We’re looking forward to a great collection of cinematic treats in 2019 at Midlands Arts Centre (MAC). Here are 5 picks we’re excited about!
4K Film: Lawrence of Arabia
Sat 12 Jan – 2.15pm
2019 sees MAC host a season of film across the year dedicated to screening cinematic classics in remastered 4K digital prints, offering stunning picture clarity and a chance to see well known features in a completely new light. And what better way to begin than with one of screen’s grandest epics – Lawrence of Arabia – starring Peter O’Toole and Alec Guinness?
Book here: https://macbirmingham.co.uk/event/4k-film-lawrence-of-arabia
Waru
Wed 23 Jan – 6pm
A groundbreaking production from eight female Maori filmmakers, Waru is the story of a small New Zealand town coming to terms with a bitter tragedy – the death of a small boy (Waru) at the hands of his caregiver. Eight ten-minute segments, each shot in a single take, set at exactly the same time and with a female lead, focus on the impact of Waru’s death on different corners of the community. Waru gives a powerful insight into a little-seen culture and tells a universal story which has been resonating with audiences and critics worldwide.
Book here: https://macbirmingham.co.uk/event/waru
Ray & Liz + Director Q&A
Thu 24 Jan – 7pm
On the outskirts of Birmingham and the margins of society, the Billingham family perform extreme rituals and break cultural taboos as they muddle through a life decided by factors beyond their control. Turner Prize-nominated and Deutsche Börse Prize-winning artist, Richard Billingham, returns to the striking photographs of his family during Thatcher-era Britain for a film based on his own memories, focussing on his parents Ray and Liz, their relationship, and its impact on Richard and his younger brother Jason. At times shocking and laced with an unsettling humour, three episodes unfold as a powerful evocation of experience of growing up in a Black Country council flat.
The screening will be followed by a live onstage Q&A with director Richard Billingham.
Book here: https://macbirmingham.co.uk/event/ray-liz-director-q-a
The Mule
Fri 22 – Thu 28 Feb
Now 88 years of age, Clint Eastwood continues to be a creative powerhouse with The Mule, once again directing and starring in a major feature film that further cements his status as one of the greatest movie stars of all time. Eastwood stars as Earl Stone, a man in his 80s who is broke, alone, and facing foreclosure of his business when he is offered a job that simply requires him to drive. Easy enough, but unbeknownst to Earl, he’s just signed on as a drug courier for a Mexican cartel.
As his money problems become a thing of the past, Earl’s past mistakes start to weigh heavily on him, and it becomes unclear if he’ll have time to right those wrongs before law enforcement – or the cartel’s violent enforcers – catch up to him.
Book here: https://macbirmingham.co.uk/event/the-mule
On Her Shoulders
Sun 24 Feb – 2.15pm
Twenty-three-year-old Nadia Murad’s life is a dizzying array of exhausting undertakings – from giving testimony before the U.N. to visiting refugee camps to soul-bearing media interviews and one-on-one meetings with top government officials. Filmmaker Alexandria Bombach follows this strong-willed young woman, who survived the 2014 genocide of the Yazidis in Northern Iraq and escaped the hands of ISIS to become a relentless beacon of hope for her people – even when at times she longs to lay aside this monumental burden and simply have an ordinary life. What price is paid by those who work to lay bare the world’s injustice?
Book here: https://macbirmingham.co.uk/event/on-her-shoulders
