What if you gathered together some of the UK's most passionate film critics and asked them to explore the subject of London and cinema?
Dive into London’s rich cinematic legacy in this new collection, featuring 20 essays of film analysis, history, and personal reflection. Discover the ever-changing relationship between celluloid and the city, tracing how we live in and perceive London through its rich cinematic culture – both in person and on screen.
From the Underground, to Ealing comedies, to Mike Leigh’s London, Croydon, through Hampstead Heath, prepare to be taken on a whistle-stop tour across London through the medium of film.
Deep-dive into screen representations of Notting Hill, the little-known inspiration for the Paddington books and movies, and individual movies like Alfonso Cuarón’s Children of Men and Michelangelo Antonioni’s Blow-Up. Throughout each essay, BIG SMOKE, BIG SCREEN offers a meaningful and fascinating glimpse into the capital’s influence on the film industry and those who love it.
The book also features 200 curated recommendations of films set in London – paired with each essay – from the best LGBTQ+ films set in the city, to a canon of films that depict London at the end of the world.
BIG SMOKE, BIG SCREEN is edited by WeLoveCinema’s Tom Barnard and features some of the most prolific and talented film writers in the UK.
Contributors include: Ella Kemp, Hannah Strong, Emily Maskell, Adam Solomons, Steph Green, Yasmin Omar, Lillian Crawford, Leila Latif, Fedor Tot, Lilia Pavin-Franks, Rory Doherty, Savina Petkova, Manuela Lazić, Jasmine Valentine, Ben Flanagan, Rafa Sales Ross, Anna McKibbin, Jack Blackwell, and Laura Venning.
ABOUT WE LOVE CINEMA
Deep-dive into screen representations of Notting Hill, the little-known inspiration for the Paddington books WeLoveCinema was a website and personal guide to all of the best movies screening anywhere in London, and was born with a very basic purpose – to help our fellow cinema-goers have the most care-free experience possible.
During our run, we set out to connect audiences to the best of what London cinema had to offer, and make it as easy as possible for audiences to find the most diverse films showing in the capital. As the website grew, so did our coverage, allowing us to access the global festival scene and extend our reach – and our team.
WeLoveCinema now moves into publishing with BIG SMOKE, BIG SCREEN, which acts as a physical keepsake of our legacy and our passion for cinema.