Film / News
Curzon’s Titanic Commemoration
The proud boast of Clevedon’s Curzon is that it’s the oldest continually operated cinema in the world. It flung open its doors way back in 1912, just after the RMS Titanic went down. In fact, the cinema’s very first screening was a special charity matinee for families of victims of the disaster. A 103rd birthday isn’t usually an occasion to pull out all the stops, but that’s what the Curzon is doing next month. They’ll be screening 1912 Remembered, a new British Film Institute documentary curated especially for the cinema. This includes newsreels showing the aftermath of the sinking of Titanic as well as Scott’s ill-fated Antarctic expedition.
The documentary also includes a selection of short films. Among them is Nurse and Martyr, which tells the extraordinary story of Edith Cavell, who spent much of her childhood in Clevedon. A British nurse who was credited with saving lives on both sides during WWI, she was executed by a German firing squad for helping 200 Allied soldiers to escape from occupied Belgium.
The screening takes place on Sun 19 April and will be accompanied by Stephen Horne, one of the UK’s premier silent film pianists. During the birthday weekend, there will also be live music and tours of the cinema with opportunities for splicing film and lacing projectors from the Curzon’s extensive collection of vintage equipment. There’s also a full programme of films and activities for nippers. See the Curzon’s website for full details.
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