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Swale Film Festival Film
Guide
Please click here
for an at a glance programme.
SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL (1968)
Topical with the recent release of Martin Scorsese's Shine a
Light, Jean-Luc Godard's is a story of a 60's white revolutionary
and her struggle with her lover's beliefs, the role of the media
and it's effect on the culture of the time. The story is interlaced
with The Rolling Stones composing & recording
their legendary song Sympathy For The Devil.
The producer of the
film added film of The Rolling Stones performing the completed
version of "Sympathy
for the Devil" at the end of the movie in an attempt to make
it more commercial. Jean-Luc Godard was
so incensed by this that he punched the producer during a talk
at London's National Film Theatre.
(Mick Jagger lived in Dartford and the closing
shots of the film were shot on a beach in Kent) |
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ON THE BRIDGE
A man stands on a railway bridge – a rope around his neck – guarded
by a contingent of German soldiers. …Twenty feet below is
the swiftly flowing water of the river…..
It is 1941 – France. Sabotage of the railway is a capital
crime and the man awaits his inevitable fate… Or is it inevitable? ….
The river runs fast and if he can free his hands and swim for it
with the help of the current he might get away.
The execution goes ahead. But…but...something has gone
wrong and the man finds himself in the water. With a superhuman,
lung bursting effort he frees his hands and removes the noose from
his neck. Swimming under water until his lungs almost burst, he
manages to evade the bullets and the pursuing troops.
Panic – stricken he flees for his life. Only when he is
far from the Germans can he set out on his long, perilous journey
to his home- to his beloved wife.
Through the day and night without rest, he trudges – stumbles – on
always on the look out for the enemy ….. and at last he
arrives. His wife, happiness lighting up her face, rushes to meet
him. He reaches to grasp her in his arms. And then……
24 mins Directed By Phil Wrestler Produced by Ken Rowles. |

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THE MAKING OF THE ITALIAN JOB
In 1962 Ken worked as an assistant film editor on
a science series CHEMISTRY
FOR 6 FORMS made for ATV that was directed by Phil - 5 years later
in 1967 Ken now editing joined Phil who was filming the stunts
on the ITALIAN JOB with Michael Caine. The Swale Festival will
screen a film made for Channel 4 about filming the famous sequences
from this action packed comedy drama, with the craziest car chase
in movie history, that has become a classic Ken will join
other filmmakers and talk about filming in Kent. Screening film
made in 1980
by Ken and Phil set up their own production company head office
in Kent Teamster productions made ON THE BRIDGE produced
by Ken and directed by Phil with Timothy Morand playing the prisoner.
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ALLIGATOR
Kenneth Colley wrote, starred in and directed 'Alligator',
which tells the short tale of a man encouraged to come out of retirement
for a mysterious errand..... |
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GREETINGS
The second of Kenneth Colley's It's
Cathy's party, but she's not having a good time. The boys have
found an Ouija board and are out for some harmless fun. When strange
things start to happen, they blame each other, but the joke goes
too far and soon they realize it isn't a joke at all... |
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NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (15)
Out hunting antelope, Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) stumbles on
a pile of dead bodies, a pick-up truck loaded with heroin and two
million dollars in cash. His decision to take the money sets off
an unstoppable chain reaction of violence as he finds himself hunted
by psychopathic killer Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem).
Chigurh's
weapon of choice is an air-pressure bolt gun, as used in abattoirs,
and he is prepared to use it on anyone who gets in his way. And
trailing both of them comes decent, weather-beaten Sheriff Bell
(Tommy Lee Jones), a third-generation lawman who despairs at the
increasing mindlessness of crime.
Based on the Pulitzer
Prize-winning novel by Cormac McCarthy, and featuring an acclaimed
cast, this gritty game of cat and mouse will take you to the edge
of your seat and beyond.
The film won four Oscars, including best film, best director and
best supporting actor (for Bardem). |
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RAISING A RIOT (1955)
When naval officer Tony's (Kenneth More) wife Mary (Shelagh
Fraser) decides to take a trip to Canada she leaves Tony
in charge of their three children. Can he cope? A father looking
after his children alone 50 years ago presents the same challenges
as today - namely who is in charge of whom?! Hilarity prevails
as the film develops in different directions. A really funny
family film directed by Wendy Toye one of the early female feature
film directors. Various Scenes filmed in Swale.
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SWALE
FILM AWARDS WINNERS
We
will also present the best films made by young people who entered
our young filmmakers competition at the SWALE FILM AWARDS. |
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RUBY BLUE
Jack (Bob Hoskins) is consumed by guilt and past
regret. He is hated by his son and abused by local youths. The
death of his wife leaves Jack lost and alone in his self loathing.
Hope arrives in the unlikely form of eight year old, Florrie (Jessica
Stewart), when she moves in next door and delights in
Jack's neglected racing pigeons, unwittingly rekindling his own
love for the birds. When his glamorous French neighbour, Stephanie
(Josiane Balasko) takes pity on him, Jack cannot
help but fall for her charms. When gradually his innocent friendship
with Florrie is thrown into question when the girl goes missing
and Stephanie reveals a well kept secret, Jack's life is thrown
into turmoil. His son comes to his defence amidst the local mob
mentality and Jack finally faces his own prejudices to win back
Stephanie's love.
Directed by Jan Dunn and produced by Elaine Wickham who will
be joining us to talk about the making of Ruby Blue after the screening.
Click
here to find out more about Ruby Blue at the Kent Film Office |
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THE GOLDEN COMPASS
(PG)
"It is the Alethiometer. It tells the truth. As for how to
read it, you'll have to learn by yourself."
The first in a planned trilogy of films based on Philip Pullman's
hugely successful fantasy His Dark Materials, The
Golden Compass centres on a young girl named Lyra (Dakota
Blue Richards). An orphan raised by the scholars of a university
not unlike Oxford, she is the niece of Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig),
who entrusts her with the last surviving Alethiometer, or Golden
Compass, a device that quite simply tells the truth. The powerful
and sinister Magisterium has a horror of the truth, because it
represents an alternative to its thought control; the battle in
the movie is about no less than man's preservation of free will. When
Lyra's friend Roger disappears, one of many recently kidnapped
children, Lyra hears rumours that the Magisterium has taken them
to an Arctic hideaway. Then she meets Mrs Coulter (Nicole
Kidman), who offers her a trip to the north aboard an airship. And
the adventure proper begins... |
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Please click here for an at a glance programme.
Please note times, venues & prices
are correct at the time of publication. The organisers endeavour to
show any changes to the programme here as soon as the information becomes
available but we cannot take responsibility for any losses in the unlikely
event that something has to be rescheduled or cancelled. |