BFI London Film Festival 2021
Monday the 11th
The Power of the Dog
Image Source: Getty Images
Week two at the LFF this year began in style when Monday’s slate culminated with acclaimed Kiwi filmmaker Jane Campion making an long overdue return to the festival and indeed feature film with powerful streaming backers—along with her stars Kodi Smit-McPhee, Benedict Cumberbatch and Kirsten Dunst— for a gala screening of her American frontier period drama adaptation of the Thomas Savage novel ‘The Power of the Dog’.
An early 20th century Montana tale of a domineering rancher who ruthlessly rules his roost, only for his life to be upended by his brother’s new widower wife and her son, who become targets for his conflicted callousness but might also soften his repressed heart . . . or not. ‘The Power of the Dog’ is available on Netflix from the 1st of December, check out our review here.
The Power of the Dog trailer (courtesy of Netflix)
Lingui, the Sacred Bonds
Image Source: MUBI
Monday’s official competition entry was a European-backed African affair which saw Chadian writer/director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun return to the LFF with his latest character study of ordinary people trying to overcome the odds ‘Lingui, the Sacred Bonds’. A contemporary human drama set in Chad and following a Muslim mother whose life is thrown into turmoil when her teenage daughter becomes pregnant and chooses to abort the child, in a country where it’s morally and legally prohibited. ‘Lingui, the Sacred Bonds’ is out on the 6th of January 2022, with no UK dates yet.
Lingui clip (courtesy of Films Boutique)
A Hero (Ghahreman)
Image Source: Amazon
Monday’s out-of-competition screenings signalled a return to the LFF for one of the giants of Middle-Eastern cinema when Asghar Farhadi brought a ‘Debate’ strand screening for his latest Iranian mediation on the human condition and morality piece ‘A Hero’. A story following the plight of a mild-mannered man condemned to prison for an unpaid debt, who tries to repay it and end his sentence whilst on a two-day prison leave, only for things to go unexpectedly awry when stories are woven and the truth becomes muddled. ‘A Hero’ is out on the 22nd of December in France, with no UK date yet.
A Hero clip (courtesy of The Playlist)
Tuesday the 12th
Belfast
Image Source: Getty Images
Tuesday’s events culminated in a rare appearance at the LFF and a return to his roots for a British great of the stage & screen, when writer/director Kenneth Branagh graced the Southbank red carpet along with his stars Gerard Horan, Ciaran Hinds, Dame Judi Dench, Caitriona Balfe, Jude Hill, Jamie Dornan and Lara McDonnell for a gala screening of his very personal cinematic homage to the city of his birth ‘Belfast’.
A stylish and delightful yet poignant monochromatic chronicle of the political tumult, social and cultural change of late 1960’s Northern Ireland seen through the eyes of a young boy and his working-class family, struggling to stay true to their town while dreaming of a safe place in the wider world, in what is essentially a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age period family drama from its director. ‘Belfast’ is out on the 12th of November in the UK and US.
Belfast trailer (courtesy of Focus Features)
Nitram
Image Source: Picturehouse
The first of Tuesday’s official competition screenings was a confronting, lightly fictionalised Australian biographical affair which saw Aussie director Justin Kurzel make his solo feature film debut at the LFF in a sombre tone, as he takes a personalised dramatised approach to the the very real events in mid-90s Tasmania which led to a transformative mass shooting with ‘Nitram’.
The tale of a troubled and impulsive, self-centred young suburban Australian who struggles to fit in until he meets a reclusive heiress, only for family frustrations and personal tragedy to fuel a loneliness and resentment which monstrously explodes into horror for the whole community, and a whole country around him. ‘Nitram’ is out now in Australia, with no UK date yet.
Nitram trailer (courtesy of Madman Films)
Hit the Road (Jaddeh Khaki)
Image Source: Picturehouse
The day’s second official competition entry (and eventual winner) was another Persian affair with brought further Iranian flavour to the festival through writer/director Panah Panahi’s delightful family drama road movie feature debut ‘Hit the Road’. A claustrophobic and charmingly chaotic road drama piece set in a family car on a trip across beautiful rugged Iranian terrain, where a family of four and their foibles begin to get one each others’ last nerve, on a destination to apparently nowhere but on a journey which will enrich and bring them closer together. ‘Hit the Road’ has no confirmed release dates.
Hit the Road trailer (courtesy of Celluloid Dreams)
Natural Light (Természetes Fény)
Image Source: Curzon
The pick of Tuesday’s out-of-competition screenings came in the ‘Dare’ category and in the form of Hungarian-Latvian cinema, through writer/director Dénes Nagy’s Klimov-inspired adaptation of Pál Závada’s novel about the horrors of war ‘Natural Light’. A grim but beautifully shot war drama with a style befitting its title, set in the occupied World War II Soviet Union where the struggles and brutality of conflict and occupation are witnessed through the eyes of a corporal in a Hungarian unit hunting partisans at a remote rural village, who is charged by circumstance to take control of a situation which cannot be controlled. ‘Natural Light’ is out now in Hungary, with no UK date yet.
