Ellen Cheshire

I've been doing a #30DayFilmChallenge, and day 20 is a 'Film that changed your life'. It was a tough one as I couldn't initially recall a pivotal film that in some way 'changed me'. So, I've been mulling over key moments or decisions in my life that were in some way linked to film, which led me to the films of Mira Nair. I was doing my A Level in Film Studies at Redbridge College (from 1991-1993), and one of the four pieces of coursework we had to submit was on an indpendent

With the Chichester International Film Festival scheduling a screening of Monsoon Wedding on 20 August at 20.45 I thought I'd post a review of the film I wrote for the now defunct clickwalla.com website back in 2002 (I haven't re-edited it). You can read more about my love of Mira Nair's films in the blog 'How Mira Nair's Mississippi Masala Changed My Life' Monsoon Wedding (2001) Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Lilette Dubey, Vasundhara Das, Parvin Dubas, Sameer Arya, Vijay Raaz and

150 years ago, people read for the first time Alice’s immortal line “And what is the use of a book, without pictures or conversation?” How she would have loved the movies! On Saturday 23 May 2015 I'll be giving a paper at the Wonderlands: Reading/Writing/Telling Fairy Tales and Fantasy symposium at University of Chichester, organised by the Sussex Centre of Folklore, Fairy Tale and Fantasy.You can see all the presentations from the Wonderlands conference here. I'll be talkin

Last year I invested (via kickstarter) in London Symphony, a brand New Silent Film about the Culture and Diversity of London. The director/editor Alex Barrett referenced some of my favourite films as his influences inlcuding Man With a Movie Camera (1929) and Night Mail (1936). The trailer, music and photography are stunning, and I can't wait to see it. Here's a sample to tempt you.... With the release of London Symphony still a few months away, thought I check in with Man

With the UK release of Christophe Gans new version of the Beauty and the Beast myth still a few months away, thought I'd revisit Cocteau's 1946 classic. La Belle et La Bete (1946) Director: Jean Cocteau For those only familiar with the Beauty and the Beast fable from Disney’s 1991 Oscar nominated animated cartoon, Cocteau’s La Belle at La Bete will be a revelation. The plot possesses the darkness, surreal romanticism and eroticism of the original fairytale (often attributed

I have always had a soft spot for the MGM musical extravaganzas of the 1950s, particularly those starring Esther Williams, the swimming superstar. Reading her autobiography reveals a fascinating story of heartache and triumph behind the fabulous smile. The Million Dollar Mermaid by Esther Williams and Digby Dell Published by Pocket Books, 2000 Esther Williams, the million-dollar mermaid, made a number of great films for MGM. The swimming sensation and founder of water ballet