If you’re a movie buff living in Brighton, you’ve no doubt discovered the amazing events run by the self-proclaimed cinema geeks at White Wall Cinema. Since 2015, they’ve screened a variety of alternative, unusual, cult and all-time classic films in intimate locations around the city and now have a permanent home at Wagner Hall.
We sat down with Laila, who founded White Wall Cinema with Henry (both pictured in feature image), to find out more about the kind of movies WWC show, their enduring love for the silver screen and why they feel at home in our city by the sea.
What first inspired you to start your own film nights?
It was really two things, the genuine and intense passion for cinema we have and how exciting we find it. Even before White Wall Cinema, we put on screenings with friends, to expose people to new films they might otherwise miss. It was a joy helping to deepen someone’s appreciation for a film, even one they already knew. Even the wonderful Duke of York’s is owned by big multinational Cineworld and simply for economic reasons just won’t have the freedom to show many of the things we wanted to see up on the big screen. So we thought we would fill that gap. It’s something we get a huge amount of enjoyment from.
“We started out in a clothes shop, now we have an actual theatre space”
You show a wide range of cult films which are carefully curated. How do you select which films to programme?
There are lots of considerations but the main criteria is that a film is well made or interesting. Lots of great films that get little or no screen time are being made, and lots of great films from previous eras have been forgotten, underappreciated, or misunderstood. Those are things we look for, something fun or fascinating that people may have missed.
As well as the films themselves, WWC are known for their theme nights. What format do these take?
Particularly with films that are well-loved and well-known by cult cinema audiences, we often like to add something extra. We always open every film with a non-spoiler spoken intro, and we often have post-film discussions and Q&As. But quite often we just go all out with a special event where we transform the whole venue. Those attending get a chance to dress up, we might put on a special drinks menu, or a DJ set, or perhaps some sort of activity. At our Big Lebowski event, you can have a go at bowling! Basically, we recreate the world of the film so you can have a more complete experience and enjoy a favourite in a totally unique way. It’s a lot of work, but very fun!
You’re big fans of Wes Anderson and run the annual Wes Fest in Brighton. Why do you love his films so much and what’s your favourite?
Wes Fest is another joy – there’s so much to love about Wes Anderson films. Perhaps my favourite aspect is the relationships between the characters. People often mistake Anderson’s characters as being a bit distant but in reality, the characters and the relationships are extremely raw, tender, and touching. Aside from his amazing eye for detail, which I can tell you from recreating sets at Wes Fest, is just deeply brilliant, it’s his characters I love most. In a way I feel the same way about Wes Fest – the people really make it. Seeing a group of people come together in the spirit of these films is just so amazingly joyous. As for a favourite, that’s really really hard. The French Dispatch and Asteroid City are both magnificent but from a sentimental point of view, maybe Rushmore or The Royal Tenenbaums. Or even Moonrise Kingdom… One year we brought the star, Jared Gilman over from America to attend and give a Q&A!
“Watching a film on our cinema screen is basically our favourite thing”
What’s next for White Wall Cinema?
We are just going to keep doing what we are doing and try to build on it. We are always finding new and old things to show, always trying to improve the experience (we started out in a clothes shop, now we have an actual theatre space). We’re always dreaming up new programming strands of films that are companion pieces to other films, and new event formats, so I doubt we will stand still for long. It’s constantly a work in progress, gaining new elements and improvements and adding new directions.
Can you tell us about your perfect day in Brighton?
That’s a tough one. As a cinema geek, I would have to say being able to interact with the people at White Wall Cinema and discuss the film we are about to watch, or have just watched is ideal. That and sitting in the cinema when it’s closed and watching a film on our screen is basically our favourite thing. We know people flock to Brighton for the sunny beach, and in fact we have a lovely sunny garden at our venue, but for us, any darkened room in Brighton we can put a screen in is just about heaven. We are just glad we can do it in Brighton where the people are so receptive to it all.
Thanks very much for chatting to us! You can see what screenings are coming up here.
whitewallcinema.co.uk
By Claire Andrews
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