‘Afghanistan – 10 years on’, photography by Guy Smallman, 22 June – 8 July
British photojournalist Guy Smallman has made numerous visits to Afghanistan in recent years, documenting the everyday realities faced by ordinary Afghan civilians who are struggling with poverty, drug abuse and unemployment as well as with the direct effects of the war. His powerful and moving images record the realities of living in a war-torn country and present a very different view from the one we are used to seeing in main stream media coverage. The exhibition is sponsored by Peace News and includes a special screening of Guy’s short film “Fifteen million Afghans” on Thursday 5th...
Read MoreThe Sound of Music Sing-a-Long, Friday 1 June, 8pm
St John’s very own sing-a-long to this all time classic! Dressing up highly recommended – there may even be a prize for the best effort. Our very own David Spidy, organist and fan of the Sound of Music, will be on hand from 7pm to get you in the mood by playing some of those well know tunes. Once the screening starts you can raise your voice along with the cast, enjoying the sound of music filling the wonderful space of St John’s with the sounds of angels. Admission £4.00, Concessions £2.00 Tickets available...
Read MoreTopsy Turvy, dir. Mike Leigh, Friday 27 April, 7.30pm
The world of Gilbert and Sullivan comes to vivid life in director Mike Leigh’s extraordinary dramatization of the staging of the duo’s legendary 1885 comic opera The Mikado. Jim Broadbent and Allan Corduner brilliantly inhabit the roles of the world-famous Victorian librettist and composer, who, along with their troupe of temperamental actors, must battle personal and professional demons while mounting this major production. A lushly produced epic about the harsh realities of creative expression, featuring bravura performances and Oscar-winning costume design and makeup, Topsy-Turvy is an...
Read MoreThe Fifth Element, Friday 13 April, 7.30pm
Written by Luc Besson as a teenager and directed by him in 1997, The Fifth Element is a tongue-in-cheek space romp that never takes itself too seriously. If there is a world to save there is no better hero than Bruce Willis who does it in style, while sporting the most unbecoming wig. Gary Oldman represents the evil force out to capture the ultimate Weapon called Leeloo played by a Milla Jovovich. A towering alien diva is the link to our opera theme and for having some fun at the end of the Easter holidays!
Read MoreTron and Virtual Space, 19 April, 7.30pm
St John on Bethnal Green looks forward to welcoming back Passengerfilms and UCL Urban Lab. Trapped inside an electronic arena, where love, and escape, do not compute! The next night by Passengerfilms and UCL Urban Lab is on the theme of virtual space, with films and talks ranging from code and gaming to architectural simulation. Featuring Tron (Steven Lisberger, 1982) with shorts Augmented City 3D (Keilchi Matsuda) and Golden Age – The Simulation and Golden Age – Somewhere (Paul Nicholls, Factory Fifteen). For more...
Read MoreDIVA, Jean-Jacques Beineix, 30 March 2012, 7.30pm
Jean-Jacques Beineix’s first film made in 1981, contrives a pop art pastiche that became known as ‘cinema du look’, a movement which produced stylish, romantic pictures throughout the ‘80s, and included Luc Besson and Leos Carax as its other main directors. ‘Diva’ is considered a cult classic of its time which effortlessly combines an intricate, clever thriller plot with glittering artifice and an amazing music score that spans New Wave to Satie, including the aria from ‘La Wally’ sung by real live diva Wilhelmina Wiggins Fernandez who plays the title role. Has it stood...
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