The latest Films in Peel screening at the Centenary Centre this evening (Wednesday 24th February) takes adults and children alike into the realms of fantasy with a double bill of Oscar-winning short features.
The first film of the evening, starting at an earlier time of 6.30pm prompt, is The Red Balloon (Le Ballon Rouge, Cert PG), written and directed by French film maker Albert Lamorisse.
Telling the tale of a little boy, Pascal, as he follows his red balloon through the streets of Paris, the film won the prestigious Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival in 1956 before going on to pick up an Oscar in 1957.
Lamorrisse, a former photographer who became involved in film in the 1940s, acquired international recognition for his short films, of which The Red Balloon is the most famous.
Pascal is played by Lamorisses’s son, who also starred in the lesser known sequel, 'Le Voyage on Ballon', which was released to great acclaim in 1960.
The second film is the 2008 Oscar winner for best short animated film, Peter and the Wolf (Cert U).
Set to Sergei Prokofiev’s popular orchestral suite, in which each animal is identified by a particular instrument, this film is an adaptation of the well-known tale of Peter and his encounter with a bad wolf.
Adapted and directed by British animator, Suzie Templeton, this short film does more than identify the instruments in Prokofiev’s music. There is a thematic depth to it that skilfully portrays the hard existence of Peter with his overprotective grandfather in a dark Russian landscape.
However, his animal friends bring him joy and we delight in seeing him frolicking with them in the woods - until, that is, the big bad wolf appears!
The animation is superb and the characters unforgettable. If you are a fan of traditional stop-animation, then this film is not to be missed.
The next film coming up in the Films in Peel season is The End of the Line, a searing documentary that investigates the disastrous effects of overfishing on our seas. The film is being shown at the regular time of 7.45pm on Friday 5th March, in collaboration with the Manx Wildlife Trust, and will be followed by an informal discussion.
In support of the Anne Frank [+You} IOM Exhibition in March, the following films will be screened: The Pianist (10th March), The Boy in Striped Pyjamas (17th March at 6.30pm) and Anne Frank: The Whole Story, a matinee on 27th March (NB: this screening is subject to change).
Tickets (priced ?4, concessions ?3) are available in advance from Celtic Gold (Peel), Shakti Man (Ramsey), Thompson Travel (Port Erin) and Peter Norris and Mostly Manx (Douglas). Any unsold tickets will be available on the door. For evening screenings, doors open at 7.15pm and the screening starts at 7.45pm (unless otherwise stated).
For further information and a full programme, go to www.centenarycentre.com or if you would like to join the mailing list or have any comments or suggestions, please write to filmsinpeel(at)manx.net.
