The Polyester Picks from BFI's London Film Festival - Our Five Favourites

Words: Jenn Lehwald & Rob Corsini

Make it stand out

For the last two weeks, the Polyester team has been at the 69th BFI London Film Festival. We’ve seen films about a schoolteacher who kidnaps a disruptive student; a couple in the throes of postnatal depression; and even a divorced man who tries his hand at stand up comedy {shudders}.

As with anything in this life, there were highs and lows - but today we’ll take you through Polyester’s picks of the festival:

Hamnet - dir. Chloe Zhou

Hamnet is based on Maggie O'Farrell’s 2020 novel of the same name which tells the story of the death of Wiliam Shakespear’s first and only son, which is believed to have inspired his tragedy, Hamlet.  This film floored me. Hamnet explores the isolation of grief in such a tender and heartbreaking way that I haven’t seen on screen in a very long time. Coupled with beautiful camera work and fantastic acting - I couldn’t have asked for anything more from this film. Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal’s chemistry on screen feels so authentic and leaves you absolutely devastated by the end. JL

Fucktoys - dir. Annapurna Sriram 

I cannot think of a film released in the last ten years that's this much of a good time. Every shot in this film is beautiful, soaked in bright colours, with amazing cinematography by Cory Fraiman-Lott. It feels like a lot of films recently have been trying to be camp, borrowing from a list of references that should produce a camp end-product, but have fallen short - landing in region of the not-quite, Katy-Perry-burger-Met-Gala-dress. But Fucktoys has a punk spirit and a real sense of humour that makes it feel decidedly camp whilst feeling fresh, it'll be a film that people will reference when they're making films in ten years. RC

The Chronology of Water - dir. Kristen Stewart

The Chronology of Water - Kristen Stewart’s directorial debut - is an adaptation of Lidia Yuknavitch’s memoir of the same name. It follows Lidia’s hopes of an Olympic swimming career while dealing with abuse at the hands of her father, battling addiction, discovering her sexuality and eventually finding her way in the world through written word.  This was a standout of the festival for me. It’s such a joy to watch a film where everyone involved so clearly poured their whole selves into it. Imogen Poots delivers a phenomenal performance as Lidia, and Kristen Stewart feels strikingly confident behind the camera. The imagery in this film feels EXTREMELY tumblr [complimentary]. JL

The Testament of Ann Lee - dir. Mona Fastvold

Mona Fastvold has been trying to make this film for half a decade, but struggled because there was 'zero interest' from the industry. When I describe the film - a choral musical about the founding leader of a religious sect in the 18th century who believes she is the second coming of Jesus - it's maybe not difficult to see why, but I am so glad this a film that exists. Starting from it's first shots, the film is really ambitious, gorgeously shot, and unwilling to treat it's subject matter with any irony or insincerity. The story is presented in a way that feels straightforward, but over the last week I've been turning it over in my head. Definitely one to see in the cinema. RC

The Voice of Hind Rajab - dir. Kaouther Ben Hania

The Voice of Hind Rajab is a docu-drama written and directed by Kaouther Ben Hania. The film follows the Red Crescent response to a call made from Hind Rajab, a five year old Palestinian girl trapped in a car next to her family who have been shot at and killed by Israeli forces while the Red Crescent try to get an ambulance to her. The film uses the actual calls with the Palestinian red crescent from the day Hind Rajab was killed. This is a film that feels more like a call to action rather than anything we need to try to intellectualise or critique - the urgency this film was made with feels like the entire point of filmmaking. It’s hard to praise as it’s a difficult watch and leaves you feeling unsure with what to do with what you’ve just seen - but it is an absolutely necessary watch and one of the most powerful films I’ve seen in recent years. JL