Filling the gap(s). The new British labels.

So, if Artificial Eye and Tartan genuinely are facing problems and a possible decline in the quality of films they distribute, who's filling their shoes?

The newest of these companies is Mr Bongo Films, a music label that has branched into film. They describe their ethos as 'digging up lost classics from across the world.' Sounds nice and ambitious and their initial releases are exactly that. Filling the gaps is precisely what they are doing, with each release so far having a big auteur name to sell it.


Available now are The Adversary (Satyajit Ray), Story of a Love Affair (Antonioni) and I Am Cuba (Kalatazov). The films announced are equally pedigreed; Identification of a Woman, L'Avventura (Antonioni), Saragosa Manuscript (Has) and Black God White Devil (Rocha). Where labels like Artificial Eye and Tartan have largely shied away from canonical releases recently, focusing on contemporary films, it is pleasing to have a label so intent on plugging the holes that desperately need to be plugged. Considering the severe lack of Ray, Antonioni and Cinema Novo in the UK, releases like these are gratefully received.

www.mrbongo.com


Another ambitious world-cinema label that has emerged is Soda pictures. Soda seem to be concerned primarily with contemporary cinema (big name auteurs again) and thank God, because nobody was picking up these films before they came along. Recent releases include Close-Up, which was previously only available from Facets in one of the worst transfers ever produced (Facets really are Satanic, they go out of their way to make their films look like shit). There is also the R2 debut of Little Dieter Needs to Fly. Other recent releases include the extremely welcome Klimt, After Life (Koreeda), and Matthew Barney's Drawing Restraint 9, giving those of us who don't live near a major art gallery a chance to see some of his much talked about work. Another example of a label releasing films from under-represented filmmakers. The fact that Ruiz doesn't have more films available is mind-boggling and it's infuriating to think that if a label like this didn't exist, Klimt would probably go unreleased for a stupid lenght of time.

www.sodapictures.com

Crisis in UK indie distribution? Melancholia.......

In the latest issue of S&S "Mr Busy", Nick Roddick worries about the state of small distribution companies in the UK. This is obviously something we all think of and worry about, but is he too pessimistic?

He goes on to explain that both Tartan and Artificial Eye, two of our best independent distributors are facing trouble. Artificial Eye is probably the single most ambitious British distribution label of the last 30 years. It was founded by the somewhat eccentric, perhaps even Langlois-esque Andi Engel (who died last year, best obit in Independent) having even directed a more than competent London/Hamburg stylish thriller, much like those his company is so good at distributing.

Anyway, back to the crisis... Artificial Eye has now been bought by some big faceless group and that seems to be the source of worry. Are they taking less risks than before? Perhaps it is too early to tell. Nick points out that they have acquired Helen Hunt's directorial debut, which, I admit, doesn't bode well, but otherwise it seems to be business as usual.

He sums his article up brilliantly. "It's often said that we in Britain get the cinema we deserve. We don't:we get the cinema distributors think will work."

Is it as bad as all that? Well yes and no. To put it in perspective Artificial Eye themselves, in this very issue advertise releases of Don't Touch the Axe, Les Chansons D'Amour, 12:08 East of Bucharest, Private Fears..., Leningrad Cowboys Collection, and a Fassbinder collection. Not too insulting.

In my next blog, I'll single out UK distribution companies that are newer and just as ambitious as Artificial Eye. It aint so bad...