Ray & Liz

Ray & Liz

59th TIFF: Greek Premiere

On the outskirts of Birmingham and the margins of society, the Billingham family perform extreme rituals and break social taboos as they muddle through a life decided by factors beyond their control. At times shocking and laced with an unsettling humour, three episodes from the early life of the artist unfold as a powerful evocation of the lived experience of growing up in the era of (Thatcherian) austerity. Famous British photographer Richard Billingham expands his reflection on the “still life” of the family, shooting in moving images a subjective landscape of negligence and loneliness.

Screening Schedule

No physical screenings scheduled.

Direction: Richard Billingham
Script: Richard Billingham
Cinematography: Daniel Landin
Editing: Tracy Granger
Sound: Joakim Sundström
Actors: Ella Smith, Justin Salinger, Patrick Romer, Deirdre Kelly, Tony Way, Sam Gittins, Joshua Millard-Lloyd
Production: Primitive Film
Producers: Jacqui Davies
Art Direction: Beck Rainford
Costumes: Emma Rees
Executive producer: Adam Partridge, Ed Talfan
Camera: Derrick Peters, Josefine Thieme
Make Up: Lucie Blundell Jones, My Alehammar
Format: DCP
Color: Color
Production Country: UK
Production Year: 2018
Duration: 107΄
Contact: Luxbox, festivals@luxboxfilms.com
Awards/Distinctions: Special Jury Prize – Locarno IFF 2018

Richard Billingham

Richard Billingham is a British artist, photographer, and filmmaker. In 1997, he was the first recipient of the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize. He exhibited at the Venice Biennale 2001 and was nominated for the Turner Prize, also 2001. His work often focuses on his immediate family, captivated animals in zoos around the world, and the British landscape. His work is held in many collections including San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, The Metropolitan Museum, New York, V&A, and Tate Galleries, London. Ray & Liz, the first feature film he made for cinema, was shot on location in the Midlands where he grew up.

Filmography

1998 Fishtank (TV doc)
1998 Liz Smoking (short doc)
1998 Tony Smoking Backwards (short doc)
1999 Ray in Bed (short doc)
1999 Playstation (short doc)
2018 Ray & Liz