Lights! Camera! Revolution! - film from Russia and Cuba

I've written before about the role of Trades Union Councils in promoting (or should that be

fomenting) working class and left political culture. Another example is taking place this weekend in Dumfries.

There, the local TUC (what we used to call Trades Councils) in association with the Robert Burns Centre Film Theatre, is screening a small film festival to mark the centenary of the Russian Revolution.

Called Representing Revolution the first film - At Home among Strangers - screens tonight and then we have another 5 films including Eisenstein's October, screened with The End of Saint Petersburg, and Warren Beatty's Reds. The films are introduced and illustrated by a variety of talks by prominent academics. The Morning Star (also a partner in this project) has a fuller description here.

Tickets are available from the Robert Burns Centre here.

If the Russian Revolution is not your bag (all that snow and ice) how about a revolution performed in the somewhat warmer climes of the Caribbean? The Third Havana Glasgow Film Festival is coming up in Havana's twin city on the Clyde.

This year concentrated into an extended weekend the Festival has concentrated on bringing the stars and filmmakers over from Cuba to speak to their creations. Starting from Thursday 9 November with Jonal Cosculluela here to talk about his film Esteban - about a 9-year-old's determination to learn the piano - this year's festival also welcomes Luis Alberto Garcia, star of films like - Ya no es Antes - the premiere of this film about a couple split by emigration, and Clandestinos - a love story set against the last days of the revolution against Batista.

Dr Aleida Guevara March

Other Cuban friends arriving are Che Guevara's daughter, Aleida, in Glasgow as part of a UK-wide speaking tour on the 50th Anniversary of her father's assassination.  In addition to the rally organised by the Scottish Cuba Solidarity Campaign, she will take time out to discuss two films-San Ernesto nace en La Higuera - about the impact of Che's death amongst the Bolivian villagers in the area - and The Man Behind the Myth - on Che's compadre. Fidel. HGFF's Cuban co-director, Hugo Rivalta flies in tomorrow (Saturday)!

The HGFF website has details of these and many other films (me? I'm lookng forward to Ghost Town to Havana - about two kids baseball teams - from Oakland and Havana and the parallels and differences between them.). The programme is here.

Rich pickings for the Culture Vulture - Edinburgh Festivals Preview

It seems like some time since I posted anything vaguely cultural here, but that is about to change!

Last Saturday our friends in the Morning Star printed my preview of the Fringe at this year's Edinburgh Festivals. This (and the International Festival) started this weekend and I thought it was worth posting a link to it here. Mine is the second of the two reviews posted there.

The International Festival meanwhile is celebrating its 70 Anniversary. The trade union link has been ably dealt with by Ann Henderson in an earlier Star, but it is a pity that much of the ‘Spirit of ‘47’ events are only available online and not in the printed programme.  

PJ Harvey. pic Maria Mochnaz

In addition to the rich classical and dramatic programme dealt with so ably by my colleague Gordon Parsons in the first half of the Star preview, the contemporary music programme features, PJ Harvey, and Anoushka Shankar. Other contemporary music highlights promise to be the eclectic Benjamin Clementine, and Jarvis Cocker/Chilly Gonzalez in Room 29 of the Los Angeles Chateau Marmont. 

The slightly-less-contemporary music scene sees legendary produce Joe Boyd try and recreate

Joe Boyd. pic Andrew Goertler

the Music of the Incredible String Band – very cellular songs, using a range of guest musicians, (yes he does include Mike Heron). Boyd was one of the seminal producers of the ‘60s, working with Pink Floyd, Fairport Convention, Sandy Denny, Richard Thompson, R.E.M., John Martyn, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Billy Bragg, and Nick Drake as well as ISB.(An interesting Nick Drake link is the appearance by the Unthanks at this year's book festival. They have reinterpreted the little-known song and poetry of Molly Drake, Nick's mother. Their amazing voices promise an intriguing treatment.)

In the Classical Music side there are as ever, many gems. A spectacular two-orchestra show with the RSNO and the Mariinsky Orchestra marks the centenary of the Russian Revolution.  A flamenco version of Carmen from Spain’s Maria Pages company rubs shoulders with an opera version of Steven Berkoff's resetting of the Oedipus story, Greek. Written by Mark-Anthony Turnage the myth is updated and set in London's east end. Expect references to racism, football violence and industrial unrest! 

I am girding my loins for a busy (but hopefully not unrewarding) three weeks!