new wave films
London Symphony (DVD)
A film by Alex Barrett
Synopsis
London Symphony is a modern day silent film - a city symphony - offering a poetic journey through the city of London. A cultural snapshot of London as it stands, and a celebration of the city's diversity.
With this wonderful black-and-white journey through the city of London, director Alex Barrett brings a gloriously beautiful and enjoyable modern-day variation on the city symphonies of the 1920s urban cinema (such as Berlin, Symphony of a City or Man with A Movie Camera). The stunning visuals, combined with James McWilliam’s stirring music, help take the viewer on a poetic journey through London, exploring its rich diversity of culture, architecture and religion. It is a meditative and blissful film that celebrates a vibrant and visually stunning city.
(Edinburgh Film Festival programme note)
The DVD includes an introduction by the director Alex Barrett, and the short film that was a precursor to the feature - Hungerford: Symphony of a London Bridge.
Where It's On
Trailer
Director — Alex Barrett
Alex Barrett is an independent filmmaker whose works collectively have been screened at over 70 international festivals, and won eleven awards. His short films also enjoyed a number of non-festival screenings, including showings at the BFI Southbank, the Barbican Centre, the Victoria & Albert Museum and the National Gallery of Art in Washington.
His debut feature, LIFE JUST IS, was released theatrically in the UK in December 2012. Sight & Sound contributor Brad Stevens called it "one of the most promising debuts in contemporary cinema" before placing it in his top five films of 2012. The home video release of LIFE JUST IS was acclaimed as Mark Kermode's 'DVD of the Week', and the feature was nominated for the Michael Powell Award for Best British Film at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in June 2012, where it was also selected for the 'Best of the Fest' screenings.
Alex's second feature, the silent city symphony LONDON SYMPHONY, competed for the Michael Powell Award for Best British Film at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, where it had its World Premiere in June 2017.
Filmography
Selected Filmography
2017: London Symphony (feature)
2012: Life Just Is (feature)
2009: Paintbrush: The Epitaph (short)
2008: Hungerford: Symphony of a London Bridge (short)
2008: Paintbrush (short)
2008: Canbury (short)
2007: Great & Small (short)
Cast & Credits
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Directed & Edited by |
ALEX BARRETT |
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Produced by |
KATHARINE ROUND |
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Written by |
RAHIM MOLEDINA |
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Music by |
JAMES McWILLIAM |
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Photographed by |
ALEX BARRETT |
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DIANA OLIFIROVA |
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KEIFER TAYLOR |
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JACKIE TEBOUL |
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SIMON THORPE |
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Additional Photography |
CHRIS CARR |
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ALEX CASSUN |
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TOM CHICK |
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OLAN COLLARDY |
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PETER HARMER |
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ELLIOTT HICKEY |
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IAN MANTAGNI |
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PHILIPP MOROZOV |
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NATHALIE PITTERS |
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NICK REED |
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NIC WASSELL |
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Researchers |
SIMON MORGAN |
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LOUISE MCCONNELL |
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Graded by |
PHILIPP MOROZOV |
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Featured Londoners |
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(in order of appearance) |
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Man on Tube |
ADAM HICKEY |
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Lady on Tube |
PAMELA HUTCHINSON |
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Printing Press owner |
PHIL ABEL |
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Woman in Phonebox |
GRACE PARRY |
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Man on Mobile |
NIALL PHILLIPS |
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Recurring Londoner |
SIOBHAN CALLUS |
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Chess Player |
NATALIE THOMAS |
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Rower |
ZENA HOWARD |
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Mother |
ABIGAIL ROSSER |
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Baby |
MARTHA McWILLIAM |
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Man on Bench |
TIM ROBEY |
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Musicians |
KEIRON MARSHALL |
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HANNAH WHITE |
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Baby Eating Ice Cream |
ANINA BARRETT |
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Man in Bar |
JASON CRIMP |
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Woman in Bar |
MICHELLE FACEY |
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Man in Restaurant |
MATTHEW JURE |
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Foodbank Volunteer |
MATT WOODS |
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Langar Eater |
GÜNALP KOÇAK |
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Martial Way Students |
AMAN ABDI |
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GUERIYA ABDI |
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SAMIRA ABDULAH |
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FARAH ADEN |
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MOHAMMED AGHA |
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MUHUDIN ALI |
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WALED ALI |
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HOTHAYFA AYDARUS |
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MAHESH GOLAP |
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LAVA KAKAKHAN |
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AYUB MOHAMED |
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LORAN SULAIMAN |
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RYAN WANGA |
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Martial Way Directors |
ESMOND FRANCIS |
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RONNIE GREEN |
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Shaolin Temple UK Tutors |
ADAM BEALE (HENG BIAO SHI) |
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SOO COLE (HENG SHUI SHI) |
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AKIN SIKU (HENG JIU SHI) |
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MARKUS TAMDEV (HENG SHANG SHI) |
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Shree Swaminarayan Temple |
VAISI MIRSI GORASIA |
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SHIVJI PREMJI HIRANI |
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Christ the Saviour |
FATHER ANDREW DAVIS |
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FATHER SIMON CUFF |
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KEITH FLORENCE |
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Crowdshed Office Workers |
OLIVER TAHERI |
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HENRY FREEMAN |
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LAURENCE LORD |
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Leighton House Visitor |
SEBASTIAN WRAY |
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Students |
ANNA EDWARDS |
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ALI ZAHOOR |
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Pool Players |
ABDIRAHMAN HUSSAIN |
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WALEED MIR |
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AHMED YUSUF |
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Pianist |
ATHANASIA KOKKINOGENI |
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Women in Bar |
JULIE DILLON |
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KIM TOLLEY |
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Crowdshed Event Guests |
JULIAN COSTLEY |
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CHRIS WESTBROOK |
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Crowdshed Event Speaker |
PAUL CARTER ROBINSON |
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Cinema Museum Cashier |
LOUISE MCCONNELL |
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72 mins,Black & White, Academy ratio |
Images
Click any still to enlarge
The Critics
Links
Interview with Alex Barrett in Electric Ghost
Interview with Alex Barrett in Directors Notes
The London Symphony website
Bookings & Press
For film bookings please contact Colin Burch at Verve Pictures — [email protected]. Press resources are on the Press page.