What Are You Going To See Next Sunday?

We asked our programmer, David Miller, to guide you through Saturday at the Festival.


The final day is another cornucopia of choice! This year the Festival is making full use of The Main House and Studio at the Theatre By The Lake, as well as the Alhambra cinema. That means a total of 13 presentations. So, what are they? Sunday begins at 11.00. In the Main House, Keswick Peace and Human Rights Group present the first film to be made in Occupied Palestine in over 15 years (Habibi). It presents an insider view of this much maligned State and is a great opportunity to experience life as it actually is albeit as told in a fictional story. Again we have a guest born and who lived for some years in Gaza to talk about the film and the political situation. The Studio has the biopic of that amazing Jazz musician, Ken Skyora in the documentary The Man With The Jazz Guitar. Over at the Alhambra there is a rare chance to see a film originating from Africa; La Pirogue. Following that at the Alhambra there is a documentary, this time about one of the world’s foremost photographers, McCullin. Down at The Theatre the distinctly musical theme continues with the story of Benjamin Britten in Peace and Conflict where we welcome many of the young cast. Only previewed last week it will be introduced by director Tony Britten with Anwen Rees Myers the producer and with John Hurt who provides the voiceover. The Studio presentation also features a young cast  but in a very different environment. Kauwboy was the Netherlands entry for the Oscars, and is one that is well worth catching. Mid-afternoon then has three highly distinctive choices. Do you opt to listen to (and question) two of the most brilliant minds in British cinema (Tony Britten and Don Boyd), watch a touching movie called Touch, or an intriguing horror oriented drama, The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh. That then leads onto an equally taxing choice. Don Boyd hosts a screening of War Requiem – stunning anti war film that uses the music of Benjamin Britten and poems of Wilfred Owen to quite outstanding effect. The Studio welcomes Jan Feull from the Bfi to host the archive screening of Steel; this follows previous year’s archive portrayals of the Coal and Shipbuilding industries. And, The Alhambra has the emotionally powerful A Simple Life.

The closing presentation then takes place at The Alhambra, commencing 20.45. Ashes is another great British film that deserves a wide distribution and we are delighted to be able to bring it to Keswick. A worthy end to what we hope you will agree is a great festival and we look forward to seeing you at many of the presentations.