HOME 4 Nov-12 Dec 2017
UK tour Nov 2017 – Jan 2018
In the winter of 2017, HOME presented a season of nail-biting thrillers that expose the political tensions that reverberated across Europe in the 1970s. A decade when the social turmoil that marked the late 1960s gave way to a more strident politics that involved stark and sometimes violent contrasts between left and right. A decade that was scarred by the emergence of uncompromisingly radical groups such as the Red Army Faction and the Red Brigades.
In response to this charged moment a number of filmmakers across Europe turned to the format of the thriller. Stylish and enduringly popular with audiences, they saw it as the perfect vehicle through which to explore conspiracies, authoritarian regimes, and political violence.
Curated by Andy Willis, Professor of Film Studies at the University of Salford and HOME’s Senior Visiting Curator: Film. Produced by Rachel Hayward, HOME’s Programme Manager: Film and coordinated by Jessie Gibbs, HOME Film team.
States of Danger and Deceit: European Political Thrillers in the 1970s is programmed by HOME as part of BFI THRILLER, a major season of classic and contemporary thrillers at BFI Southbank and at venues UK-wide. Presented with the support of the BFI, awarding funds from The National Lottery.
For full details of tour venues, see below.
| Arthouse, Crouch End |
| BFI Southbank |
| DCA, Dundee |
| Deptford Cinema, London |
| Eden Court, Inverness |
| Edinburgh Filmhouse |
| GFT, Glasgow |
| Kinokulture, Oswestry |
| Leeds Everyman |
| Leeds Hyde Park Picturehouse |
| Leeds Town Hall |
| Lewes Depot |
| MAC Birmingham |
| Nottingham Broadway |
| Otley Film Society |
| Picturehouse at FACT, Liverpool |
| Quad, Derby |
| RBCFT Dumfries |
| Showroom, Sheffield |
| Shrewsbury The Hive |
| Stoke Film Theatre |
| Storyhouse, Chester |
| The Cube, Bristol |
| Tyneside Cinema |
| Watershed, Bristol |
In this season
The HOME Film Podcast: States of Danger & Deceit: European Political Thrillers in the 1970s
Jason and Andy provide an extra hit of podcast-goodness to offer a guided tour of our new film season States of Danger & Deceit: European…
One Minute Review: Knife In The Head
Thinking of coming to see Bruno Gantz' thriller Knife in the Head? Find out what you're in for by listening to our one minute review!
One Minute Review: The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum
Have you seen The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum? Our States of Danger & Deceit: Political Thrillers of the 1970s student intern Ellen Smith offers…
Blogs
Actor-In-Focus: Gian Maria Volontè
An icon of 1970s cinema, an activist leftist actor, Gian Maria Volontè incarnated the spirit of those terrible years in Italy known as Anni di…
Blogs
Actor-In-Focus: Angela Winkler
Angela Winkler is one of Germany’s most acclaimed performers. Since the late 1960s she has worked extensively in theatre and film, working with many of…
Blogs
Director-In-Focus: Francesco Rosi
Francesco Rosi’s trio of films The Mattei Affair (1972), Lucky Luciano (1973) and Illustrious Corpses (1976) are often cited as landmark European political films of…
Blogs
Film Notes: Operation Ogre
Operation Ogre manages to succeed as a tense thriller despite being based on true events – the outcome of which most audiences would likely know…
Blogs
Film Notes: The Day of the Jackal
In some respects, Fred Zinnemann’s adaptation of Frederick Forsyth’s novel The Day of the Jackal might look out of place in the States of Danger…
Previously in this season
Cinema
The Long Good Friday
The Long Good Friday is heralded as one of the best British gangster films of all time, starring Bob Hoskins in his career-making role as…
event
Don’t Torture a Duckling Introduction
This screening will be introduced by Andy Willis, Professor of Film Studies at University of Salford.
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Debate: The Space and Place of Women in the Political Thriller
This discussion will focus on the place made available for women in the political thrillers of the 1970s.
event
State of Siege Post-screening discussion
The screening on Sun 19 November will be followed by an informal post-screening discussion led by Maggie Hoffgen, Freelance Film Educator.
