A double bill of Ney York docos.
 
SCREENING TIMES update
Penzance is showing double bills: on Sunday Blank City starts at 18:00 and Bill Cunningham at 20:00, on Monday Blank City at 22:00 and Bill Cunningham at 20:00 (you'll need to buy tickets for both films)
St Ives has Blank City on Tuesday 19:30, and Bill Cunningham on Wednesday at 19:30
 
Bill Cunningham New York
directed by Richard Press
USA 2010 | 86m | 12A
with Bill Cunningham, Anna Wintour, Michael Kors
The “Bill” in question is 80+ New York Times photographer Bill Cunningham. For decades, this Schwinn-riding cultural anthropologist has been obsessively and inventively chronicling fashion trends and high society charity soirées for the Times Style section in his columns “On the Street” and “Evening Hours.” Documenting uptown fixtures (Wintour, Tom Wolfe, Brooke Astor, David Rockefeller—who all appear in the film out of their love for Bill), downtown eccentrics and everyone in between, Cunningham’s enormous body of work is more reliable than any catwalk as an expression of time, place and individual flair. In turn, Bill Cunningham New York is a delicate, funny and often poignant portrait of a dedicated artist whose only wealth is his own humanity and unassuming grace.
This documentary about the renowned fashion photographer is a remarkable portrait of a tremendous talent - Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
Blank City
directed by Celine Danhier
USA 2010 | 96m
with Amos Poe, Ann Magnuson, Becky Johnston, Debbie Harry, Jim Jarmusch
The long-overdue tale of a disparate crew of renegade filmmakers who emerged from an economically bankrupt and dangerous moment in New York history. From the late 1970's through the mid 80's, when the city was still a wasteland of cheap rent and cheap drugs, these directors crafted daring works that would go on to profoundly influence the development of independent film as we know it today. Directed by French newcomer Céline Danhier, Blank City weaves together an oral history of the “No Wave Cinema” and “Cinema of Transgression” movements through compelling interviews with the luminaries who began it all. Featured players include acclaimed directors Jim Jarmusch and John Waters, actor-writer-director Steve Buscemi, Blondie’s Debbie Harry, hip-hop legend Fab 5 Freddy, Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, photographer Richard Kern as well as Amos Poe, James Nares, Eric Mitchell, Susan Seidelman, Beth B, Scott B, Charlie Ahearn and Nick Zedd. Fittingly, the soundtrack includes: Patti Smith, Television, Richard Hell & The Voidoids, The Contortions, The Bush Tetras, Sonic Youth and many more.
"'Blank City' provides a vivid, vicarious tour...[Ms. Danhier] illuninates a hectic and fascinating place and time, bringing it back to life and tracing its continuing influence..." - A.O. Scott, New York Times