Chichester Cinema presents Tony Palmer: A Selective Retrospective 10, 17 and 24 May
In honour of the release of Tony Palmer's memoirs this May, Chichester Cinema in West Sussex is proud to announce Tony Palmer: A Selective Retrospective, a celebration of one of Britain's most prolific and distinctive filmmakers.
As well as providing a rare opportunity for audiences to enjoy a carefully curated selection from Tony Palmer's extraordinary range of work, the retrospective will feature a special guest appearance from the filmmaker himself including a Q&A and book signing.
Spanning a career of more than one hundred films, the programme brings together 12 carefully chosen titles that reflect the breadth and depth of Palmer's achievements. From his early work with iconic figures in popular music to his acclaimed portraits of leading composers, performers and cultural figures, the retrospective highlights Palmer's unique ability to capture both artistic genius and human complexity on screen.
Audiences can look forward to films exploring the lives and legacies of figures such as Stravinsky, Walton, Britten, Rachmaninoff, Menuhin and Margot Fonteyn, alongside works on John Osborne and Leonard Cohen. The season also revisits Palmers groundbreaking early music documentaries, offering a fascinating glimpse into the cultural landscape of the 1960s and beyond.
Palmer's Wagner forms the culmination of the retrospective. Charting the life of Richard Wagner, it features an extraordinary cast including Richard Burton, Vanessa Redgrave and Sir Laurence Olivier. Widely regarded as one of the most visually stunning films ever made, this epic work will be screened in three parts on Sunday 24 May. Palmer himself will be at Chichester Cinema to introduce the film, followed by a book signing and Q&A later in the day.
Tony Palmer has been a passionate supporter of Chichester's independent cinema and a familiar presence at the venue's annual International Film Festival. Renowned for its dynamic and vibrant programming, the cinema has built a reputation for championing distinctive voices and celebrating film as an art form, making it a fitting home for this special retrospective.
Roger Gibson, Artistic Consultant & President at Chichester Cinema said: We are delighted to welcome Tony Palmer to the cinema for this very special retrospective. His work has shaped the way audiences engage with music and culture on screen, and it's a real privilege to share these films - and to give our audiences the chance to hear directly from him.
Programme:
Sun 10 May
10:30 All My Loving (incl The Beatles, Hendrix, Cream, The Who, Franka Zappa, Donovan)
12:00 Stravinsky: Once, at a Border
15:15 Walton: At the Haunted End of the Day
17:30 John Osborne and the Gift of Friendship
20:00 Menuhin: A Family Portrait
Sun 17 May
10:00 Ragtime
11:15 Margot
14:15 Britten: Nocturne (PG)
16:45 Dvořák in Love
18:45 Rachmaninoff: The Harvest of Sorrow
20:45 Leonard Cohen: Bird on a Wire
Sun 24 May
11:15 Wagner (Part One) Plus Tony Palmer Intro
14:20 Lunch Break (inc. Film & Food Option at Brasserie Blanc)
16:00 Wagner (Part Two)
18:45 Long Break (inc. Book Signing)
19:30 Wagner (Part Three) Plus Tony Palmer Intro
22:35 Finish
Tickets and day passes for all films included in Tony Palmer: A Selective Retrospective are now on sale and available to buy via chichestercinema.org.