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State of Siege Introduction
The screening on Tue 21 November will be introduced by Andy Willis, Professor of Film Studies at University of Salford.
event
Days of ’36 Introduction
This screening will be introduced by Dr Eleftheria Rania Kosmidou, Lecturer in Film Studies at the University of Salford.
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Special Section Introduction
This screening will be introduced by Isabelle Vanderschelden, Head of French at Manchester Metropolitan University.
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The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum Q&A
We will be joined by Angela Winkler for a post-screening Q&A.
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Man on the Roof Introduction
This screening will be introduced by Roy Stafford, Freelance Film Educator.
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Twilight’s Last Gleaming Introduction
This screening will be introduced by Andy Willis, Professor of Film Studies at University of Salford.
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The Day of the Jackal Post-screening discussion
This screening will be followed by a post-screening discussion with Roy Stafford, Freelance Film Educator.
event
Circle of Deceit Post-screening discussion
This film will be followed by a post-screening discussion.
event
Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion Introduction
This screening will be introduced by Adalgisa Serio, Italian Language Tutor CDLCI and Freelance Language Consultant, author of Collana Cinema Italia and Italiano al cinema.
event
One Hour Intro/ Beck and the roots of Nordic Noir
Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö's ten crime novels from the 1960s and ‘70s featuring Inspector Martin Beck have had a major impact on Swedish –…
Cinema
The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum
Based on the well-known book by Heinrich Böll the film is a critical portrayal of the right-wing media whipping up public hysteria at the height…
Cinema
State of Siege
Perhaps the greatest political thriller of the 1970s, Costa-Gavras calls on Yves Montand to lead this story of an American who is kidnapped by guerrillas…
Cinema
Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion
In this visually stunning and beautifully composed film, a corrupt police official decides to show how untouchable he is by creating a murder scene where…
Cinema
The Day of the Jackal
The attempts of a right-wing paramilitary group to assassinate French President General De Gaulle following the independence of Algeria. Boasting a career-defining performance from Edward…
Cinema
Don’t Torture a Duckling
Set in rural Italy, a series of brutal murders where the killer seems to target young boys on the verge of adulthood. As the media…
Cinema
Days of ’36
An imprisoned murderer takes a government official hostage in prison sparking a political crisis. Full of Angelopoulos’ trademark symmetrical compositions, this reads like a thriller…
Cinema
Special Section
With Special Section, director Costa-Gavras turned his attention to events in France during World War II. When a German officer is killed, the Nazi occupying…
Cinema
Killer Cop
In this Milan-set low-budget gem, director Luciano Ercoli creates a political thriller full of 1970s Italian style. After a terrorist bomb explodes in a busy…
event
Z Introduction
This screening will be introduced by Andy Willis, Professor of Film Studies at University of Salford.
Cinema
Illustrious Corpses
In an Italy rife with mistrust and paranoia Judges are being murdered. Lino Ventura’s quietly effective detective is appointed to investigate who is responsible and…
Cinema
The Flight
One of the final films made in East Germany featuring the great actor Armin Mueller-Stahl - he would later memorably link up with Costa-Gavras in…
Cinema
Operation Ogre
From the director of Battle of Algiers and starring Gian Maria Volontè alongside Eusebio Poncela, José Sacristán and Ángela Molina. This story of the assassination…
event
One Hour Intro/ Bruno Ganz: Screen Chameleon
This One Hour Intro will focus on the work of the Swiss-German actor who, at the age of 75, can look back on a long…
event
The legacy of the 1970s political thriller
To discuss the politics of utilising the format of the thriller and the legacy of the work contained in States of Danger and Deceit, curator…
Cinema
The Mattei Affair
An investigative thriller that focuses on the death of Enrico Mattei, an influential businessman who made enemies in the mafia. His story is interspersed with…
event
One Hour Intro/ Political Thrillers in the 1970s: From Z to Circle of Deceit
Politically the 1970s was a turbulent decade and many filmmakers, writers and actors felt driven to explore some of its most pressing issues on screen.…
Cinema
Man on the Roof
Adapted from the Martin Beck novel The Abominable Man by legendary left-leaning Swedish crime writers Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö, Man on the Roof is…