Saw “Distant Voices, Still Lives” at the BFI last night.

This is the film in which Terence Davies captures, distills, recreates his working-class Scouse Catholic family & community in the Liverpool of the late 40s / early 50s.

I’ve watched it many times but this was only the second time I’d seen it in a cinema.

The first time was back in 1988, when it was first released. An experience that changed my life.

What an incredible film it is. And what an incredible performance by Angela Walsh as the eldest daughter Eileen!

The BFI also has an exhibition of Terence Davies related items, which includes original scripts, props and even his desk.

I touched the desk!

In my defence, there were no signs specifically saying it wasn’t permitted.

#TerenceDavies #DistantVoicesStillLives #BFI #Liverpool #London #Catholic #LGBTQ #gay #greatdirectors #cinema #ukcinema #britishcinema #AngelaWalsh #greatfilm

Today would have been Terence Davies’s 80th birthday.

A bit of me still finds it hard to believe that he’s gone when he still had so much passion for films and for making them.

Anyone in London or within travelling distance - the current BFI retrospective season devoted to Terence and his work is fabulous.

It runs till the end of this month.

Everything from the extraordinary ‘trilogy’ to his most recent Siegfried Sassoon biopic. I’ve been to 4 films in the programme so far and they’ve all been wonderful.

These are films to see in the cinema.

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#TerenceDavies #BFI #BritishCinema #ukcinema #lgbtq #liverpool #greatfilms #queercinema #gay #scouse #arthouse #emilydickinson #siegfriedsassoon #EdithWharton #cynthiaNixon #JenniferEhle #KeithCarradine #JackLowden #PeterCapaldi #PetePoslethwaite #GenaRowlands #GillianAnderson #TomHiddleston #RachelWeisz #SimonRussellBeale #FlorianHoffmeister #WilliamDiver #FredaDowie #MichaelCoulter #MarjorieYates #RemiAdefarasin

Yesterday I was at a BFI event hosted by Mark Kermode in memory of the film director Terence Davies.

Commemorations are often just lots of speechifying, but this was fabulous.

Mark was a brilliant host - passionate about Terence’s work and genuinely interested in what others had to say.

The guests were great. They ranged from actors and crew to the guys from Hurricane Films who got Terence back making movies again, his personal trainer-turned-manager and a neighbour who became a close friend during lockdown and ended up the co-executor of his estate.

I learnt a lot about the man and his working methods.

We also got to watch clips from some of the films and saw a short with Terence’s poetry being read by Simon Russell Beale.

#TerenceDavies #MarkKermode #BFI #SimonRussellBeale #ukfilm #London #Liverpool #Mistley #cinema #HurricaneFilms

Saw ‘The Neon Bible’ this evening, part of the Terence Davies retrospective at the BFI.

Fabulous film. So under-rated. Based on the John Kennedy Toole novel of the same name.

More than any other film it brings together his arthouse and MGM musical influences - America on a soundstage but lit like a painting. This is America as experienced and loved by Davies when he was growing up.

And here as in his autobiographical films there’s a connection to communities & families under deep stress.

Gena Rowlands is especially good as Aunt Mae, but all the performances are excellent, e.g. Diana Scarwid as the mother.

Also, as usual, the music is wonderful. Terence Davies really knew how to use music.

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#TerenceDavies #BFI #TheNeonBible #GenaRowlands #DianaScarwid #JacobTierney #JohnKennedyToole