Retrospective (Part 2): „Scala Rising: Anarchic Shorts from London's Legendary Underground Cinema“

Drama / Experimental / Horror / Documentary / Comedy

The Scala Cinema was founded in London in 1978 and found its iconic venue during the repressive Thatcher years in a 1920s cinema in the King's Cross district. Until its closure in 1993, the Scala attracted a wide audience of self-proclaimed misfits and weirdos with its wild mix of cult films, Hollywood classics, arthouse programmes, B-movies, queer themes and endless film nights. It also became a film school for many aspiring filmmakers, musicians, actors and artists, including Tilda Swinton, Peter Strickland and Isaac Julien.

With this year's retrospective, the British Shorts Film Festival pays tribute to the diversity of independent cinemas. The short film programme ‘Scala Rising: Anarchic Shorts from London'sLegendary Underground Cinema’ brings together important works that were shown at the Scala Cinema at the time. The programme was co-curated by Jane Giles.Plus Q&A with co-curator Jane Giles!

Scala Cinema (Documentary), D.: Ali Peck, Victor De Jesus, 03:46 Min.
This student film, shot on VHS, gives an impression of what the Scala Cinema looked like in 1992. The voice-over commentary, which was recorded in 2023 when the film was rediscovered, is by Paul R White. He was a fellow student of Ali Peck and a regular at the Scala.

Relax (Drama), D.: Christopher Newby, 23:17 Min.
A young man learns that one of his sexual partners has AIDS. He gets tested by a doctor and has to wait several days for the results. While his carefree friend tries to cheer him up, he imagines a series of different scenarios in his head. Christopher Newby's drama addresses the AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 90s and the stigmatisation of its victims.

Coping with Cupid (Comedy), D.: Viv Albertine, 18:56 Min.
Three female blonde aliens come to Earth in search of an energy source called ‘love’. They land in London's red-light district of Soho and have only 48 hours to find out what it is. This biting social satire was directed by Viv Albertine, who was a member of the feminist punk band The Slits.

Ballad of Reading Gaol (Experimental), D.: Richard Kwietniowski, 11:23 Min.
This lyrical film collage illustrates quotes from Oscar Wilde's 1895 trial for gross indecency. It then shows the current locations of his ‘crimes’ in London and his grave in the Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris. In his poetic reflection, Richard Kwietniowski skilfully draws parallels with homophobia in the 1980s.

Smart Alek (Drama, Horror), D.: Andrew Kötting, 18:39 Min.
A dysfunctional family's holiday trip to a resort on the English coast turns into a real horror trip. And not just when they encounter a group of wanted criminals. Director Andrew Kötting experiments with different film formats and styles. The character of ‘Smart Alek’ is played by comedian Sean Lock († 2021), who also co-wrote the script.

The Mark of Lilith (Horror, Experimental), D.: Bruna Fionda, Polly Gladwin, Zach Mack-Nataf, 33:16 Min.
A female vampire faces an existential crisis and questions the genre conventions of horror films. She finds a humanities scholar who becomes her ally and lover. The feminist essay film was created by the student group ‘Women Challenge Film Education’ and deals with power, race and gender politics within relationships.

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