UCL Festival of the Moving Image

From November 4th to the 7th the Bloomsbury Theatre was home to the UCL Festival of the Moving Image. Over the event over one thousand four hundred and forty three minutes of moving images were projected onto a large screen for the viewing pleasure of the general public. There were no tickets to be bought, or seats to be booked, just four days of audio-visual stimulation courtesy of The UCL Spanish / Latin American Dept. and the UCL Film Studies Programme.

The moving images on show ranged from classic foreign films such as Alfonso Arau’s ‘Como agua para chocolate’ (‘Like Water for Chocolate‘) to the latest productions of the UCL Film and TV society such as a superbly tender documentary by Daniel Jones called ‘Silent Dancers’.

Due to the low attendances the festival had an intimate feel and considering that the Bloomsbury was hardly stretched in accommodating the small audience sprinkled across its considerable rows the atmosphere was surprisingly lively, as it was clear that those who had made it there were eagerly devouring every minute of this free-of-charge all you-can-eat buffet of film.

The festival commenced on Tuesday with a veritable hors d’oeuvre of short film from Havana. Throughout striking portraits of struggles beneath the weight of poverty and the political pressures of life in Havana there ran a unquenchable passion for revolution and hope for the future. The touching ‘Lo haria de Nuevo (I’d Do It All Again) ended poignantly with an elderly man‘s cry of ‘Revolucion!’ as he sat underneath a picture of Che Guevara and waited for the nurse to bring him his tea.

The real advantage of being at a festival rather than simply attending the cinema is the interactive aspect. It is quite something to have a film introduced by its director and after the showing to be able to wander up to them for a chat. This kind of event brings to life the often faceless names that roll across the credits as we shuffle down the aisle at the end of a film. With the creators themselves in the room watching their work alongside us, for a moment the business of film becomes something palpable, and perhaps even, within reach.

Unfortunately some of the discussions were made slightly awkward by the fact that the panel of directors and critics on stage sometimes outnumbered the audience watching. But thankfully the atmosphere was always enhanced by the complimentary rum and beer provided courtesy of the Cuban Embassy.

Of course, the festival did also boast some very familiar faces, such as the Oscar-winning actress Vanessa Redgrave who discussed her latest film ‘The Fever.’ Another highlight was the appearance of British film-making royalty in the form of Ken Loach who passionately fielded questions from the audience after a screening of his film ‘It’s a Free World’ to bring the festival to a close.

Stepping outside onto a grey and drizzly Gordon Street felt like coming back from holiday. Four days of exotic locations, vibrant culture, unfamiliar language, heady drinks and hypnotic music had come to an end. Moving images sure can take you places.