Distant Voices, Still Lives

  • A man dress in coat & tie and on woman in a snazzy hat, stand side by side, facing the camera
  • A man with a shocked look on his face stand behinds and holds a young girl amidst a crowd of people
  • A black & white image of a woman with a forlorn and pensive expression on her face looks away from the camera.

“Reviving and revising the kitchen sink spirit of British cinema, [Terence] Davies relished in the sensual details of the world of his childhood, creating one of the most transfixing feature debuts in all of UK cinema.” — Metrograph

In honor of the recently deceased Terence Davis, The Roxie proposes this winner of the Cannes ‘88 International Critics’ Prize. Loosely based on the director’s own family and upbringing, DISTANT VOICES is an evocative account of working-class life in Liverpool, England during the ‘40s and ‘50s. Births, marriages and deaths — and an expressive use of music — provide the underpinning for a beautiful, heartbreaking, resonant but never sentimental film.

Now regarded as a masterpiece of British cinema, and boasting a startling performance from Pete Postlethwaite (ROMEO + JULIET, INCEPTION) as the brutal head of the family, DISTANT VOICES, STILL LIVES has been treated to a glorious 4K restoration by the British Film Institute.

Written & directed by Terence Davies. With Freda Dowiem, Peter Postlethwaitem, Angela Walsh, Dean Williams & Lorraine Ashbourne.

Runtime
1h 26m
Year
1988
Director
Terence Davies
Format
DCP
Country
U.K.
First Showing
December 3, 2023
Categories
Featured