In 1991, Mark Jay was commissioned by BFI and Channel 4 to create Invisible City, a short sci-fi parable reimagining an exiled Russian cinema of the 1970s. The film tells the story of two Jewish escapees from Eastern Europe in 1939 who find themselves in the ruins of a future city where language and memory have been erased.
While making this film at the BFI, Jay worked alongside Black and Asian filmmakers who were actively exploring identity, representation, and diaspora. This led to the director seeking out Jewish artists and filmmakers working outside the mainstream. A loose collective was formed, and in collaboration with this group, Jay produced two further short films exploring Jewish identity, both past and present.
Now, the trilogy heads to our cinema, presented as an interconnected body of work contextualised within the heart of the community and our vibrant community space.
The screenings will be followed by a Q&A with director Mark Jay and other guest, to be announced.
Invisible City, dir. Mark Jay
18 min
A Jewish couple – on the run from the Nazis in 1938 – suddenly find themselves in a desolate world where history and memory have been outlawed (1991).
East Endings, dir. Mark Jay
52 min
Documenting a night at Bloom’s in May, 1993, East Endings takes us inside one of the last remaining kosher restaurants in Whitechapel (1993).
Jewish Item, dir. Mark Jay
33 min
Filled with radical spirit and funky characters, Jewish Item investigates the so-called “missing generation” of 18 to 35 year old British Jews (1996).
If you have any access requirements, please contact our box office team on 020 7613 7498 or email boxoffice@richmix.org.uk
