By Jack Graham
March 6 2020, 18.00
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Gurinder Chadha OBE will appear at a live screening of her debut movie Bhaji on the Beach at the Ritzy Cinema, Brixton on Thursday.
The 1993 comedy-drama follows a group of Indian woman of different generations escaping their husbands and their standard day to day lives from their home in Birmingham as they all hop on a coach and head to Blackpool.
Along the way, the trip doesn’t go exactly as planned as the group dynamic starts to fracture.
Conflicts arise between staunch beliefs and traditions held by many Indian parents and the modernity of their British-born children that many families have experienced.
The film displays the theme of generational gap, as seen in many of the other films that she has written and directed.
The film received a nomination for the Alexander Korda Awards – most outstanding British film at the BAFTAs in 1995.
The award-winning director is known for many more popular films including: Bend It Like Beckham (2002), Bride and Prejudice (2004), Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (2008), and her newest movie Blinded by the Light (2019).
Ms Chadha will be joined by filmmaker Toby Fell-Holden, who is presenting his award-winning short film Balcony.
Balcony tells the story of a teenage girl experiencing the difficulties of racial tension, as she begins to develop feelings for a local immigrant girl.
Mr Fell-Holden is no stranger to accolades either, as he has won awards from the Calgary Film Festival, and an esteemed Crystal Bear at the 66th Berlinale.
After both screenings, the directors will host a Q&A session, covering their inspirations for the film, the difficulties that they have encountered throughout their careers, and how they recommend aspiring writers can begin their careers in filmmaking.
Feature image credit: ActuaLitté on flikr.
