Feature – The Red Shoes + Panel Discussion (PG)

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This film is screening as part of the BFI’s “Cinema Unbound: The Creative Worlds of Powell & Pressburger” season, featuring events celebrating the work of Powell & Pressburger across the UK from October to December.

Synopsis: In Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s visually ravishing masterpiece, a young ballerina is torn between the demands of love and art. Like the heroine of Hans Christian Andersen’s source fairytale, whose magic shoes compel her to dance, Victoria Page – played by real-life ballerina Moira Shearer – finds herself driven to breaking point by obsessive Russian impresario Lermontov (Anton Walbrook) when she’s cast in his ballet The Red Shoes.

With its captivating behind-the-scenes insight into the creative process, and characters for whom art is more important than life itself, the film has proved an inspiration to filmmakers and dancers alike. For writer-directors Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, it represented a triumphant attempt to create a ‘composed film’ in which music – here by Brian Easdale – plays a more central role, demanding similar expressive intensity in every detail of design and performance. Fittingly, it won Oscars for both art direction and music.

Directors: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger

Genre: Drama, Dance

BBFC Age Rating: PG

Runtime: 135 minutes (followed by an in-person panel discussion)

Panelists: Melanie Williams, Nathalie Morris, Lillian Crawford

Tickets: Book Now via Picturehouse

Under 25? Access £4.99 tickets for this screening by registering for a free Picturehouse account.

Picturehouse Members can also use their usual membership discounts for this screening.

There will be no adverts or trailers before this screening – please ensure that you are seated by the advertised start time.

With support of the BFI Film Audience Network, awarding funds from the National Lottery in order to bring this project to more audiences across the UK.