Final Rooftop Screening :: Fritz Lang 'Metropolis'

Dear all,

Thank you to everyone who has made it over the last couple of weeks. Unfortunately, due to a mix-up of dates, next week will be the last screening on the car-park roof due to the fact that Franks Bar will officially be no more after the 27th September.

With this in mind, we have decided to change the schedule and play our original last-in-the-car-park series; Fritz Lang 'Metropolis' (1927). We think that this film is not to be missed given the surroundings in which it will be screened. Of course invite your friends, but make sure you bring plenty of blankets / cushions / hot toddy's etc; anything to keep you warm.

Again, due to the bar being closed, please send us an email to rachelandlydia@gmail.com (if you don't already have our phone numbers) so we know you are coming and can let you in at the gates.

Place :: Franks Campari Bar, Peckham (above Peckham Multi-Plex)
Time :: Monday 21st September, 8.00 pm
Price :: Free

We will let you know where we will be moving to; alternatively keep checking our blog for more info: http://www.skawinskiandmarshallfilms.blogspot.com/

See you there,

Lydia and Rachel

Roof top screening No.2

Thank you to everyone who came to our first film night, was a great success - we thought it looked great and were more than happy with the way everything panned out. A huge thank you goes to Rupert and Dave who helped set everything up and let us pinch their sound system and projector for the evening....

So with that, we would like to invite you all to the next in our film series; Věra Chytilová 'Daisies' (1966). The screening will be at the same place (Frank's Campari bar), on the 14th September at 8.00 pm. As before, due to the bar being closed, please email us at rachelandlydia@gmail.com (if you don't already have our phone numbers) so we know you are coming and can let you in at the gates. Again, feel free to bring friends, but we are required to keep numbers to a minimum, so perhaps not too many.

Hope to see you there, bring blankets (it may get cold) and a hot flask of whatever you like,

See you there,

Lydia and Rachel

For more info --->> http://www.skawinskiandmarshallfilms.blogspot.com/

Rooftop Screening No.1

Hello hello all you film lovers!

We would like to invite you to the first roof top cinema event, join us at Frank's Campari bar for our selected series of films. Beginning Monday the 7th of September at 8.00pm with the screening of JacquesTati's 'Playtime' (1967). More info about the films in the series can be found at skawinskiandmarshallfilms.blogspot.com (please bear with us regarding updates!).

Due to the fact that Frank's is closed on Mondays it would be handy ify ou could rsvp if you are attending by sending us an email at rachelandlydia@gmail.com (where we will give you a phone number to call) so we can let you in at the gates. Feel free to bring friends, however we are required to keep numbers to a minimum so perhaps not too many.

We hope you all can make it...bring some blankets and a hot flask ofwhatever you like.

See you there.

Lydia and Rachel

Any queries, please don't hesitate to send us an email to the above address. cheers!

16 Seconds :: Whitstable

Here's some small mobile-phone video diary entries of my time in Whitstable.



The sea


A young couple on a date, let me film their crabbing bucket. When I was little, my granny would take out all of the cousins to the seaside in Suffolk, where we would go crabbing and eat tomato ketchup sandwiches.


The used shells from thousands of shellfish.



The used shells from thousands of shellfish no.2.


The used shells from thousands of shellfish no.3.


Wind through the boat masts.


Wind through the alley of boat masts.


Seafront houses.

Rachel Marshall at one end of Žilvinas Kempinas Tube
(Lithuanian Pavilion 53rd International Art Exhibition)
Photo: Lydia Skawinski-Shearer

Žilvinas Kempinas Tube was one of the first pieces that we managed to see at the Biennale. When I say 'managed' this was us somehow managing to blag ourselves into the preview of the Lithuanian opening. It was one of the works throughout the entire Biennale which we all kept talking about, and while I did not forget about it in my initial posting of my Venice musings - I simply wanted to wait until I got my photograph developed.
Please look out for this artist, as his work is so aesthetically and physically interesting and powerful, if you see his name at a gallery near you - make sure you visit...

// Crazy English is a 1999 Chinese documentary directed by Zhang Yuan. //

'Crazy English' by Zhang Yuan follows Li Yang, the founder of 'Crazy English', in his quest to teach millions of Chinese the English language. He is keen to re-iterate in each of his 'motivational' speeches; the pure linguistic necessity of learning English will therefore lead China into becoming the dominant international society. i.e. there will be a snowball effect, where, by learning English now - will mean in the future the rest of the world will be learning Chinese.

This is all very well, but Li Yang's methods and his attitude become more and more disconcerting as the film progresses. His (masked) 'motivation', which he preaches to his followers, is to help them lead better lives and to make China a more prominent player in the international economy; actually reveals him as being heavily nationalistic, to the point where, in my opinion, he becomes quite shockingly fascist.

As wikipedia rightly extrapolates: "Li Yang's mass rallies begin to resemble Mao-era Red Guard
rallies or even Hitler's Nuremberg Rally." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crazy_English_(film)


For me, I also found it a difficult film to watch, as I often found myself confused as to where Zhang Yuan's prerogative lay. At points the film seems to be focused on his own (Zhang Yuan's) admiration for Li Yang, at other times his pointed disgust as he follows Li Yang and his own concern as to the powers of persuasion that can follow such celebrated persons.
It is also one of those films that I know will sit in my head and continue to be thought about. A powerful insight into a popular figure in China, and alarming that an individual can command such a profile and respect from a large segment of a society can still exist.

You can watch the film here http://www.theauteurs.com/films/1307 for a bargain at £3

/// Photo's to be published in Revista Simples Magazine!///

So as it turns out - the power of flickr really works... I've just been contacted by Revista Simples Magazine in Brazil, asking to publish six of my photographs from China for an article they are covering regarding Beijing and 'pop things' in China. I think that the magazine is available online and is due to go live in the next few weeks. I'm really excited about it, so keep an eye out... Click here to get taken to the webpage....