Tribute to British Cinema of the 1980s at the 30th Athens International Film Festival – Opening Nights
This autumn, we once again celebrate the Athens International Film Festival with a special tribute to the truly great and revolutionary era of British cinema – the 1980s – as part of the British Council’s 85th anniversary celebrations in Greece.
This radical ‘guerrilla’ movement of British cinema on the big screen is defined by extraordinary films, thirteen of which will be honoured this year. The tribute kicks off with Christopher Petit’s Radio On, coinciding with Margaret Thatcher’s rise to power, followed by Nicolas Roeg’s Bad Timing, marking a shift in domestic cinema from conservative to modern times, and continues until the end of the decade. Along the way, it introduces some of the directors who shaped a generation of viewers and rewrote history – this time from the perspective of the less privileged, the outsiders, the underprivileged and the unseen.
For all these reasons, the This is England tribute is precious, essential and timely. It also offers the 30th Athens International Film Festival audience the chance to discover masterpieces that won’t be found on any streaming platform, TV channel or cinema screen. These films deserve to find new viewers and remind us that in times of great adversity cinema must remain vigilant.
Screenings
The films in the This is English tribute are:
- Radio On (1979, UK/West Germany, 104’) by Christopher Petit
- Bad Timing (1980, UK, 122’) by Nicolas Roeg
- Babylon (1980, UK, 95’) by Franco Rosso
- The Long Good Friday (1980, UK, 114’) by John Mackenzie
- The Draughtsman’s Contract (1982, UK, 104’) by Peter Greenaway
- My Beautiful Laundrette (1985, UK, 97’) by Stephen Frears
- Mona Lisa (1986, UK, 104’) by Neil Jordan
- Sid and Nancy (1986, UK, 112’) by Alex Cox
- Wish You Were Here (1987, UK, 92’) by David Leland
- Withnail and I (1987, UK, 107’) by Bruce Robinson
- Rita, Sue and Bob Too (1987 UK, 93’) by Alan Clarke
- High Hopes (1988, UK, 108’) by Mike Leigh
- Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988, UK, 85’) by Terence Davies
The Athens International Film Festival is taking place from 2 to 14 October 2024. This year’s venues include Danaos, Cinobo Opera, Astor, Asty, Avana, French Institute of Greece, Athens Concert Hall, Onassis Stegi, Museum of Cycladic Art and Pallas.
