Perthians, the great movies keep rolling this week at Luna Outdoor. Enjoy quality cinema under the Leederville night sky. Check out the program below and for further details or purchasing tickets hit the link.
MEET ME IN THE BATHROOM (7.30PM: Sunday 19 March)
The world had survived Y2K, been rattled by 9/11 and was in the grip of the Bush administration’s War on Terror. Meanwhile, in lower Manhattan and a rapidly gentrifying Brooklyn, the last great age of rock ’n’ roll was about to boom, led by a gang of electrifying indie bands – The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Interpol, The Rapture, The Moldy Peaches – who would soon define the sound of a generation. Following their LCD Soundsystem documentary Shut Up and Play the Hits, directors Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace take us on a journey back to the era of moppy hair, sprayed-on denim and artists so cool you wouldn’t have heard of them.
Based on Lizzy Goodman’s explosive 2017 oral history of the same name, Meet Me in the Bathroom is an eclectic, engrossing documentary that features never-before-seen archival footage and interviews with the likes of The Strokes’ Albert Hammond Jr, Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Karen O, TV on the Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe and LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy. From the scene’s early days at the Mercury Lounge to Karen O’s reflections on later objectification, this is a time capsule that’s sure to induce nostalgia in millennial music fans and curiosity among neophytes.
The documentary immerses you in the pre-social media, pre-gentrification world of New York, as it examines the lives of key figures from each band, the transformation of the city, and the cultural forces that shaped it.
LIVING (7.30PM: Mon 20 — Wed 22 March)
Living is the story of an ordinary man, reduced by years of oppressive office routine to a shadow existence, who at the eleventh hour makes a supreme effort to turn his dull life into something wonderful – into one he can say has been lived to the full.
1953. A London shattered by WWII is still recovering. Williams (Bill Nighy), a veteran civil servant, is an important cog within the city’s bureaucracy as it struggles to rebuild. Buried under paperwork at the office, lonely at home, his life has long felt empty and meaningless. Then a shattering medical diagnosis forces him to take stock – and to try and grasp fulfilment before it goes beyond reach.
At a seaside resort, chaperoned by a local decadent (Tom Burke), he flirts with hedonism before rejecting it as his solution. Back in London he finds himself drawn to the natural vitality of Margaret (Aimee Lou Wood), a young woman who once worked under his supervision and is now determined to spread her wings. Then one evening he is struck by a revelation – one as simple as it is profound – and with a new energy, and the help of Peter (Alex Sharp), an idealistic new recruit to his department, he sets about creating a legacy for the next generation.
OF AN AGE (7.30PM: Thursday 23 March)
It’s the summer of 1999 and two teens fresh out of high school – reserved, Serbian-born Nikola (Elias Anton, Barracuda) and fiery Ebony (Hattie Hook) – are partners for a dance competition. On the big day, Nikola gets a distressed call from Ebony, asking to be rescued from the other side of town, so he enlists her brother, the charming Adam (Thom Green, Dance Academy, Downriver), to take him there. On the drive, amid traffic and amicable swagger, the two young men discover a mutual spark … but Adam is leaving the country in 24 hours.
This heady story of youth and love is the second feature from Australian director Stolevski (Would You Look at Her, You Deserve Everything) – named among Variety’s global ‘10 Directors to Watch for 2022’ list, and whose long-form debut You Won’t Be Alone also premiered at Sundance. Tactile, funny and heartfelt, Of an Age captures the hinterland of suburbia, the strains of immigrant families, and the crossroads of desire and big dreams in teenage years, as well as lip-biting moments of attraction and anticipation. Like in Weekend before it, time in Of an Age is both constraint and catalyst, with Stolevski depicting the coming-together of two twin souls and the bracing realisation that everything has its moment.
BRITTANY NIGHT, HAPPY 50 (7.30PM: Friday 24 March)
Yves and his friends have booked tickets to Paros, Greece for his monumental 50th birthday bash, but when their flight is cancelled, Yves has no choice but to carry on with festivities in his run-down holiday home in dreary Brittany.
Bored and with few ways to keep spirits high, the vacation begins to take a turn for the worst. After a few too many glasses of wine, Yves watches as his friends begin to turn on one another, picking apart each other’s shortcomings, piece by piece.
Meant as harmless fun, the holiday begins to reveal far more about Yves’ circle of friends than they bargained for – causing a considerable rift. Determined to press on with the holiday, the group must work through their differences as the bonds of friendship are well and truly tested… will they make it through the weekend? Delightful and downright hilarious, watch the chaos unfold from a distance as the group navigates their weekend and all the joys that come with turning 50.
OF AN AGE (7.30PM: Saturday 25 March)
It’s the summer of 1999 and two teens fresh out of high school – reserved, Serbian-born Nikola (Elias Anton, Barracuda) and fiery Ebony (Hattie Hook) – are partners for a dance competition. On the big day, Nikola gets a distressed call from Ebony, asking to be rescued from the other side of town, so he enlists her brother, the charming Adam (Thom Green, Dance Academy, Downriver), to take him there. On the drive, amid traffic and amicable swagger, the two young men discover a mutual spark … but Adam is leaving the country in 24 hours.
“Part coming of age, part queer awakening…Of An Age is destined to become a fast favourite for the film lovers of Australia.” SCREEN HUB
“An instant Australian classic, Of an Age is a timeless capsule of love at its most unguarded. This is one dance you won’t want to miss.” FLICKS
“Of An Age is one of the most important Australian films to be released in 2022. Not only does it clearly show that Goran Stolevski is one of the most promising young directors in the industry at the moment but it brings some very important social issues to the forefront. This is one of the best screenplays I have seen in years and I can’t wait to go back and re-watch this film.” HEAVY CINEMA
“Brilliantly conceived and executed by writer-director Goran Stolevski.” THE BLURB
MOONAGE DAYDREAM (7.30PM: Sunday 26 March)
From Oscar-nominated filmmaker Brett Morgen, director of Cobain: Montage of Heck, and featuring never-before-seen concert footage, Moonage Daydream is an immersive cinematic experience; an audio-visual space odyssey that not only illuminates the enigmatic legacy of David Bowie but also serves as a guide to living a fulfilling and meaningful life in the 21st Century.
Moonage Daydream is not a documentary. It is a genre-defying cinematic experience based on one of the most iconic and global rock stars of all time, destined to be one of the defining cultural moments of the year. The film has the full support of Bowie’s estate and features many of his greatest tracks, as well as previously unseen concert footage.
