Hotel London (Jamal, 1987) : ICA Cinema, 6.10pm
69th LONDON FILM FESTIVAL (8th - 19th October 2025) DAY 9
With its date at the end of the year, London is a "festival of festivals", as the Telegraph film critic Robbie Collin put it in one of his previews,
so the films shown have mostly been seen and commented on by critics
who have watched the features at such high-profile festivals as Cannes,
Venice, Toronto, Sundance and Berlin.
So I'm making it simple with one recommendation a day. I will be concentrating on the repertory choices but I've also read the
reviews of the contemporary releases and talked to and listened to the trusted critics all year and I
am as confident as I can be that this is the pick of the movies within
the parameters I have set. Firstly, there's no point highlighting the
major gala films - they will be sold out quickly. Secondly, there is
little to be gained in paying the higher Festival ticket prices to see
films that are out in Britain soon. I will be returning to the London
Festival films worthy of seeing and set to be released in the coming
months on this blog as and when they get a general release in London.
Here then (from October 8th to October 19th) are the films you are likely
to be able to get tickets for and the movies you are unlikely to see in
London very soon unless you go the Festival. Here is the LFF's main website for the general information you need. Don't
worry if some of the recommended films are sold out as there are always
some tickets on offer which go on sale 30 minutes before each
screening. Here is the information you need to get those standby tickets.
BFI introduction:
Filmed in an actual bed and breakfast after months of research with
homeless individuals, Retake Workshop’s Hotel London explores the
housing crisis that plagued the city in the 1980s. Still timely, it
weaves an urgent political message into an emotionally resonant,
character-driven narrative, with the British South Asian film collective
fusing education, training and production.
Will Fowler and Xavier Pillai
Here (and above) is an interview with the director.
No comments:
Post a Comment