Natural Light trailer (courtesy of LuxBox)
Wednesday the 13th
The Lost Daughter
Image Source: Getty Images
The second Wednesday’s activities culminated in a headline gala and a directorial debut for a majorly talented and accomplished screen star, which saw Maggie Gyllenhaal bring along her stars including Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson and Jessie Buckley for a screening of her adaptation of the candid Elena Ferrante novel about womanhood and motherhood ‘The Lost Daughter’.
A contemporary and contemplative poignant human drama centred on a solitary middle-aged woman on Greek beach holiday, who is plunged back into her past and the difficult choices made and regrets held after meeting a brash American family and their young matriarch at their resort. ‘The Lost Daughter‘ is available on Netflix from the 31st of December.
The Lost Daughter at the LFF (courtesy of BFI)
Azor
Image Source: Getty Images
Wednesday also brought some rare Swiss participation to the First Feature Competition by way of Argentina, as Swiss debutant writer/director Andreas Fontana brought his human drama and political period thriller ‘Azor’ to the LFF. A mysterious tale of power, intrigue and corruption set during the Argentinian military dictatorship of the early 1980s, where a newly-arrived Swiss private banker must balance the needs of his wealthy clients with their clandestine deeds and the dangers of a ruthless government consolidating its power, while uncovering the fate of his disappeared predecessor. ‘Azor’ is out now in the US, with no UK date yet.
Azor trailer (courtesy of BFI)
Ali & Ava
Image Source: Getty Images
This year also brought back the tradition of the Mayor of London’s office presenting a special screening on Wednesday, with writer/director Clio Barnard being selected for a return to the LFF with her stars Adeel Akhtar and Claire Rushbrook and their reflective Yorkshire relationship drama ‘Ali & Ava’. A social realist working-class romance set on the streets of Bradford and following a recently separated landlord and a matriarch teacher, whose unlikely friendship after a chance encounter soon blossoms into something deeper as they bond over shared interests, the struggles of their social status and the pain of failed past relationships. ‘Ali & Ava’ has no confirmed dates yet.
Ali & Ava clip (courtesy of BFI)
Munich – The Edge of War (München – Im Angesicht des Krieges)
Image Source: Getty Images
The pick of Wednesday’s out-of-competition screenings came in the ‘Thrill’ strand and courtesy of Netflix, as German director Christian Schwochow and British screenwriter Ben Power whos assemble an ensemble Anglo-German cast to adapt Robert Harris’ bestselling novel ‘Munich’, set against the backdrop of the ultimately doomed last-ditch peace negotiations between Neville Chamberlain’s UK government and Adolf Hitler’s advancing Nazi regime.
A twisting political thriller drenched in conspiracy, ‘Munich: The Edge of War’ is set in 1938 and follows two diplomats and former Oxford students at the Munich conference, one a British civil servant and the other a German operative, as these estranged friends are forced back together by circumstance and become caught in a web of espionage and deceit which would ultimately lead to failure . . . with dire consequences for the world around them. The director was on hand with producer Andrew Eaton, composer Isobel Waller-Bridge and stars Jeremy Irons, Jessica Brown and Robert Bathhurst ‘Munich: The Edge of War’ will be available on Netflix from the 21st of January 2022.
Thursday the 14th
Mothering Sunday
Image Source: Getty Images
British period drama made its presence further felt on Thursday when French director Eva Husson teamed up with British screenwriter Alice Birch to return to the LFF for a BFI Patron’s Gala screening of their adaptation of the Graham Swift’s novel ‘Mothering Sunday’. A tale of family, class, forbidden passion and inspiration beginning in 1920s post World War I England and following the fate of a young maid at a country estate, charting her risky affair with a neighbouring noble before he leaves to marry another woman, which turns into difficult fodder for for a future novel when she becomes a writer a decade later.
Eva Husson was flanked on the Southbank red carpet by her costume designer Sandy Powell, producers Elizabeth Karlsen and Stephen Woolley, and stars Sope Dirisu and Josh O’Connor, ‘Mothering Sunday’ is out on the 19th of November.
Mothering Sunday trailer (courtesy of Lionsgate)
Il Buco (The Hole)
Image Source: New Wave Films
The day’s proceedings in the official competition stakes brought some Italian flavour of the geographic kind to the festival when Italian writer/director Michelangelo Frammartino made his LFF debut with a relatively silent but eventful fictional account of a true adventurer’s story ‘Il Buco’. Set in the early 1960s, it follows a group of Italian cave scientists and mappers who who after charting the major crevices of Northern Italy, voyage to the South to discover many of the local caves still unknown to modern man. ‘Il Buco’ is out now in Italy, with no UK date yet.
