Picnic (6pm) + Sirat (8pm) at Somerville Outdoor

Please join me for a BYO picnic dinner + movie at Somerville Auditorium in Crawley. This is a $12 Cheap Tuesday screening, which often sell out, so I strongly recommend booking your ticket early here.

We'll meet at the venue at 6:00pm for a BYO dinner - I will be there early to grab a table and seats. You can bring your own food into the auditorium or you can order from a selection of pizzas, cheese/antipasto plates, salads, or pasta. They get VERY busy so pre-ordering online is strongly recommended if you want to receive your food before the film starts. Snacks and coffee are also available at the venue.

More information about the venue and parking is available here.

A winner of this year’s Cannes Competition Jury Prize, Sirât is a gripping, visceral, and metaphysical excursion by Galician filmmaker Oliver Laxe (Mimosas, Fire Will Come).

Sergi López plays Luis, a man desperately searching for his missing daughter Marina throughout the harsh southern deserts of Morocco, along with his young son Esteban (Bruno Núñez Arjona) and their dog Pipa. At the film’s beginning — a pulsating open-air rave — the trio drifts through throngs of entranced and sweaty partygoers, handing out flyers with photos. As soldiers move in to shut down the festivities, father and son follow and ultimately join a motley bunch of roving ravers (memorably played by non-professionals) who set out in their van in search of the next party — and hopefully Marina — as hints of impending war multiply.

With swirling dust storms and solar flashes alighting the cinematic landscapes — all stunningly enhanced by director of photography Mauro Herce’s exquisite Super 16mm — and an award-winning, low end–heavy score by techno stalwart Kangding Ray, the gruelling expedition increasingly transforms into a sensorial and hypnotic experience that tests physical and psychological limits.

Trailer.

"Laxe pummels us emotionally and psychologically in ways we can’t predict, and have done little to deserve. To be clear: This is both a heavy caution and a high compliment. Not many movies can trigger your flight instinct while rooting you to your seat." -- Jessica Kiang, Variety.

"A Film with a capital F - one of those rare works you can count on one hand - for its moving immersive force, which takes hold like a spiritual possession and nearly becomes a physical sensation." -- Sara Martinez Ruiz, Espinof.

Anyone and everyone are welcome - so don't be shy if you haven't met any of us before. We all came to Meetup to meet new people! And if you've got any questions please leave a comment or feel free to shoot me a message. Please also remember to keep your RSVP up to date.