Two films by Joseph Despins and William Dumaresq, one an intense and bizarre study of obsession, the other capturing the energy and spirit of London's Portobello Road
Duffer, an intense and bizarre study of obsession that is by turns beautiful and disturbing, tells the story of a teenage boy torn between the womanly charms of a kindly prostitute, and the sadistic attentions of an older man. Both whimsical and disturbing, with a quirky sense of the grotesque, Duffer is a film that defies easy comparison.
The Moon Over the Alley, equally unconventional, is a musical about the problems faced by the multicultural residents of a ramshackle boarding house, with magic realist musical numbers by Galt MacDermot, the award-winning musician and composer of the Broadway hit Hair. The Moon Over the Alley captures the human energy and community spirit of London's Portobello Road with a wit, strangeness and charm.
BFI Flipside is dedicated to rediscovering the margins of British film, reclaiming a space for forgotten movies and filmmakers who would otherwise be in danger of disappearing from our screens forever. It is a home for UK cinematic oddities, offering everything from exploitation documentaries to B-movies, countercultural curios and obscure classics, If it's weird, British and forgotten, then it's Flipside.
EXTRAS
Fully illustrated booklet with newly commissioned essays by Stephen Thrower and Rob Young, and Joseph Despins' personal recollections of making the films.
