Film: Show us a sign

I moved to Brighton five years ago to begin a course in Film and Screen at the University of Brighton. As with most people around the country, I was vaguely aware of Brighton’s reputation as a creative and artsy place. I was looking forward to the various festivals (especially the food festivals!) and trips to the oldest cinema in the country.

What I hadn’t expected, and was delighted to find, was the wonderful CINECITY film festival – now in its 12th year – taking place from 20th November to 7th December (yes that does mean there is still time to buy tickets!).

The festival has the best in world cinema but also a focus on the native filmmaking talent that packs Brighton.

There are some amazing Hollywood previews shown as part of the festival but also some very daring films that wouldn’t ordinarily get a chance for theatrical release. This year we have Wild, staring Reese Witherspoon, as a woman undertaking a cathartic 1,100 mile solo hike in order to regain her self-belief, alongside The Tribe, which has no spoken words or subtitles and is entirely in Ukrainian Sign Language. The film is set in a boarding school for deaf children where new arrival Sergey is drawn into an institutional system of organised crime, involving robbery and prostitution. He then stumbles across the line he had been happily ignoring when he falls for Yana, one of the girls to whom he has been assigned to pimp.

some very daring films that wouldn’t ordinarily get a chance for theatrical release

The Tribe might sound incredibly daunting if you have never really spent much time around sign language users before (and, believe me, as someone who had lectures signed during university, I completely understand) but the riveting trailer and reviews so far suggest that this is a film to take a chance on.

Speaking of silent films… I discovered The Artist at the festival a few years ago and was utterly delighted not just by the film itself (although, who can help but be charmed?) but that the festival had taken the risk, had taken a chance on a film utterly without vocals, a black and white film that has a style of humour some might definitely call ‘cheesy’. A few months later the film won Best Motion Picture, Best Actor and Best Director at the Oscars so suddenly was playing everywhere! Perhaps CINECITY foresees things others don’t? Perhaps The Tribe is going to go far? I would grab a ticket now and see it whilst you still can.

Another film not to miss is South Coast, playing in this week’s FilmFest on 8, which can be seen on LatestTV, Sunday from 9pm. With the image of Hip-Hop largely being based on bling and throwing cash around, the documentary provides a mesmerising look at how the rejection of materialism has affected the growth of Hip-Hop along the south coast of England. Turn to page 14 for my interview with director Will Jewell.

Follow me: @latestjessica