Film Event Highlights – November 2012

The Coens come to the Cameo; DCA delivers a symphony of horror; French cinema is celebrated across Scotland; a new film night launches in Glasgow; and the GFT hosts a Jewish movie simkhe

Feature by Becky Bartlett | 30 Oct 2012

The Cameo in Edinburgh is celebrating the works of Joel and Ethan Coen by screening one of their movies every Thursday this month. Miller's Crossing starts the strand on 1 Nov, followed by Fargo, The Big Lebowski, multiple Oscar winner No Country for Old Men, Burn After Reading and True Grit. The Coen brothers have established a dedicated cult following over the years, and this retrospective, in chronological order to allow viewers to see the writer/director/producers' development through the years, promises to be very popular.

On 7 Nov a silent horror classic, Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, is screening at the DCA in Dundee. An adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula in all but name, it features Max Schreck as Count Orlok, the eternally creepy yet oddly sympathetic vampire. In 2000 Shadow of the Vampirea fictionalised account of F.W. Murnau's production, suggested that Schreck really was one of the undead – watch his unsettling performance and decide for yourself. This screening is accompanied by a special live musical performance by Minima.

The French Film Festival is running across Scotland from 8 Nov-2 Dec, with several cinemas participating. A highlight is Georges Méliès’ 1902 sci-fi classic A Trip to the MoonLe voyage dans la lune, showing at the GFT (20 Nov), DCA (24 Nov), Bo'ness (25 Nov), and Filmhouse (26 Nov). Accompanied by a documentary about the film's complex restoration, Le voyage extraordinaire, this is a rare chance to view this iconic short in its original glory, with a new soundtrack by Air. The festival also boasts a wealth of contemporary films, including animation and documentary, as well as several special guests and events. Check out frenchfilmfestival.org.uk for more details.

November sees the launch of Trashkino, a new monthly film night from musician and filmmaker Adam Stafford. The inaugural screening is Robert Bresson’s 1958 masterwork A Man Escaped, a WWII-set prison-break movie about a French resistance fighter escaping a Nazi slammer. A deeply humanistic examination of mankind's resilience to oppression, it's as stripped back and frill-free as its title. As a warmup to Bresson there’ll be a programme of short films and “some very weird vinyl DJ’ed in between.” A free event, it takes place at Glasgow School of Art union on Sauchiehall St, 26 Nov.

The GFT is hosting several films as part of the UK Jewish Film Festival, which aims to promote awareness of Jewish life and customs, between 1-18 Nov. Simon and the Oaks, based on a best-selling novel by Marianne Fredriksson, is screening 6-7 Nov, while The Matchmaker, from acclaimed Israeli filmmaker Avi Nesher, is showing on 13 Nov. [Becky Bartlett]