The latest screening at Central DOCS Club – where newly-released documentaries are shown at Picturehouse Central in association with FilmSoc – featured Mountain followed by a discussion.

Alexandra-Loredana Petrache reviews Jennifer Peedom’s symphonic doc.

A gorgeous piece of cinematography. An ode to the mountains. 

Beautiful imagery and score

Soothingly narrated by Willem Dafoe and bringing in the Australian Chamber Orchestra to perform pieces from the likes of Vivaldi, Mountain presents stunning, breath-taking imagery of people who aim for more: who test themselves, defy the norm and go in search of aventure. It also shows the modern reality of such sports, and of the people who try them in pursuit of not only the climb itself, but social media’s fame and adulation. The documentary scratches the surface of a whole universe of sports and sport-lovers, of madness and sanity, of will and strength, and shows the audience the thrills and perils that come with such ventures, without going too far into characterising the activities or associated risks. This is not meant to be an in-depth documentary about climbers, mountain-bikers or base-jumpers, but a serene piece of cinematography accompanied by good music. It will occasionally make you reach the edge of your seat but mostly it will induce a sense of wonder and worship towards the mountains. The music complements the footage perfectly – the beginning of the film comes into focus as a violin is being tuned. The sound weaves the metaphor of dizzying heights: we see climbers ascend over the crescendo of a violin, as a piano is subtly playing in the background, finishing off the metaphor of serene peace that accompanies the sport.

What Mountain succeeds at is showing both the exhilarating and the brutal: people smiling upon reaching their destination on the mountain, and euphoric spirits and cheers, but also bloody fingers, faces bitten by frost, tents filled with snow so cold it feels like a blade cutting the flesh down to the bone. Broken legs, twisted ankles, deep scratches, concussions, vertigo, pain, death. The price to pay for fleeting moments of sweet ecstasy.

Climbing a mountain: reward or plunder?

We keep talking of conquest when we speak of mountains and I’m not sure whether this comes from a sense of reward after the daunting experience that climbing can be or if it is sheer arrogance – do we really think we can outwit timeless (yet perpetually changing) rock giants? Is reaching a peak plunder or reward? Should we not talk of conquering ourselves, perhaps? Are mountains not just enablers for us to test our mental and physical strength?

The mountains can be a refuge for an ordinary living, an infusion of life, of raw, naked reality. It is a two-sided story: one of humility and one of hubris. On one side, we are glancing upon our condition and are reminded we are insignificant in this vast world. On the other, this sheer feeling of inferiority pushes us to overcome it, reach for the gods and prove that we are nothing less. And the fall will be all the more bittersweet knowing that, for a split moment, we were their equals and shared their world.

It is interesting how the film-makers decided to give the audience only a taste of the charm and seduction the mountains possess, instead of going for something with more substance and tackling concrete ideas about the sports presented or the more commercial aspect that now accompanies some of the sports presented. They focused on romanticising the antithesis between man and mountain, between ephemeral and long-lived.

Join us at the next Central DOCS Club screening on 8th January: see and discuss Walk With Me, a rare insight into the world of mindfulness and the Zen Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh, narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch! Check out the Facebook event HERE.

Mountain premiered at London Film Festival on October 9th. Watch the trailer below.

FilmSoc Term 1 Documentary – 2017/18 | In collaboration with SAVAGE Journal

A famous melting pot faced with a modern issue – the story of Brick Lane is diverse and ever-changing. ‘Brick Lane In Flux’ explores immigration and gentrification by way of this unique setting.

Directed and produced by
Nick Mastrini and Imogen Holland

Research, Filming and Editing by
Zabrina Lo
Alexia Kerwat
Ruby Harrop
Clara Invitado
Lorna Miri
Ay Nassimoldina
Katie Li
Thomas Nguyen
Maya Sughaiyer
Diggy Hill
Alex Anderton
Coco Shi
Duncan Smith
Seren John-Wood
Alex Craggs
Flora Zamula
Drone footage by Marley Fernandes

With thanks to
Rachel Lichtenstein
Sandys Row Synagogue
Stefan Dickers
Bishopsgate Institute
Sajjad Miah
Brick Lane Jamme Masjid
Ashraf Hoque

Find out more about SAVAGE Journal at savageonline.co.uk. You can also find them on FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM / TWITTER.

