With the presentation of culture in the UK often focused towards ‘pop’ and the here and now, rarely are we given an opportunity to challenge our beliefs of what our culture is, and where it comes from.
Over the past twenty or so years, it’s been the Tyneside Cinema who have led the way in asking these questions and purposefully straying away from the well-travelled, safe, ‘blockbuster’ tags and ‘pop’ charts.
Actively looking to expand this challenge, and offering the most exciting culture programme of recent times, the cinema will host ‘What’s left?’, a collection of screenings and discussions examining the paradoxes of revolutionary cycles since the Russia October Revolution 100 years ago.
Choosing content that investigates the global reach, and human impact, of revolutionary events, the programme draws from revolutions across the world, including Latin America, the Middle East, China and the former Soviet Union. Central to the programme, and a world premiere, is “The New Deadline #17 Summer School of Orientation in Zapatism” a film imagining the consequences of transporting the 2005 Zapatista movement from Mexico to Putin’s Russia.
Other highlights include screenings of “October” the classic produced for the 10th anniversary of the October Revolution, The UK premiere of the Cuban revolution inspired “Memories of underdevelopment”, the Chinese Communist Revolution focused “Once Upon a Time Proletarian”, Peter Snowdon’s The Uprising, and Joe Piscatella’s #Chicagogirl: The Social Network Takes on a Dictator the social-media-based transnationalism of revolutionary activism in the Syrian revolution.
Curated by Úna Henry and a team from Durham University, the programme is designed to challenge the beliefs of modern culture and ask pertinent questions about our global society. With director Q&As, panel discussions, guest speakers, and commentaries this is a programme that will both inspire and question you. Excellent work as always from the TC.
What’s Left? A Century in Revolution takes place at Tyneside Cinema from Friday 29 September – Sunday 8 October.