MOSTLYFILM: Mostly MIF 2017

There's an unspoken subtext to my latest MostlyFilm piece, a roundup of things I saw at the 2017 Manchester International Festival. Our visit took place nearly two months after the bombing at the Manchester Arena. It made me rather proud of the city of my birth, seeing the way people came together in reaction to the atrocity. And there are still signs of that all over the city today: the 'WE ❤ MCR' banners hanging off every vertical surface in town (as seen at the top of the MostlyFilm article), along with the frequent use of the city's bee symbol. (The example here has been on the floor of the town hall for countless years, but it's the best picture I have.)

We were only there for a weekend, catching six different MIF events (seven if you count the computer game), and spending any time we had in between them in many of our old favourite haunts. A couple of new ones were added to the list this time: breakfast at Evelyn's Cafe & Bar (which was Superstore when we visited it last), and dinner at Bundobust (having enjoyed the Leeds branch so much last Easter).

As for the shows, the MostlyFilm piece will tell you most of what you need to know, but I've also got some video trailers and clips here for those of you hungry for Red Button Bonus Content.

Here's the playlist:

1. General trailer for MIF 2017, including lots of stuff we never got to see.
2. Trailer for the game Lost Memories Dot Net. You're on the internet now, you might as well play the game.
3. Anna Meredith's Chorale For Lifts: another bit I filmed at one of the Music For A Busy City sites, this one by the lifts at Selfridges.
4. Matthew Herbert's Music For A Busy City: a making-of documentary to go alongside the small clip I posted in the article itself.
5. Trailer for Cotton Panic!
6. Jane Horrocks and Stephen Mallinder talking about Cotton Panic! on BBC Breakfast.
7. Trailer for Fatherland.
8. We All Hurt: one of the musical numbers from Fatherland, performed by Karl Hyde and the previously mentioned Matthew Herbert.
9. Going Back To My Roots: the Richie Havens tune that was one of the highlights of Dave Haslam's DJ set. Plus, y'know, it seemed appropriate.

Comments

[sues]

Dunkirk - Elongated and overrated trailer, passing itself off as a movie. No character development, no sense of scale, no sense of achievement and survival. War porn at its worst.