#OnTheBigScreen: Annabelle Comes Home, Stockholm and The Secret Life Of Pets 2

Kings Of Mulberry Street

Producer, writer and director Judy Naidoo’s Kings of Mulberry Street brings together the rich and colourful world of the Indian community in the ‘80s as well as Bollywood cinema and songs from that era, in a tale that peers into the past through the prism of the present.

Q&A with Kings of Mulberry Street director Judy Naidoo

Daniel Dercksen  27 Jun 2019

The film tells the story of two young Indian boys who have to find a way to overcome their differences and unite in order to defeat the bullying local crime lord who’s threatening their families. A charming and hilarious adventure, with universal themes that will appeal to the whole family, the film also pays tribute to classic Bollywood movies and their heroes.

The Secret Life Of Pets 2

Packed with Illumination’s signature irreverence and subversive humour, this new chapter explores the emotional lives of our pets, the deep bond between them and the families that love them, and answers the question that has long intrigued every pet owner: What are your pets really doing when you’re not at home?

Max the terrier must cope with some major life changes when his owner gets married and has a baby. When the family takes a trip to the countryside, nervous Max has numerous run-ins with canine-intolerant cows, hostile foxes and a scary turkey. Luckily for Max, he soon catches a break when he meets Rooster, a gruff farm dog who tries to cure the lovable pooch of his neuroses.

Directed by returning filmmaker Chris Renaud and co-directed by Jonathan Del Val, from a screenplay by returning screenwriter Brian Lynch.

Read more here.

Annabelle Comes Home

The third instalment of the hugely successful Annabelle films starring the infamous sinister doll from the Conjuring universe. Determined to keep Annabelle from wreaking more havoc, demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren bring the possessed doll to the locked artefacts room in their home, placing her “safely” behind sacred glass and enlisting a priest’s holy blessing. But a year later, an unholy night of horror awaits the Warrens’ 10-year-old daughter, Judy, and her friends after a visit to the room awakens Annabelle and all the evil spirits residing there. Gary Dauberman – the screenwriter of the Annabelle franchise, IT and the upcoming IT Chapter Two as well as The Nun – makes his directorial debut on Annabelle Comes Home.

Read more here.

Stockholm

Producer, writer and director Robert Budreau’s Stockholm is based on the absurd but true story of a 1973 bank heist – a strange and darkly comic event where the hostages bonded with their captors and turned against the authorities.

The film follows Lars Nystrom (Ethan Hawke) who dons a disguise to raid a central Stockholm bank. He then takes hostages in order to spring his pal Gunnar (Mark Strong) from prison. One of the hostages includes Bianca (Noomi Rapace), a wife and mother of two. Negotiations with detectives hit a wall when (at the request of the Prime Minister) the police refuse to let Lars leave in a getaway car with the hostages. As hours turn into days, Lars alternates between threatening the hostages and making them feel comfortable and secure. The hostages develop an uneasy relationship with their captor, which is particularly complex for Bianca, who develops a strong bond with Lars as she witnesses his caring nature. This connection gave rise to the psychological phenomenon known as “Stockholm syndrome”.

Read more here.

Article 15

Based on the socio-political situation of India, the lives of police officers are followed. In a country where discrimination is everywhere, whether related to race or caste, the officers embark on a journey of acceptance and change.

Directed by Anubhav Sinha from a screenplay by Gaurav Solanki and Anubhav Sinha, based on Article 15 of the Indian Constitution, which prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. Article 15 takes inspiration from true life events, including 2014 Badaun gang-rape allegations and 2016 Una flogging incident.

Allelujah!

Alan Bennett’s critically acclaimed stage play is screened as part of the National Theatre Live series and was filmed live at London’s Bridge Theatre.

The play is set in the old-fashioned Bethlehem Hospital, which is threatened with closure as part of an efficiency drive. A documentary crew arrives to film its fight for survival and follows the daily struggle to find beds on the “Dusty Springfield Geriatric Ward” along with the triumphs of the old people’s choir. Described by the Guardian as “a play full of quiet anger under its surface charm (with) a wealth of good jokes and a deceptive patina of nostalgia.” Allelujah! is written by the celebrated playwright Alan Bennett and directed by the award-winning Nicholas Hytner.

At Cinema Nouveau cinemas on 29 and 30 June, and on 3 and 4 July 2019.

Read more about the latest and upcoming film releases: writingstudio.co.za/lets-go-to-the-movies