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03 June

Backrooms

Running time: 105 mins

A strange doorway appears in the basement of a furniture showroom.

KHARTOUM

Running time: 80 mins

In 2022, four Sudanese filmmakers, along with a British director-writer, began filming the lives and dreams of five very different citizens in Khartoum: Street boy Lokain (12) and his best friend Wilson (11) embark on a mission in Khartoum’s rubbish dumps to buy two beautiful shirts Khadmallah (28) a single mum and tea vendor engages her daily clientele in gossip and cardamom coffee whilst studying math to start her dream business Jawad (30) is a Sufi Rastafarian resistance volunteer who rides a motorcycle and protests for a civilian government against the military Civil servant Majdi (45) escapes office life by racing pigeons with his son.

When filming started, the Sudanese were faced with a military leadership that had brought down the previous civilian government. Soon, however, war broke out between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia, displacing over ten million people.

The filmmakers and participants escaped to East Africa but continued their innovative cinematic storytelling, combining animation, green screen reconstructions, and documentary ‘dreamscapes’ to tell their stories.

Filmed on location with donated iPhones, the four emerging Sudanese filmmakers (Anas Saeed, Rawia Al Hag, Brahim Snoopy and Timeea M. Ahmed) capture the stark realism of one of Africa's great cities as it is consumed by turmoil and war.

Q&A

Bar Trash: POLYESTER (1981) with Odorama!

Running time: 150 mins

Cult film night BAR TRASH continues our 13th sensational season — SCREAM FOR YOUR LIVES! — with John Waters’ ’scentsational’ suburban melodrama, POLYESTER (1981) including a FREE Odorama ‘scratch-n-sniff’ card for EVERY patron!

For his first studio picture, filth maestro John Waters took advantage of his biggest budget yet to allow his muse Divine to sink his teeth into a role unlike any he had played before: a depressed suburban housewife. Blessed with a keen sense of smell, and cursed with a philandering pornographer husband, a parasitic mother, and delinquent children, the long-suffering Francine Fishpaw (Divine) turns to drink before deliverance appears in the form of a hunk named Todd Tomorrow (played by ‘The Sigh Guy’ himself, homosexual heartthrob Tab Hunter). During POLYESTER, numbers will flash up on screen that correspond to numbers on your Odorama card: this is your cue to encounter one of John Waters’ signature scents developed exclusively for the film.

John Waters was a devout fan of our season’s icon, William Castle, and even ending up playing the maestro of mayhem onscreen — even though the two look nothing alike! — in Ryan Murphy’s acclaimed anthology TV series, FEUD: BETTE & JOAN (2017):

“Without a doubt, the greatest showman of our time was William Castle. King of the Gimmicks, William Castle was my idol. His films made me want to make films. I'm even jealous of his work. In fact, I wish I were William Castle… Forget Ed Wood. Forget George Romero. William Castle was the best. William Castle was God.” (John Waters, Crackpot)

The history of using smell as a gimmick is even older than the use of sound, with systems for pumping aromas around auditoriums dating back to 1916 and earlier. One of the most vivid examples was ‘Smell-O-Vision’, installed for its once and only theatrical debut with SCENT OF MYSTERY in 1960 (scents included roses, peppermint, gunpowder, bananas, and fresh sea air). In tribute to this olfactory innovation, Waters devised his own gimmick for POLYESTER: Odorama! Token Homo and Genesis Cinema are stupidly proud to confirm that EVERY patron attending this screening will receive a FREE ‘scratch-n-sniff’ card to accompany the film (just be careful about #2…).

Polite notice: We are showing POLYESTER with subtitles from the best available digital source.

/// BAR TRASH is a celebration of cult and curious cinema, hosted by queer film fanatic Token Homo and friends. Films are served with themed drinks, introductions, intermissions, prize giveaways, and subtitles / captions where possible. Tickets from £3.50 + fees. Adults 18+ only. Follow @tokenhomo or visit tokenhomo.com for all the gory details ///

Bartrash

20:45
Masters Of The Universe

Running time: 142 mins

Director Travis Knight brings the legendary franchise back to the big screen in this epic live-action adventure. After being separated for fifteen years, the Sword of Power leads Prince Adam back to Eternia where he discovers his home shattered under the fiendish rule of Skeletor. To save his family and his world, Adam must join forces with his closest allies, Teela and Duncan aka Man-At-Arms, and embrace his true destiny as He-Man - the most powerful man in the universe.

Michael

Running time: 127 mins

A biopic exploring the life of Michael Jackson, from his Jackson 5 beginnings and extraordinary talent to his status as the biggest entertainer, promising an honest look at his triumphs, struggles, and iconic performances, starring his nephew Jaafar Jackson as Michael, with Colman Domingo & Nia Long as his parents, directed by Antoine Fuqua.

Obsession

Running time: 109 mins

After breaking the mysterious "One Wish Willow" to win his crush's heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu

Running time: 132 mins

The Mandalorian and Grogu embark on their most thrilling mission yet in Lucasfilm’s all-new Star Wars adventure. The evil Empire has fallen, and Imperial warlords remain scattered throughout the galaxy. As the fledgling New Republic works to protect everything the Rebellion fought for, they have enlisted the help of legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter Djin Djarin and his young apprentice Grogu.

Tuner

Running time: 99 mins

A gifted piano tuner's meticulous skills for tuning pianos lead him to discover an unexpected aptitude for cracking safes, turning his life upside down.

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