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February 26th 2021

Guest Picks: We are Parable - Momentum Programme

Guest Picks: We are Parable - Momentum Programme

We are incredibly proud to be taking part in the Momentum programme with our friends at We Are Parable.

We are participating in the mentoring section of their three-step approach to helping Black filmmakers get their work seen whilst simultaneously supporting them with mentoring and the ability to navigate their mental health through a challenging industry, in association with the Film and TV Charity.

We asked two of our mentees Christien Bart-Gittens, and Michael Ironside, to give us their Guest Picks - and standby for more from those we have been working with on the Momentum programme, coming soon.

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Image courtesy of We Are Parable

Christien Bart-Gittens is a filmmaker with a focus on Producing, creating shorts in the Sci-Fi and Comedy genres. He is now building a small slate of feature film and TV ideas (watch his showreel here).

"I'm currently developing a short with the BFI about the potential to overcome grief with entheogens, and as I'm in love with films that take you on an otherworldly journey within the real world, my choices cross somewhere between the cosmic horror, psychedelic sci-fi and drama genres."

The Fountain (2006)

I love films that don't give you a definitive ending and leave you searching for theories on reddit afterwards, and that's exactly why my first choice is The Fountain. The beauty of this is that the essence of the story is so simple - it's a love story - but Aronofsky throws that into a visually stunning psychedelic world that blends religion, culture and history all into one whilst we go on a quest with him to find what humans have always longed for - immortality. With all of this thrown into three time periods you'd surely say there was too much packed into one story - but it's not. Aronofsky isn't afraid to ask the deepest of questions, and that's why I always feel like I've come away with something after watching one of his films, even if it has me questioning my own existence.

Annihilation (2018)

Growing up I don't think I ever saw a film like this with a female led cast, so it was so refreshing to see and is one of my favourite films of the last decade. Similar to The Fountain, it gives you a taste of the psychedelic experience with the visuals, but when it comes to story, the objective that drives our main protagonist are again one of the simplest things that drive us all - love. In this case our protagonist Lena ventures into the unknown to find out what happened to her husband after his baffling and mangled return. Despite it being very clear that she is highly unlikely to survive or return from the shimmer, we constantly root for her to continue on her search for the truth, because that is our human nature and we feel like we would do the same. Whether Lena does return or not is up for debate.

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

As mentioned, Aronofsky delves so deeply into the human psyche, but this is done in such a devastating way that I'm still traumatised even thinking about it. When it comes to morals and preconceptions, I never thought I'd compare diet pills to Class A drugs when considering which is more damaging, but by the end I was completely sold that they can be just as bad as each other, and with that is one of the greatest powers of cinema - to open up people's mind to such a degree that they are willing to question deeply held beliefs they have had their entire lives.

Gremlins (1984)

The perfect Christmas film for me, even if it did have me hiding under my bed covers as a child! Gremlins has a really special place in my heart because it's such a fun and free film which I couldn't imagine being made today. I find so many villains and antagonists in live action movies today to be so unbelievably real and dark that they really are only for an adult audience, but with Gremlins we had a Christmas horror that was for the whole family.

Interstellar (2014)

Perhaps an obvious choice, but once again the essence is a simple story that almost everyone can relate to, just thrown into the outer reaches of the galaxy. At a glance the film is about one man's journey into space to save the world, but it's so much more than that. For me, Interstellar is actually about a father's journey across the galaxy to return to his daughter before their time is out. There are plenty of films with big concepts, but the ones that touch the heart are the ones that no matter how big their world becomes, are still ultimately about the connection between two human beings.

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The Fountain (2006) - Image courtesy of Twentieth Century Studios

Michael Ironside is a screenwriter, and a dedicated film fanatic for many years, from rocking chair to many comfy couches.

"Cinema is my life as is creating new material to open & introduce people to different worlds that pull at their emotions and have them rooting for the good or bad guy."

Goodfellas (1990)

The best gangster film ever made, period. This is Scorsese’s best film for me. The dialogue is perfect and it has many memorable scenes that many have tried to copy over the years. The real terrifying part is Joe Pesci is way too comfortable being a psychopath in this flick!

'71 (2014)

A film that completely blew me away when I saw it. I used to love films where it was literally one man against the world and the whole town is chasing this kid. Reminded me of The Warriors in parts, plus some of the situations he gets himself into you genuinely cannot see him surviving. Intense, shocking and impressive!

Anchorman (2014)

One of the funniest and most quotable things I have ever watched! “It works 60% of the time, every time”. Will Farrell at his most ridiculous in a film that shouldn’t work but does every time. A lot smarter & sweeter than a lot of people might think.

Get Out (2017)

I actually thought this was a comedy sketch when I saw the trailer, even more so when I saw who was directing it. It’s fair to say that I was pleasantly surprised with the way that Mr Peele managed to balance horror, dread and comedy in every scene, brilliant. This was his first movie!! One hell of a start.

The Lady Vanishes (1938)

Hitchcock at his finest. A simple plot of a woman looking for somebody she recently met turns into a full blown espionage flick. The type of film I like to write, watch and hope to see more of from other writers. The man is a genius.

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The Lady Vanishes (1938) - Image courtesy of ITV Studios