Winter Lecture

A winter lecture series with expert speakers - join us in the studio for a friendly film talk and discussion

Sunday 3 November
Dracula on Screen: From Nosferatu to Nosferatu, with Ellen Cheshire

The legacy of Dracula on screen is a century-long journey, beginning with the unauthorised silent film Nosferatu (1922), which set the tone for countless adaptations. Bela Lugosi's iconic portrayal in Hollywood's Dracula (1931) defined the character, while Hammer Films dominated British horror for two decades, with Christopher Lee's menacing Count at the centre. As Hammer's influence waned, the genre found new life on television with Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003), sparking a wave of vampire-themed shows. The BBC’s 2020 Dracula miniseries brought a 21st-century twist to the legend, and in 2024, Nosferatu has once again been reimagined, proving the timeless appeal of the undead Count.

In this spooky afternoon talk, Ellen Cheshire will trace Dracula's journey from historical roots to Bram Stoker’s iconic creation, exploring the evolution of the vampire legend through some of the most compelling and quirky film adaptations.

Sunday 10 November
World Cinema Breaks Out, with Julian Bowker

Both Zone Of interest and Parasite could be labelled as world cinema, a term usually synonymous with ‘art house’. Both these, very different yet very similar, films found audiences in the mainstream, outside of their typical art house base. Join Julian as he talks through these two iconic films, and world cinema in general. Julian has been teaching film and film theory for over 30 years. For a time he was also an Education Officer at the BFI (British Film Institute) where his role was to encourage an ongoing appreciation of film and help develop media literacy across audiences.