Swale Film Festival Film Guide

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)

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.

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.    
 

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.....

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...

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).

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.

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.

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

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...