Film / News
Inaugural Archaeo-Heritage Film Festival announced
Roll up, roll up for the very first Bath Archaeo-Heritage Film Festival. No, wait – come back! This isn’t going to be dry as dust and old bones. In fact, it promises to be a great deal of fun.
Celebrating the joys of film and archaeology, the festival comprises a series of screenings at the Little Theatre Cinema and the Museum of Bath at Work, each of which comes with an extra element – ranging from Q&As and discussions to live demonstrations and art exhibitions. Nick Park’s Early Man is accompanied by a day of workshops with an Aardman model maker teaching participants how to make the film’s characters. The hugely enjoyable 1999 version of The Mummy will be followed by a panel discussion of the mummy in film and popular culture. And the classic One Million Years BC, with Raquel Welch in her legendary fur bikini, comes with a virtual introduction by the Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation.
The festival is a passion project of Ellie Hendricks, which she describes as “a chance for me to combine my day job as a manager in the Little Theatre Cinema and my interest in archaeology and fine art. The idea is to look into how film shapes our idea of past events and cultures, and how cinema can help preserve and share heritage.”
is needed now More than ever
But how come there’s no Indiana Jones movie in the programme? “Ha ha, that’s the question I’ve been asked most. We really wanted to get a good mix of mainstream films and ones that are less well known, so we couldn’t fit Indiana Jones in, but maybe next year if this festival goes well.”
The Archaeo-Heritage Film Festival runs from April 4-6. Go here for tickets and further information.
As a curtain-raiser, the Festival is teaming up with Bristol Bad Film Club for the Club’s February screening of Caveman. This extraordinary 1981 slapstick comedy pitches a former Beatle against stop-motion dinosaurs as he sets out to woo a Bond girl. Yep, that’s Ringo Starr as caveman Atouk, who craves the woman of a rival clan leader. The film’s dialogue takes the form of a completely made-up ‘caveman language’. Ringo certainly seems to have enjoyed himself on set as this was the film on which he met his future wife, Barbara Bach, who plays the object of Atouk’s affections. “Priceless it ain’t, but if the kids are determined to enjoy it, the brain damage should be minimal,” was the Washington Post’s verdict.
Caveman is showing (with subtitles for those who don’t speak ‘caveman’) at Bristol Improv Theatre on Thursday 22 February. Tickets (available here) cost £5 and all profits go to Caring in Bristol.
Main image from Early Man: Aardman/StudioCanal
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