Screening of Twende Berlin (director Farasi Flani) on 07.11.2012. Photography by Fiorella Nitrato Izzo.

An ‘african-inspired’ alternative cinema space, Picha House (whose name derives from the Swahili word for ‘picture’) celebrated the inventive reuse and hand-crafting of everyday materials found throughout the continent of Africa. Hosted at the Rich Mix venue in Hackney, the installation was open [...]]]>

Screening of Twende Berlin (director Farasi Flani) on 07.11.2012.
Photography by Fiorella Nitrato Izzo.

An ‘african-inspired’ alternative cinema space, Picha House (whose name derives from the Swahili word for ‘picture’) celebrated the inventive reuse and hand-crafting of everyday materials found throughout the continent of Africa. Hosted at the Rich Mix venue in Hackney, the installation was open to the public from 2nd-11th November as part of Film Africa’s 2012 film festival, offering the chance to view work by African and Diasporan directors in an ‘authentic’ viewing environment.

A multi-coloured hessian coffee sack carpet and floor cushions provided an informal seating arrangement for the audience to position themselves as they felt most comfortable. Some sat chatting in clustered groups, whilst others stretched out to lie with coffee cushions as pillows and watch the films flicker over the screen. A no shoes ‘house rule’ further evoked the sense of being in a domestic environment.

The projection screen was fabricated from a single kilometre strip of natural cotton, hung from the ceiling of the double-height Lower Cafe Gallery space. By avoiding cutting the material, its integrity was maintained, permitting the temporary installation to be easily removed and reused in future, in alternative configurations. The strip screen aesthetic created a subtle fragmentation of the projected image – an abstract representation of the way in which films are often viewed in Africa, through a neighbour’s window or on a smaller screen in a video shack without a high definition image.

Fragile hand-made plaster sculptures by ceramicist Ranti Bambgala were hung from coloured ropes at low level, encouraging visitors to interact with them and experience their delicate tactile qualities.

HE  13.11.2012

Coffee cushions at Picha House.
Photography by Fiorella Nitrato Izzo.

Picha House poster.
Photography by Andrew Tam.

Photography by Fiorella Nitrato Izzo

Following tonight’s screening of Twende Berlin (director Farasi Flani), LCDC took the opportunity to host a public debate on the topic of urban gentrification – chewing over some of the poignant questions raised by the Kenyan hip-hop clan’s journey as depicted in the film.  After a long screening on a school [...]]]>

Photography by Fiorella Nitrato Izzo

Following tonight’s screening of Twende Berlin (director Farasi Flani), LCDC took the opportunity to host a public debate on the topic of urban gentrification – chewing over some of the poignant questions raised by the Kenyan hip-hop clan’s journey as depicted in the film.  After a long screening on a school night, a small yet feisty gathering remained to tackle this complex topic, generating an engaging and lively discussion late into the evening.

Some of the questions mulled over included: Is gentrification always viewed in a negative way by the public, and what are the implications of this?  How can creatives and concerned urban citizens take a stand in claiming and reclaiming public spaces for their communities?  Could young creatives and designers channel their skills in a more effective way to avoid the common pattern of being the unintentional instigators of urban gentrification?  And what can be done to help our cities develop without alienating local communities and erasing cultural memory?

A big thank you to all who stayed and took part in the debate – great food for thought!

Earlier this evening, Picha House was jam-packed (both in terms of people and content) hosting a topical seminar on the current practices of alternative filmmaking collectives, citizen journalists, and community TV. If you missed the seminar, Filming Tomorrow was filmed, so watch this space for more information on where to view the footage of the [...]]]>

Earlier this evening, Picha House was jam-packed (both in terms of people and content) hosting a topical seminar on the current practices of alternative filmmaking collectives, citizen journalists, and community TV. If you missed the seminar, Filming Tomorrow was filmed, so watch this space for more information on where to view the footage of the discussions which took place…

Photography by Andrew Tam

This evening’s ‘Open Screen’ event at Picha House hosted the cinematic version of the open mic…book your slot, show your short film. An event for Diasporan African filmmakers run by filmmaker, writer and actor Joseph Adesunloye of DreamCoat Productions, the space was packed out with films generating an enthusiastic and lively exchange [...]]]>

Photography by Andrew Tam

This evening’s ‘Open Screen’ event at Picha House hosted the cinematic version of the open mic…book your slot, show your short film. An event for Diasporan African filmmakers run by filmmaker, writer and actor Joseph Adesunloye of DreamCoat Productions, the space was packed out with films generating an enthusiastic and lively exchange of ideas and experiences.

Opening night screening of ‘Coz Ov Moni’.  Photography by Helen Evans

Picha House is officially open!  The screening programme kicked off tonight with ‘Coz Ov Moni’ – the hilarious pidgin hip-hop musical by director King Luu.  The space will be open to the public every day from 10am until 9pm, from 2nd until 11th November.  For [...]]]>

Opening night screening of ‘Coz Ov Moni’.  Photography by Helen Evans

Picha House is officially open!  The screening programme kicked off tonight with ‘Coz Ov Moni’ – the hilarious pidgin hip-hop musical by director King Luu.  The space will be open to the public every day from 10am until 9pm, from 2nd until 11th November.  For the full programme of film screenings see the Rich Mix website: http://www.richmix.org.uk/whats-on/event/film-africa-create/

Coming soon:

23 – 24 September 2009 10am – 6pm U-Block The Old Truman Brewery 146 Brick Lane London E1 6QL

***FREE ENTRY***

A pop-up installation grafted onto the market stall grid of The Old Truman Brewery’s U-Block. Wander freely amongst a field of projections telling tales from a 5-night film festival in the town of Lalibela, Northern Ethiopia in December 2008. A [...]]]>

Coming soon:

23 – 24 September 2009
10am – 6pm
U-Block
The Old Truman Brewery
146 Brick Lane
London E1 6QL

***FREE ENTRY***

A pop-up installation grafted onto the market stall grid of The Old Truman Brewery’s U-Block. Wander freely amongst a field of projections telling tales from a 5-night film festival in the town of Lalibela, Northern Ethiopia in December 2008. A prototypical, portable, and deployable cinema travelled there with 12 students from the Architectural Association’s diploma school. Films were screened under a sea of stars and framed by an epic landscape of rugged mountains.

Appropriating its context once again, the structure now appears as an alien object in a deserted marketplace, stained and scarred with traces of its previous existence.

The installation documents and re-presents the project, showcasing ambitions for a new initiative to provide Lalibela with a community-owned and permanent public place.

The event is part of the London Design Festival