The Green Hollow
Aberfan: The Green Hollow
A film poem to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster, written by Owen Sheers and performed by a stellar cast of Wales’s best-known acting talent, including Michael Sheen, Jonathan Pryce, Sian Phillips, Eve Myles and Iwan Rheon, with some contributions from the local community.
Available until 22nd November on the BBC iplayer: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer
Reviews:
www.theartsdesk.com/tv/aberfan-green-hollow-bbc-four-1
www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/oct/09/aberfan-50-years-owen-sheers-the-green-hollow-film-poem
A Visit to America
Genre: Neo Noir Thriller.
Written by Owen Sheers.
A Co-Production with Matador Pictures and Ffilm Cymru Wales.
A Visit to America is set in New York in 1953 and follows a troubled private eye as he trails a British poet on an assignment for TIME Magazine, whom the poet is suing for libel.
The private eye’s life is in personal and professional crisis as he is dragged into the early McCarthy witch hunts through his army past coming back to haunt him. As he carries out his assignment his exposure to the poet’s world and work begin to exert an influence on the crucial moral and familial choices facing him.
Dylan Thomas died on 9th November 1953 in the Chelsea Hotel. The trial never came to court.
The script is currently in development. CEO of Western Edge Pictures, Vaughan Sivell says “It’s really exciting to be working with Owen Sheers on a project that will showcase such a great Welsh writing talent and highlight Thomas’ impact in the States in a really exciting and unusual way – it feels very much in the rebellious spirit of Thomas himself.”
More information: www.westernedgepictures.co.uk/on-the-slate
Resistance Movie
It is 1944 and the D-Day Landings have failed; Germany has invaded and Britain is now under enemy occupation. In the Olchon Valley, a group of Welsh farmers’ wives wake up one morning to find their husbands have vanished. As they await the men’s return the women work together to keep things going, but as the winter sets in a patrol of German soldiers arrives, forcing the women to confront the fine line that lies between resistance and collaboration.
Starring: Andrea Riseborough, Tom Wlaschiha and Michael Sheen
‘A beautiful, elliptical war film with the haunting qualities of a ghost story. Riseborough is terrific and Gupta proves that he’s a talent to watch.’
Review by Empire Online
www.empireonline.com/reviews
The Gospel of Us Movie
One of the outstanding theatrical events not only of this year, but of the decade’
– The Observer
Easter. Port Talbot is in a battle for its life. Authoritarian forces have taken over and the town is in thrall to a sinister and heartless corporation, ICU, which puts profit before people in its quest to plunder the town’s resources. When a company man and a suicide bomber clash on the beach, catastrophe is only averted by the intervention of a softly spoken loner with no memory. He is later revealed as ‘The Teacher’, a local man who disappeared 40 days earlier but has now returned.
As he gathers followers around him, he is perceived by ICU as a danger who must be removed at all costs.
Adapted from the play’s original script by Owen Sheers, this is the film version of The Passion, the ground-breaking theatre event produced by National Theatre Wales which took place in Port Talbot in April 2011.
Arts Desk gives The Gospel of Us 5 stars:
www.theartsdesk.com/film/gospel-us
Opened Friday 13th April
Apollo Piccadilly Circus, 0871 2206000 www.apollocinemas.com
Chapter Arts Centre Cardiff, 029 20311050 www.chapter.org
Apollo Port Talbot, 0871 2206000 www.apollocinemas.com
The Welfare Swansea, 01639 843163 www.thewelfare.co.uk
Gwyn Hall Neath, 0300 3656677 www.boxoffice.npt.gov.uk
Little Theatre Bath, 0871 9025735 www.picturehouses.co.uk/cinema/The_Little
Norwich Cinema City, 0871 9025724 www.picturehouses.co.uk/cinema/Cinema_City
And through April – May
21st April Attfield Oswestry, 01691 680222 www.attfieldtheatre.co.uk
23rd April Curzon Wimbledon, www.hmvcurzon.com
23rd April York Picturehouse, 0871 9025726 www.picturehouses.co.uk
25th April Cornerhouse Manchester, 0161 2001500 www.cornerhouse.org
27th – 30th April Warwick Arts Centre, 024 76524524 www.warwickartscentre.co.uk
5th – 11th May Theatr Mwldan, 01239 621200 www.mwldan.co.uk
14th May Pontardawe Arts Centre, 01792 863722 www.pontardaweartscentre.com
15th May Taliesin Arts Centre Swansea, 01792 295238 www.taliesinartscentre.co.uk
16th May Galeri Caernarfon, 01286 685250 www.galericaernarfon.com
17th May Clwyd Theatr Cymru, 0845 3303565 www.clwyd-theatr-cymru.co.uk
30th May Theatre Chipping Norton, 01608 642350 www.chippingnortontheatre.co.uk
31st May Greenwich Picturehouse, 0871 9025732 www.picturehouses.co.uk