Tate Liverpool
The Waterfront

14 & 15 July 2007

In collaboration with Tate Liverpool, Greenland Street is hosting a unique screening of films set in Liverpool from the 1950s to the 1980s. They are all based on themes of the Waterfront such as The Magnet (C. Frend, 1950), The Waterfront (M. Anderson, 1950) and Letter to Brezhnev (1985) among others. Screenings are accompanied by informal discussions with some of the protagonists and directors of the films.

Saturday 14 July

17.00    Introduction to the film programme (City in Film and Tate Liverpool)
17.15    Liverpool – City in Film (2006)

17.30 – 18.50
The Waterfront (M. Anderson, 1951)
Running time: 80 minutes
Certificate 15
A sailor walks out on his young family leaving them to fend for themselves in the city of Liverpool. They make a go of their lives and the eldest daughter, now a woman, is angered by her father's attempted return. The Waterfront, featuring young Richard Burton and Avis Scott in the leading roles, can be seen more generally to deal with issues of absence and social struggle of seafaring men and their women.


19.30    Introduction to Letter to Breshnev

19.45 – 21.19
Letter to Brezhnev (C. Bernard, 1986)
Running Time: 94 minutes
Certificate 15
Two Soviet sailors, Peter and Sergei meet Elaine and Theresa, two native Liverpudlians and spend a night out together in Liverpool. Elaine and Peter immediately fall in love with each other, but their romance is cut short and the sailors must leave with their ship. Elaine can't forget him and plays with the ideas of writing a letter to Leonid Brezhnev. The film must be seen in context of the Cold War years. Alexandra Prigg (Elaine) won a BAFTA in 1986 for best actress for her part in the film. Letter to Brezhnev also won awards at the Quimper New Wave Festival in 1986 (Grand Prix) and at the Venice Festival in 1985.


Sunday 15 July

17.00    Introduction to the film programme (City in Film and Tate Liverpool)
17.15    Liverpool – City in Film (2006)

17.15 – 18.34
The Magnet (C. Frend, 1950)
Running Time: 79 minutes
Certificate U
A boy trades in a powerful magnet from a younger boy which, as soon as it is in his possession, gets him into all sorts of trouble. The comedy is set in Merseyside, mainly in New Brighton and parts in Liverpool. The comparison between the affluent, comfortable, public school lifestyle of the main character and that of the boys he meets when he crosses the river to Liverpool is drawn throughout the film.


19.30 – 21.18
Violent Playground (B. Dearden, 1958)
Running Time: 108 minutes
Certificate 15
A film about rock music and teenagers in the 1950s, Violent Playground is filmed entirely in Liverpool, the title tune of the film being played throughout. Dealing with crime in Liverpool at this time in the city, we encounter the priests, policemen and other characters that affect the lives of the teenagers in the film.
 

Films were screened in our purpose built cinema in the Coach Shed at Greenland Street

In collaboration with City in Film, School of Architecture and School of Politics and Communication Studies, University of Liverpool and A Foundation