 

FilmSoc Term 2/3 Documentary – 2016/17

In one of the most diverse cities in the world, many face challenges of identity and progress. In ‘Heimweh’, Sebastian Egger explores what nationality means to young Londoners today.

Written and directed by Sebastian Egger
Produced and edited by Nick Mastrini
Co-directed by Amanda Maniero and Melody Ho
Special thanks to Tilen Zupan

The first of our co-hosted Central DOCS Club screenings with Picturehouse Central saw ’78/52′, the story of Hitchcock’s famous shower scene, screened and followed by a discussion.

Katie Jackson continues the discussion with her review of the documentary.

The most famous scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’ (1960) is undoubtedly that shower scene: Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) enters the bathroom never to leave it again, only a third of a way through the film. The scene has transcended generations, with children growing up knowing it as a symbol of horror, even if they don’t know where it’s from. It has been re-done and reimagined time and time again in horror movies and spoofs alike.

It is this legacy that has led a trail of fanatics in its wake, re-watching this film over and over again. Alexandre O. Philippe’s ‘78/52’ is a tribute to all of those people, as well as Alfred Hitchcock and the team who created Psycho. It is a brilliant documentary, shot in black and white as a homage to the original film, which delves deep into the many layers of that scene.

It features detailed insights and fun anecdotes from a range of different people, including editors, horror directors, film historians and Marli Renfro, who played Janet Leigh’s body double. Hitchcock himself also makes a few appearances through old archive footage.

78/52 is a 90-minute-long documentary about a one-minute scene, which does at times feel like it’s being drawn out for the sake of it. However, it does meticulously unravel the many technical and contextual components that led up to and surround this scene, all given by a group of knowledgable people who clearly feel inspired by this movie moment, making it all the more compelling.

It is an almost undisputed fact in the world of cinema that Hitchcock was a (slightly crazy) filmmaking genius, who revolutionised cinema at the time. 78/52 perfectly demonstrates why this is true from every conceivable aspect, while putting its main focus on one of the most famous film scenes of all time, ending with an in-depth play-by-play.

One theme touched upon in the documentary is how voyeurism plays a central role throughout Psycho. Even this theme is brought into 78/52 itself as we sit and watch the likes of Eli Roth and Richard Stanley, enraptured by that iconic scene on the TV screens in front of them. It is small touches like these that make this a more sophisticated documentary than most.

Although 78/52 can seem a little pretentious and slow at times, and is another film in a long line of documentaries and movies about Psycho, it is definitely worth a watch for anyone interested in filmmaking or for those who love the genius of Alfred Hitchcock. Both Psycho fanatics and one-time watchers will definitely learn something from watching this film, leaving you with an undeniable urge to hold a Hitchcock movie marathon.

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Documentary Producer Nick Mastrini introduces the upcoming screenings of Central DOCS Club, an event at Picturehouse Central running in association with UCL Film & TV Society.

Ever since opening in 2015, Picturehouse Central has become the place to be for the best cinema experience in central London, just a short walk from UCL. Bringing documentaries to such a prime location at an affordable price, Picturehouse Docs lets you see the latest non-fiction films for as little as £5.

Central DOCS Club is the perfect chance to see the latest documentary releases and discuss them with a like-minded audience post-screening. The November line-up features 78/52, the definitive doc deconstructing Alfred Hitchcock’s famous Psycho shower scene, and Jane, which tells the story of renowned primatologist Jane Goodall.

78/52: Central DOCS Club  —  November 6th, 18:30: Tickets

Jane: Central DOCS Club  —  November 27th, 18:30: Tickets

Join FilmSoc members at the screenings to catch and discuss the docs. Perfect for cinephiles and horror fans alike, 78/52 takes apart the 78 setups and 52 cuts of one of the most iconic scenes of all time, featuring the analysis of industry talents like Guillermo del Toro and Walter Murch.

So on November 6th, see the ode to Hitchcock with fellow film fans! Tickets can be booked here. Stay after the screening for the discussion, moderated by Milana Vujkov from Picturehouse Central and with the contributions of FilmSoc.

And on November 27th, join us for the next Central DOCS Club, with Jane also starting at 18:30.

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