Over the past few weeks of July and August I made a few recordings of my wanderings around London. I spent some time in Shoreditch, East London in the place called Arnold Circus which has been my favourite reading spot for the last ten years. I also visited Eastern Curve Garden in Dalston, East London which is a lovely community space where you can have a cup of coffee and read a book surrounded by a lot of greenery – it’s an oasis of peace and calmness. I also walked along Regent Canal Path and glanced at narrow boats which have become increasingly popular in London as a place to live.
One weekend I went to a beautiful cosy cinema called The Garden Cinema in Covent Garden and watched a Georgian – Turkish film called Crossing by Levan Akin set in Istanbul. I have a special love for the Turkish capital and the film was a beautiful nuanced and melancholic depiction of the city.
I also visited China Town and Gordon Square Garden in Bloomsbury during my lunch break. It’s a beautiful and quiet communal space to relax and find moment of peace.
Choosing the river boat to travel across the Thames is something I have not done for years so it was nice to have an opportunity to experience it. I walked around Embankment Station, Spitalfields, the Strand, Cecil Court, Liverpool Street Station, Wanstead and Southbank. While in Southbank I went to watch another Turkish film at the British Film Institute (BFI) called About Dry Grasses by Nuri Bilge Ceylan which is a quiet exploration of fate, identity, friendship, complex relationships and simply an ode to an ordinary life. Ceylan’s other films include Winter Sleep and Once Upon a Time in Anatolia which I highly recommend. BFI holds a special place in my heart as it’s featured in one of my favourite books called Brian by James Cooper.
I hope you will enjoy these few snapshots of London during summer months
3 Comments
Goodness, I just wrote you a three large paragraphs’ reply – rather detailed, which was not sent and “disappeared” for some reason when I clicked “comment”. Sorry about that, all I wanted to say is that there are still some films by Ceylan and Kiarostami for me to watch, and thanks for recommending Aloners – it reminds me of film Next Sohee, about South Korean employment too. The one Ceylan film I haven’t seen yet, but want to is Uzak, which in synopsis reminds of my favourite book by Pamuk The Black Book, but possibly it would be something completely different. Are you on letterboxd, by any chance? Thanks for your reply and sorry for replying so late.
I really enjoyed this post. I do consider myself a film critic too, and am going to watch About Dry Grasses tonight – but reviewing it is going to be such a challenge for me. I feel like it is going to be “beyond words” like other works by Ceylan, if that makes sense. I
don’t know if you agree or maybe it is my impression that I also find his films so “literary” in way, too. Are you interested in cinema especially? If you do, what kind? I love classic Japanese at the moment.
Thank you so much for your kind words! I love the cinema. I have some special proclivity for the Turkish films, especially those made by Ceylan. I have very much enjoyed About Dry Grasses, even though it’s a long movie, it runs over three hours I felt as it wasn’t enough 😜 I know this film in particular received some mixed reviews but i really loved it. Cinematography is just beautiful, acting was so good and nuanced. I don’t know how to describe it .. and you are right: his films feel very much “literary” and deeply affecting … the way he tells the story with the images, dialogue is very unique. It is just ah! I hope you will enjoy this film as well and will have a beautiful evening. As for other films… I really like the Asian films – I had a phase for Wong Kar Wai and I could watch and rewatch his films a million times. I have always enjoyed films by Krzysztof Kieslowski, Tarkovsky, Agnes Varda, and in particular by the Iranian director, Abbas Kiarostami. In a way his films ‘feel’ a bit like those made by Ceylan in a way they awake deep emotions in me every time I watch his work. I really enjoy older Japanese films by Yasujiro Ozu. But I feel like I’d enjoy most Japanese films. I have recently watched Aloners by the South Korean director, Hong Sung-eun. And also I love Ken Loach’s films. I am quite open to any new film recommendations. I do like occasionally watching films at the BFI – they run some old classics and many films from across the world. I also recently discovered The Garden Cinema in Covent Garden and they show some interesting films that are not often available to watch in the bigger, more mainstream cinemas. 😍 anyways, I leave it at that and I hope you will enjoy About Dry Grasses and i am curious what your thoughts will be on this film😍🥰