INDEPENDENT FILMMAKERS SHOWCASE
WATERLOO SUNSET (12A)
Wednesday 14th August at 6.30pm
Followed by Q+A with Director Harvey Marcus
Poignant, heartbreaking, yet incredibly uplifting, Waterloo Sunset is a documentary about the nation's invisible minority and growing older in Britain today. Filmed over three months last summer, independent filmmaker Harvey Marcus tells the story of the amazing 18th Century Hopton's Almshouse, beside the Thames, and the equally remarkable elderly residents who now find themselves dwarfed by luxury apartments and sky-scraping office blocks, contending with a world that's changing around them. Awarded three stars by The Guardian and described by film critic Jason Solomons as 'gorgeous and full of great characters', the film mourns the loss of community and a forgotten generation, but in the shape of residents like 93 year old yoga teacher, Jenny, and crooner Shamus, 76 years young and still dreaming of pop stardom, Waterloo Sunset also offers hope and inspiration for the future.
Harvey Marcus is an award-winning filmmaker with a background in journalism working for national newspapers and magazines. His 2018 documentary, Beneath The Clocktower - the story of a independent high street struggling for survival - was released in cinema and in 2022 was acquired by the British Film Institute for the National Film Archive. His latest documentary Waterloo Sunset (2024) - about the growing old in today's Britain - is currently enjoying a nationwide cinema release as well as garnering critical acclaim from TV, radio, the national newspapers and across social media. Previous films - including 'Her Majesty' (The story of the rivalry between two look-alikes), 'Then There Were Three' (featuring BAFTA winning actress Antonia Campbell-Hughes) and 'I'm Every Woman' (A portrait of an LA drag queen and her transition) - have been selected for festivals in the UK, Europe and North America as well as the London Short Film Festival, Berlin and the Los Angeles Film Festival.