BFI)

‘Great read!!’

‘HOME-FROM-HOME, AT BFI SOUTHBANK!’

I have been, somewhat, adopted by the BFI!

In a wide-angle view, its exterior would resemble a glacial palace, yet, the automatic opening of entrance doors, leads you into a labyrinthine coccon of artistic excellence, the atmosphere, of which, is laden with creativity. To be within the environs of such a precious jewel in the crown of audio-visual arts, to breathe in its air, is not only inspiring, but to be further absorbed and integrated into a truly stimulating world.

From surreal to evocative, documentary to dream-like, kitchen-sink to Hollywood, U.K. to Global, BFI Southbank programming caters for all tastes. You need only cast your eye upon (and promptly, pick up) guides to current and future screenings and events, to see the wealth of choice on offer. For instance, I recently experienced the genius of “Easy Rider”* and, no sooner had I assimilated its brilliance, than I was back on the ‘frow’, absorbing the, somewhat juxtaposed, supremely-acted and fast-paced, French two-hander, of Polanski’s “Venus In Fur”!

The month of August heralds the arrival of “Teenage Kicks”, an exploration of the representation of such a unique period of pubescent physical, emotional and spiritual growth-spurts of life. The span of filmic articulation, over multiple genres, includes an amazing roster, to include the classic “Heathers”, which will surely resonate in the guise of nostalgic fashion flashbacks and the London premiere of Sonic Cinema’s “Beyond Clueless”, which documents 200 stand-out moments in the teen-movie genre. With a live score from from ‘Summer Camp’, and post-screening DJ set, this is definitely top of my go-see list! Undoubtedly, “I was there when” will echo through many a cognitive corridor…I’m already hearing ‘Ahmad’s’ hypnotic refrain of “Back in the day, when I was young, I’m not a kid anymore, but sometimes I sit and wish I was a kid again..”, revolve around the turntable of my inner jukebox!

September also promises much excitement, featuring the jam-packed weekender, a much-loved strand to the BFI repertoire. A highlight must surely be the ‘African Odysseys’ season, a highly-anticipated series of unmissable screenings and talks. Writer, Nadia Denton will be in conversation, at the launch of her new book “Beyond Nollywood”, part of a 2-for-1, for those who see Chika Anandu’s ‘B for Boy’. Also scheduled is the wonderful “We Love Carnival”, curated by Michael La Rose, which will follow the winding road of the Carnival tradition, exploring its Caribbean roots and musical heritage, to its diverse impact on a global scale.

This is just the tip of the glacial iceberg to this palace, which I call my ‘second home’ and, should the aforementioned have whet your Arts-appetite, simply click the links below, to the fantastic BFI website, for futher details of listings and booking. But make sure you move quickly, because these enlightening events and more, will be extremely popular!

With that said… Go forth and enjoy the seasons!

~

BFI SOUTHBANK: www.bfi.org.uk ~ BFI SOUTHBANK GUIDE: AUGUST ~ BFI SOUTHBANK GUIDE: SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER

AFRICAN ODYSSEYS

Heartfelt thanks to the BFI Press Team for supporting my cinematic development and being such amazing hosts!

~

*“Finding my way from Hopper to Hoppen!” charts my journey of creative epiphanies via the BFI Southbank and Michael Hoppen Gallery!

©AFROW2014-2019. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.