Fashion in film festival
Friday, December 3rd, 2010
After two successful festivals in London and New York, the clever curators behind Fashion in Film present Birds of Paradise – an exploration of the role of costume in cinema.
With screenings of rarely seen silent, experimental and underground films, the festival is imperative viewing for fashion lovers and movie buffs alike. Four venues across London are taking part in the festival, with each one focusing on a particular strand of costume in cinema. Tonight the Horse Hospital in Russell Square shows a tribute to cult Hollywood icon Maria Montez in Cobra Woman – a brilliantly trashy piece of exotica with costumes from 1940s designer Vera West. Meanwhile, the BFI Southbank is showing some of the most remarkable films made in America and Europe during the entire silent era. The influential Salomé is well worth a look, as is the lavish Moulin Rouge and Chinoiserie fantasy the Red Lantern.
The alluring costumes of divas and showgirls are the focus of the Barbican’s programme this weekend. All visually compelling, these early 20th century gems are rarely, if ever, seen in the UK and not to be missed. Across town, the Tate Modern takes a look at the opulence, artifice and excess of costume in a diverse range of films from the 1920s through to the present day.
So, if you’re in the capital over the next few days, take a break from your Christmas shopping, slip inside the cinema and escape into any one of these fantastical films. All silent films are accompanied by a live score and the festival runs until 12th December.
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