After a short break over the Summer, Film at The Town Hall returns in the second week of September thanks to continued support from the BFI Film Audience Network.
With this new season, we are also launching a brand new and very simple film membership scheme:
- Buy a ticket and collect a ‘Film at The Town Hall’ loyalty card. You will receive a card which will be stamped for each ticket you book.
- Collect 5 stamps and you’ll receive one ticket free of charge.
The beginning of this new season explores urgent environmental issues from around the world, aiming to connect with local organisations and individuals who want to make a difference, as well as with those who enjoy an alternative film offer and the extra elements we have planned around the film screenings, including traditional food and Q&A sessions.
Friday 9th September, we are relaunching our programme with LUZZU (2021, Malta) and a special event with an introductory talk and traditional Maltese snack of kinnie and home- made pastizzi prepared by Simone Lucas, British/Maltese member of our community! The award-winning and critically acclaimed debut of writer-director Alex Camilleri recalls the neorealist traditions of Luchino Visconti, Roberto Rossellini and Ramin Bahrani, and offers a glimpse into the beauty of an island rarely portrayed in cinema.
Jesmark, a struggling fisherman on the island of Malta, must make an agonising choice: repair his leaking luzzu, the traditional wooden fishing boat that has been in his family for generations, or decommission it in exchange for a government pay-out. Those who enjoyed The Salt of our Waters and Bait earlier this year, will find the connection fascinating, with the clash between modern and traditional fishing methods, and the environmental impact on Mediterranean waters.
Friday 16th September, REBELLION (2022, UK), a documentary by Maia Kenworthy and Elena Sanchez Bellot that tells the behind-the-scenes story of Extinction Rebellion, following a group of unlikely allies as they come together to confront the climate and ecological emergency. Rebellion follows the journey of the XR co-founders, as well as Farhana Yamin, an international environmental lawyer who played a key role in negotiating the Paris Climate Agreement, as she decides to break the law for the first time in her life. We are pleased to announce co- director Maia Kenworthy will be joining us in Trowbridge for a Q&A session after the film!
Friday 23th September, WOMAN AT WAR (2018, Iceland, Ukraine, France) Directed by Benedikt Erlingsson, this comedy/drama tells the story of Halla (Halldóra Geirharõsdóttir), a woman who leads a quiet and routine life. However, her happy and upbeat exterior hides a secret double life as a committed environmental activist. Known to others as “The Mountain Woman”, she wages a one-woman-war on the local aluminium industry to protect the stunning highland landscape that is under threat. Just as she begins planning her biggest and boldest operation yet, she receives an unexpected letter that will change everything. Her application to adopt a child has finally been accepted and there is a little girl waiting for her in Ukraine. She will be forced to choose between her environmental crusade and the chance of fulfilling her dream of becoming a mother.
Friday 30th September, ARICA (2021, Sweden) Directed by Lars Edman and William Johansson Kalen, this documentary is centred on the story of a community fighting for justice. In the 1980s, Swedish mining company Boliden exported 20,000 tonnes of toxic waste to the Chilean desert town of Arica. Thousands of people became sick, many died from cancer. Arica plunges us into the ground-breaking corporate accountability trial which began after Lars Edman – born in Chile and raised in Boliden, Sweden, birthplace of the company – exposed the scandal. Arica is a clanging warning bell for communities all over the world to take note of what is happening in their own countries. The film screening includes a recorded introduction by the directors of the film!
The new season is possible with the guidance of Film Hub South-West and with support of the BFI Film Audience Network, awarding funds from the National Lottery in order to bring this project to more audiences across the UK. As part of our audience development plan, we need to understand your taste and entertainment consumption habits. We want you to help shape our film offer. Please complete our survey to help us ensure we’re offering what you’d like to see, and that you’re getting the best possible experience while you’re here watching films.