The CineSkinny Film Club and MUBI present: The Fall

The phrase “visionary director” gets bandied about a lot but it’s perfectly apt when discussing the work of Indian-born, US-based director Tarsem Singh. He makes stunningly beautiful films, and his wild imagination is at its most flamboyant in The Fall, from 2006. That this fantasy epic even exists is a miracle. Tarsem funded it himself, and shot it over four years in 18 different countries (including China, India, Spain, Bali, Cambodia, Czechia, Egypt and South Africa) in between his day job as a celebrated adverts and music videos director. What he creates is jaw-dropping.

The film centres on a silent movie stuntman played by Lee Pace, who’s in hospital recovering from broken bones due to a disastrous on-set fall. From his sick bed, he entertains a young girl who’s a fellow patient with an exotic yarn about a band of men – whose number include biologist Charles Darwin and an eyeliner-wearing bandit (played by Pace) – who do battle against their sworn enemy, the evil Governor Odious. The girl is delighted by the story but the stuntman keeps stopping it at the most gorgeous bits.

Imagine if Terry Gilliam had directed The Princess Bride and you’d be pretty close to the vibe of this total one-off of a film. The result is a dazzling study of the power of storytelling that’s a riot of colourful and operatic setpieces, most of which were achieved using practical effects.

The Fall recently received a 4K restoration, and we've teamed up with distributor MUBI to screen this restored version free at CCA in Glasgow on 16 October. Don't miss this chance to see this stunning film on the big screen!

Doors open 7pm
Film starts at 7.15pm (no adverts or trailers)