Il Buco clip (courtesy of Movie Trainer)
Paris, 13th District (Les Olympiades)
Image Source: Getty Images
Wednesday also saw an LFF regular return (in spirit) to the festival when French auteur Jacques Audiard built on his previous foray into a French council estate immigrant tale with 2015’s ‘Dheepan’ by weaving together a young urban Parisian love story, treating London audiences to a special presentation of ‘Paris, 13th District’. A tale of four culturally and sexually diverse Parisians whose private, professional and sex lives intersect in one of the city’s unglamorous mid-20th century residential projects. In his absence Audiard was represented by his stars Makita Samba and Lucie Zhang, ‘Paris, 13th District’ is out in November in France, with no UK date yet.
Paris, 13th District trailer (UniFrance)
Shepherd
Image Source: Getty Images
The pick of Thursday’s out-of-competition screenings came in the Cult strand and in the form of a British gothic horror with a Scottish lilt, as Welsh writer/director Russell Owen brought his horror/thriller talents to the LFF for the first time with a premiere of ‘Shepherd’. The dark tale of a man trying to escape the grief of the sudden death of his wife by working as a shepherd on a remote gloomy Scottish island, only to find that the ghosts of his past are still with him and made all the more foreboding by the dark mysterious powers on his new island, breathing a terrifying hallucinatory new life into a traumatic past he must face to survive. ‘Shepherd’ is out on the 5th of November in the UK.
Shepherd trailer BritFlicks)
Friday the 15th
King Richard
Image Source: Warner Bros.
The final Friday brought some major players to the festival this year when New York writer/director Reinaldo Marcus Green teamed up with Warner Bros. and superstar Will Smith—unfortunately neither in attendance—for a headline gala screening of his family drama biopic about the makings of two modern sporting legends and the mastermind behind them in ‘King Richard’.
Set in the streets of Compton in the late 80s/early 90s where a California patriarch struggles to provide for his family and keep them safe while masterminding an unconventional plan to turn two of his young girls into some of the most dominant tennis players on earth, in this character study on Richard Williams and the two daughters who would change the world of sport . . . and beyond. ‘King Richard’ is out on the 19th of November.
King Richard trailer (courtesy of Warner Bros.)
Benediction
Image Source: Getty Images
The day’s big British offering came in the form of a biopic which brought writer/director Terence Davies back to the LFF and indeed the director’s chair after a five year absence, for a special presentation of his dramatisation of the life of Siegfried Sassoon ‘Benediction’. A period chronicle of the acclaimed British writer and poet, from his heroic exploits in the horror of the Western front during World War I to his anti-war writing, and a complex personal life struggling with his sexuality in a less than accepting time, which saw a string of affairs with prominent men. Davies was flanked by his stars Matthew Tennyson, Calam Lynch, Jack Lowden, Peter Capaldi, Richard Goulding, plus producer Michael Elliott, ‘Benediction’ has no confirmed dates yet.
Benediction clip (courtesy of Bankside Films)
Petite Maman
Image Source: Getty Images
After the success of her previous human drama ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’ on the 2019 festival circuit, Friday saw the return of French filmmaker Céline Sciamma to the LFF for a ‘Love’ strand screening on her magical-realist mediation on loss and childhood ‘Petite Maman’. The story of a young girl who whilst helping her mother clear out her recently deceased grandmother’s home, meets another youngster her age and bearing a remarkable resemblance building a tree-house in the nearby woods, sparking a transformative friendship which helps her cope with grief and understand her mom and granny on a new level. ‘Petite Maman’ is out on the 19th of November in the UK.
Petite Maman trailer (courtesy of MUBI)
Lamb (Dýrið)
Image Source: Getty Images
One of the most anticipated non-gala and out-of-competition screenings of the day and indeed the whole festival came in the Cult strand and in the form of a bizarre and unsettling Icelandic family drama with a splash of horror, when film technician turned writer/director Valdimar Jóhannsson joined by his star Noomi Rapace brought his disturbing mediation on grief, parenthood and our connection with nature ‘Lamb’ to the LFF. A moody tale inspired by local myth and set on an Icelandic sheep farm, where a grieving farmer couple form an unnatural connection to a particularly special newborn lamb, but their obsession with their new lambkin soon blends with their sorrow and a tragedy not easily left behind, threatening to take over their lives . . . with morbid consequences. ‘Lamb’ is out in the US, and on the 10th of December in the UK.
