Set in Coney Island over the Fourth of July weekend, Hungarian-born director Pal Fejos’ 1928 film Lonesome is a classic New York City romance, following two lonely characters whose chance meeting offers them a brief shot at happiness. The themes of urban isolation and the chaos of the carnival feel curiously prescient for a modern audience, while the innovative use of color tinting, superimposition effects and a roving camera mark Fejos out as an adventurous and imaginative filmmaker.
As an award-winning neo-classical composer, and principal songwriter and bassist for the band Dutch Uncles, Robin Richards is one of the city’s most exciting musical talents. His original score for Lonesome has been created in collaboration with the composition department at the Royal Northern College of Music. Musicians from the college will perform alongside Robin, bringing this masterpiece of cinema to life in a completely new way.
Assistant composers: Lucy Hale, Daniel Lim, Roy Watkins, Max Burstyn
Performed by: James Heathcote, Jack Rhys Stone, Adam Riding, Lisa Meschi, Angela Donnelly, Becky Stephenson, Liga Korne, Carlos Agreda
Music and Film is produced by HOME in collaboration with the Royal Northern College of Music and is supported by Film Hub North West Central, part of the BFI Film Audience Network (BFI FAN)