There’s always something special about watching one of your favourite cinema classics sitting under the stars. The curators of this year’s Outdoor Cinema Season at the Barbican Centre have put together an eclectic program from Hollywood greats to cult classics along with some indie and international gems over a 12-night season. The films are shown on a huge inflatable screen that waves gently in the evening breeze. It’s set in the surrounds of the Barbican’s Sculpture Court, so you can soak up the grandeur of the impressive Brutalist architecture as you enjoy the films.
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The Sculpture Court is in the heart of the Barbican Estate and overlooked by residential apartments so there are no loud speakers; patrons are given a pair of headphones, which offer surprisingly clear sound and conveniently come with the instruction to ‘place over ears’. The films are captioned too, including those in English. And there are no annoying ads at the start; it’s straight into the action.
King of the quirk – Wes Anderson
Opening night saw Ralph Fiennes shine as Concierge Monsieur Gustave in the wonderful Wes Anderson delight The Grand Budapest Hotel. This darkly delicious story is expertly crafted with Anderson’s distinctive visual aesthetic and his characteristic use of symmetrical framing and striking colour palettes. ‘It’s been 10 years since this gem was released in the UK and we can’t think of a better way to open our 2024 Outdoor Cinema Series,’ said the curators.
Classics – Studio Ghibli and Ingmar Bergman
Other titles in this year’s line-up include Kirsten Dunst as Marie Antoinette in the luscious Sofia Coppola film of the same name set at Versailles; Prince on stage in Sign o’ the Times, the story of his 1987 tour that is considered to be one of the best concert movies ever made; and Pariah, the moving story of a teenage lesbian from Brooklyn who falls in love with a girl at church. There are also a couple of genuine screen classics with Ingmar Bergman’s masterpiece Wild Strawberries and the exceptional Indian musical melodrama Pakeezah. Japanese cinema is represented with two movies: the Academy Award-winning animation The Boy and the Heron, from the masters at Studio Ghibli, and the cult monster movie hit Godzilla vs Hedorah.
Gorgeous Gershwin – An American in Paris
The 2024 season will be farewelled on 1 September with the timeless Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron love story, An American in Paris, featuring many marvellous Gershwin melodies that you’ll be humming all the way home on the tube.
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This is August in London and the Season guide does admit ‘we’re at the mercy of the British summer’ (parkas were definitely required on opening night), but screenings are only cancelled if the weather is forecast to be extreme or unsafe.
Coming up in September is Ciné-Sahra, a project dedicated to sharing films from the breadth of the Saharan region, exploring the often obscured space as a site of social, environmental and narrative pluralism through contemporary, archival and artists’ film.
Indian cinema
Then later in the year the Barbican is hosting Rewriting the Rules: Pioneering Indian Cinema after 1970, a three-month long cinema season featuring the innovative work of Indian Parallel Cinema. This was a new wave of filmmakers from the 1970s to 1990s whose films were socially minded and politically committed and is acknowledged as one of South Asia’s first post-colonial film movements.
Outdoor Cinema Season, Wednesday 21 August to 1 Sunday September 2024, in the Barbican Centre Sculpture Court next to the Conservatory on level 3. Films start at 8.30pm with food and drink available from 6.30pm. Tickets £18. Full season details here.
