Entertainment: Joe Fuller

Final week of Brighton’s film festival

Cinecity has got off to a great start; I’ve seen The Empire Of Scents so far which was funny, warm and informative. I learned about the important olfactory qualities of whale excrement for example – in the tantalisingly named mysterious substance that is ambergris – and my review is on page 24.
I couldn’t decide between four or five stars for the audience award so tore both, and am now worried that I spoiled my ballot. Please take care to tear carefully after enjoying your film. Güeros was also highly recommended by a sagacious companion, so there is a good standard of films on offer in our very own film festival.

We now head into the final week and the film I’m most excited about is Our Little Sister (Duke of York’s, Tues 24 Nov, 6.30pm). I saw director Hirokazu Koreeda’s Like Father, Like Son at the Discover Tuesdays Picturehouse series a few years ago and loved it. I was reminded of the sublime Tokyo Story with its focus on family and contemplative tone. Our Little Sister is a tender tale about three sisters taking in their younger sibling when their father dies, and if it’s anything like Koreeda’s previous output it will be thought-provoking and moving.
There are also some classic films being screened in the exotic surroundings of the Royal Pavilion’s Music Room from Thursday 26 to Sunday 29 November, which include a glass of wine on arrival in the Banqueting Room. You could see My Beautiful Laundrette, which delves into sexuality, race and class in ’80s Britain and features Daniel Day-Lewis in his first major role.
(Sat 28 Nov, 6pm)

Laurie Anderson never seems to go out of style, her 2010 album Homeland was fantastic and she performed in a specially curated event revolving around animal stories at Brighton Festival this year. On a similar theme, Heart Of A Dog sees Anderson present an essayistic collage of compositions, narration, animation and home movies reflecting on the affection she had for her pet Rat Terrier. With 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, Heart Of A Dog “delves into weighty themes with lyrical, haunting grace.”
(Duke of York’s, Fri 27 Nov, 6.30pm)

The closing night special feature is Dheepan, winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes that sees a veteran Tamil Tiger attempt to become a civilian after a life of violence. Sri Lankan strangers Yalini and Dheepan feign being a family to seek asylum in France but ultimately end up involved in gangland warfare. It’s been described as an immensely powerful work by The Guardian so should make for a fiery final night. (Duke of York’s, Sun 29 Nov, 6.30pm)