HITCHCOCK UNVEILED at GAINSBOROUGH STUDIOS

A Hitchcock Season in association with the British Film Institute (bfi) 16 September - 8 October 2003

This autumn Gainsborough Studios in association with the British Film Institute, will be hosting a Hitchcock Season - a series of film screenings and events. The occasion celebrates Gainsborough’s long association with British filmmaking and its new incarnation as a residential development and cultural centre.

The season begins with Anthony Minghella, Chairman of the British Film Institute, unveiling a specially commissioned sculpture by the artist Antony Donaldson. “Master of Suspense” is a massive bust of Hitchcock’s head which at three storeys high, aims to capture the size and drama of the cinema screen and Hitchcock himself. It also acts as a homage to the many famous directors and actors who passed through Gainsborough’s doors during the 1930s when it was dubbed “Hollywood on the Canal”.

Tuesday 16th September, 6-8pm - “Master of Suspense” unveiled by Anthony Minghella, Chairman of the British Film Institute

FILM SCREENINGS
The three films chosen have rarely been screened in public since their original release. Drawn from various stages of Hitchcock’s career, the films are all set in London and explore recurring themes of serial murders, wrongly accused men and the power of the mob.

Wednesday 1st October 7.30pm - The Lodger (1926),100mins approx. Silent - accompanied by live music. A young man is wrongly suspected of being a serial murderer. Can he prove his innocence before he is attacked by a dangerous gang of vigilantes hunting the killer?

Thursday 2nd October 7.30pm - Sabotage (1936), 77 mins
Alfred Hitchcock once described suspense as a bomb that the audience knows will explode but can do nothing to stop. Sabotage takes this metaphor literally building suspense and tension right to the final breath-taking conclusion of the film.

Tuesday 7th October 7.30pm - Frenzy (1972), 116 mins
Hitchcock’s second to last film, Frenzy was the first film he had made in London for 20 years. Like The Lodger, Frenzy explores themes of mistaken identity, serial murderers and reflects the prevailing sexual and political attitudes of 1970s Britain.

Wednesday 8th October 7.30pm - Talk by Jack Cardiff. The acclaimed cinematographer worked with Hitchcock on The Skin Game (1931), Under Capricorn (1949), and will no doubt provide a fascinating insight into the great director’s working methods as well as his own long career in the film industry.

There are 250 complimentary tickets available for each event which can obtained by sending your name, address, daytime telephone number and film name to:

stephen@gainsboroughstudios.co.uk

Gainsborough Studios - 1 Poole Street, London, N1
Nearest Tube - Old Street or Angel