We’re delighted to be unveiling our August programme, at two venues for Liverpool’s Independents Biennial.
As ever, our film programme reflect the spaces we’re in, and we’re in two very different spaces.
The former George Henry Lee’s department store opened 165 years ago. Originally a bonnet warehouse, it grew into a store for the well heeled of Liverpool. Many of us knew it, particularly at this time of year, on those hot summer days as we had to buy new blazers, new school shoes (that ticket queuing system!) in the schoolwear department. But it was a place loved in the city and when we were invited by the Independents Biennial team to open a pop-up cinema in the basement, how could we resist?
The film programme here in August (every Sunday at 2pm) is themed “Don’t Cry, shopgirl”. A love letter to Saturday jobs, to working in retail and the schoolwear department.
We’re screening …
The Craft, Sunday 5th August. A 90s classic about how as a teenager you’ll do almost anything when you find your tribe. It’s about peer pressure, magic and being your own, wonderful weird self.
Shop Around the Corner, Sunday 12th August. The James Stewart and Maragret Sullivan film (remade as ‘You’ve Got Mail’ with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks) about a love forged through letters. Kids, we used to write letters.
Clerks, Sunday 19th August. Kevin Smith’s 1994 film about boredom behind the shop counter, whip-smart, wise cracking and probably Smith’s best film.
Little Shop of Horrors, Sunday 26th August. Rick Moranis stars in this weird little movie about a man-eating plant that, for a time, saves his struggling plant store.
That’s Sundays sorted.
We’ve also got your Thursday’s planned with a series of films celebrating Liverpool stories at OUTPUT Gallery, on Seel Street. Exclusively exhibiting art and artists from Merseyside we wanted to tell tales from the city through film, so we’ve put together an eclectic programme.
With Liverpool Pride we’re screening Showgirls, Paul Verhoeven’s piece of 90s pulp on Thursday 16th August
Liverpool Sounding and Turn of the Tide are two films commissioned by Liverpool’s Public Relations Office in 1966. Liverpool Sounding is about the city’s music pedigree. Turn of the Tide is about Liverpool’s docklands and industry. Liverpool is always defiant about telling it’s story, and it’s interesting to think about how we spend a lot of time now talking about music venues, about independence and feeling we don’t get the profile we should. They had the same worries in the 60s. Alongside this we’re screening a much more recent film called Passing Tides by Roisin Burns. Featuring Bill Ryder Jones it’s a heartfelt short film about being a musician and creative on Merseyside. That trio is on Thursday 23rd August.
Last film for August in OUTPUT is You’ll Never Walk Alone on Thursday 30th August, a rare chance to see the wonderful documentary about Liverpool’s 90s music scene.
Explore our whole programme of August events here, all tickets are £5, £4 concessions.