Welcome to The Lexi Cinema’s brand new blog! We hope Lexi lovers will enjoy news and views on our upcoming programme, updates on our community projects, and writing from the Lexi team on life behind the scenes at the UK’s first Social Enterprise cinema. Expect highlights from our friends at The Sustainability Institute in SA, too.
Recently we have been delighted by how many of you turned out to revisit Krzysztof Kieślowski’s cult 90s arthouse Three Colours trilogy, and Black History Studies returned in triumphant form with a full house for The Amazing Nina Simone.
The month of May has so many highlights which we can’t wait to share with you.
HARKA opens 12 May at The Lexi.
‘A searing tribute to the fire – and failure – of the Arab Spring - The Telegraph
Director Lofty Nathan’s feature directorial debut, Harka follows Ali as he dreams of trading his life in Tunisia - where he sells contraband petrol for a living - for a new start in Europe. He’s been planning a way out for some time, but his ambitions are painfully crushed when his father dies unexpectedly, leaving him to care for his two younger sisters who face eviction. Smouldering with the bitterness of disappointment and unexpressed anger, Harka gives voice to the young people whose lives remain unchanged ten years on from the Arab Spring. Watch the trailer here.
THE BLUE CAFTAN opens 12 May at The Lexi
Set in a traditional Caftan store in one of Morocco’s oldest Medinas, The Blue Caftan is a story of forbidden romance between Halim - who runs the store with his wife Mina - and Ali, their young apprentice. With a story which unfolds with as much beauty as the sumptuous fabrics which punctuate the film, this is a story of love in all the many forms it can take. Watch the trailer here.
ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET has it's Members’ Preview on 11 May, and opens in the UK on 19 May.
We’re holding a members’ preview of Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret - the long-awaited adaptation of Judy Blume’s comedic and endlessly relatable coming-of-age story. We’ll then be screening the title for all to see from Fri 19 May! The Guardian gave it 5 stars: ‘It’s all terribly scary, yes, but in Blume and Fremon Craig’s hands, growing up is also heart-stoppingly beautiful’. Watch the trailer here.
THE EIGHT MOUNTAINS plays from Friday 19 May.
The Eight Mountains sees two men - best friends as children, spending summers together in the Alps - unexpectedly reconnect as adults, after the inevitability of growing up came between them. In the tranquil alpine landscape, the men repair a broken down shack, simultaneously rebuilding a relationship which means more than they are able to express. ‘A meditation on our capacity for love shapes this sweeping story of two friends’ writes Peter Bradshaw for The Guardian, giving it 5 stars.
Introducing: EarthRise
EARTHRISE: the iconic photograph of our planet taken in 1968, from the Apollo 8 lunar orbit mission.
The Lexi has always been a cinema dedicated to sustainability - it’s at the heart of everything we do. From a green roof on The Lexi Hub - creating an urban habitat and insulating the building, promoting energy efficiency - to our mission to banish plastic packaging from the kiosk, as a team, we are determined to minimise our carbon footprint. That’s why we’ve introduced a new film strand: EarthRise. EarthRise will be a regular programme of (mostly) docs, on themes of nature and sustainability, with the aim of promoting conversation and provoking action.
We’re launching this brand new strand with the profound, and hopeful, The Nettle Dress, and a director Q & A with Dylan Howitt.
EARTHRISE: THE NETTLE DRESS screens on Tuesday 23 & Thursday 25 May.
The Nettle Dress follows textile artist Allan Brown over the course of seven years, as he weaves a dress out of locally foraged nettles. Brown’s project is perhaps the slowest slow fashion imaginable - ‘hedgerow couture’ - and over time, it becomes a powerful healing tool as he recovers from grief throughout the years. Maybe this all sounds a bit “hair shirt” but trust us, it’s not, and you need to see this wonderful film.
Lexi News
Salusbury Film Club
This month we welcomed Salusbury World for a special screening of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, showing with English subtitles for their monthly women-only film club. This unique film club offers a chance for attendees to socialise, brush up on their English, and relax with a coffee and popcorn. The project is led by Aynur, Salusbury World’s fantastic ESOL teacher, and coordinated by Alba, who manages our community bookings at the Lexi. One of our key community partners, the award-winning local charity Salusbury World have worked with refugee & migrant families and children for over twenty years. To support this and our other community projects, please give what you can to support our fab Triathletes, here: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/LexiSalusbury
Lexi Membership: A new partnership, and a new benefit…
Camerons Stiff & Co. are now the official sponsors of The Lexi Membership! With this brand new partnership, we’re able to guarantee the future of The Lexi Membership - meaning that we can continue to ensure that great cinema is accessible to all, and that Lexi Members feel like local VIPs!
We’re also delighted that our friends at MUBI will be offering Lexi Members a three months MUBI subscription for free. More new offers are in the works, too!
In the Press…
The team were also thrilled to see The Lexi Mentioned in this fantastic Evening Standard interview with slow fashion advocate and designer Ashish Gupta last month!
Thanks for reading - and make sure to stay tuned for more updates!
Gen Sandle
Lexi Marketing & Comms
