This Weekend

18 - 20 October

Well, with Mickey Mouse’s big hand pointing upwards and Goofy’s tail pointing downwards, I realise my Rolex is a fake.

It’s also time for another update concerning all things Rising Sun-related, especially all those things happening this weekend…

On Friday, we bring you STAND UP CINEMA

Stand Up Cinema is our monthly film club with a little bit of help from those nice folks at Real Time VIdeo. It’s the only cinema night in Reading where you can findshort films from local film-makers and a selection of contemporary and classic films that you won’t often find elsewhere. It’s also the only cinema night in town where you can enjoy a beer with your popcorn!

By the way, if you’d like to show a short film of your own, why not drop a line to info@real-time.org.uk? It doesn’t have to be the finished article, it just needs to be 10 minutes or less in length. It’s a great way to get some audience reaction.

This month’s main feature is BENDA BILILI! (2010, Renaud Barret, Florent de la Tullaye)

Staff Benda Bilili (‘Benda Bilili’ means ‘look beyond appearances’ in Lingala) is a Kinshasa street band, four of whose members are disabled. During the shooting of this documentary, which took five years, Staff Benda Bilili went from impoverished street musicians to a band of worldwide acclaim. It’s about talent triumphing over adversity. Barret and de La Tullaye’s eye for detail keeps the film witty and surprising and the camera captures the social cut-and-thrust of urban Kinshasa, before reflecting the group’s wonder at a wider world they had previously only imagined. Benda Bilili! received standing ovations when it opened at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, with the group in attendance.

Benda Bilili! is being shown as part of Black History Month and Reading International festival.

We’ll be open at 7pm. Short films start at 7.30pm and Benda Bilili! starts at 8pm. It’ll only cost you a paltry £4 at the door to get in.

On Saturday, Club Velocity presents BANDORAMA

A veritable cornucopia of live sounds courtesy of the chap on the door and the chap on the bar, and this month it looks something like this:-

QUIET QUIET BAND
One of the best live bands in the UK.They deal in some top quality alt country punknroll..Hooray. By thye way, if you still haven’t seen them-you really missing out.

THE JETTES
Full throttle female fronted fuzz pop. Fabulous!

MATT MALTESE
Matt might only be 17, but he has already had a top ten Itunes single.Round these far parts there are a quite few people with big hopes for this chap.

Great songs. Great voice. Your mum will want to cuddle him…..

We’re open from 8pm and it’ll cost you £5 on the door or £4 in advance if you go to www.wegottickets.co.uk

Finally on Sunday, it’s time for MILONGA SIMPATICA

Another helping of our small, relaxed milonga affording tango dancers the chance to come together and enjoy an afternoon of social dancing. Tea and homemade cakes are provided and a friendly atmosphere where you can spend a pleasant few hours dancing. Could there be a nicer way to wind down the weekend?

We’re open from 4.30pm til 8pm and entry is £6.at the door.

Well, they do say that time flies when you’re having fun, and to prove it I notice my sundial has stopped. It just remains for me to remind you that you can find us, at 30 Silver Street, Reading, RG1 2ST. (There are still one or two folks who struggle to find us… People are strange)