Lamb trailer (courtesy of A24)
Saturday the 16th
Benedetta
Image Source: Getty Images
The penultimate day at the LFF this year was a daring affair and which saw a giant of European cinema provocateur return to familiar psychosexual territory but with an added iconoclastic religious layer of controversy, as Paul Verhoeven retuned to the LFF in spirit and was represented by his star Virginie Efira for a headline gala screening of ‘Benedetta’.
A period tale of religion and sexual repression set in 17th century Italy, where a gifted nun’s relationship with God and a burgeoning bond with a fellow sister develops into a risky romance as she begins having disturbing and erotic religious visions. ‘Benedetta’ is out in December in the US, and on the 25th of March 2022 in the UK.
Benedetta trailer (courtesy of Pathe)
Memoria
Image Source: Getty Images
Saturday also brought Thai writer/director Apichatpong Weerasethakul back to the festival, represented by his producers Jamal Zeinal Zade, Dan Wechsler, Simon Field and Andreas Roald for a special presentation of his hallucinatory human drama meditation on memory and legacy ‘Memoria’. A reflective character tale set in urban and rural Colombia and starring Swinton as a Scottish woman who finds herself a stranger in a strange land visiting her sister in the city, as she begins to connect with locals who help her to reconcile the strange sounds she hears and personal struggles with her sleeping thoughts, all through shared memories in the lush landscapes of the tropical countryside. ‘Memoria’ is out now in Colombia, and on the 14th of January 2022 in the UK.
Memoria trailer (courtesy of BFI)
Petrov’s Flu
Image Source: Sovereign Film
Saturday also brought a slice of uniquely Russian cinema to the festival and the return (in spirit if not body) of controversial and persecuted Russian writer/director Kirill Serebrennikov to the LFF for a ‘Dare’ strand screening of his madcap hallucinatory post Soviet plunge into the human condition ‘Petrov’s Flu’. Set in the bleakness after the fall of the iron curtain, it follows a flu-riddled comic book artist whose walk across town becomes a violent and sporadic frozen fever dream as he floats between fantasy and the reality of a society which may be even scarier. ‘Petrov’s Flu’ is out now in Russia, with no UK date yet.
Petrov’s Flu trailer (courtesy of BFI)
She Will
Image Source: Getty Images
The penultimate day at this year’s event brought some further home-grown horror/thriller flavour to the festival with a Scottish twang when writer/director Charlotte Colbert—joined by her stars Alice Krige, Kota Eberhardt, Malcolm McDowell and Amy Manson—brought her creepy feature film debut for a Cult strand screening of ‘She Will’. A tale set in the remoteness of a Scottish rural retreat where an ageing actress is convalescing after intrusive cancer treatment, only for her thoughts and dreams to turn to dark and vengeful when the ominous power of the land around her begins conjure up the trauma and pain of her past . . . with potentially horrific consequences for those who wronged her.
She Will clip (courtesy of JoBlo)
Sunday the 17th
The Tragedy of Macbeth
Image Source: Getty Images
In a move clearly designed to bookend this year’s lineup with modern multi-cultural takes on classic (and traditionally white) genres and works, the honour of closing the festival this year fell to a Hollywood heavyweight when Joel Coen walked the LFF red carpet—in solo mode after the feature film sabbatical of his brother Ethan—accompanied by his cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel and stars Robert Gilbert, Corey Hawkins, Harry Melling, Alex Hassel, Kathryn Hunter, Frances Mcdormand, Richard Short, Ralph Ineson and Bertie Carvel for a closing gala screening and European premiere of ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’.
His distinct take on the unmentionable Shakespearean tragedy featuring a multi-racial ensemble cast, recounting the slow demise into paranoia and madness of a Scottish lord and his ambitious wife who plan to ruthlessly seize power in the land after the prophecy of three weird witch sisters. ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’ is briefly out in US cinemas on the 25th of December, and generally available from AppleTV+ from the 14th of January 2022.
The Tragedy of Macbeth trailer (courtesy of A24)
Awards
Much like last year, the LFF’s awards—something which unlike other festivals has never been a major part of the proceedings—was once again a largely virtual affair which saw Panah Panahi’s ‘Hit the Road’ take the official competition’s ‘Best Film’ award. You can check out all the winners and the ceremony below.
The 65th BFI London Film Festival 2021 LFF Award Winners
Official Competition (Best Film):
‘Hit the Road’ by Panah Panahi
Documentary Competition (Grierson Award):
‘Becoming Cousteau’ by Liz Garbus
First Feature Competition (Sutherland Award):
‘Playground’ by Laura Wandel
Short Film Competition (Short Film Award):
‘Love, Dad’ by Diana Cam Van Nguyen
Best XR/Immersive Art:
‘Only Expansion’ by Duncan Speakman
LFF Awards Ceremony 2021 (courtesy of BFI)
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