A CRITICALLY-ACCLAIMED film could have been shot at an iconic Reading venue, its director has revealed.
Speaking at an event hosted by Reading Biscuit Factory, Peter Strickland said he intended to capture his movie, In Fabric, at Jackson’s department store.
He said: “We wanted it [In Fabric] to be shot in Jackson’s, but we just missed out by literally a week.”
Founded in 1875, Jackson’s was forced to close after 138 years of trading after experiencing a drop in trade, largely due to the competition posed by online shopping.
The movie, a psychological horror comedy, follows a haunted red dress, purchased in a London department store, as it torments its various owners.
Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hayley Squires, Leo Bill and Gwendoline Christie star in the film which was lauded by The Independent, The Daily Telegraph, Empire and The Guardian.
The New York Times described it as Strickland’s ‘most impressive, engrossing, imaginatively unchained work yet’.
It was also included in the best films of 2019 lists by The Playlist and Sight & Sound.
Strickland was attending a screening of Flux Gourmet and short film Blank Narcissus at Reading Biscuit Factory on Wednesday, September 14.
Flux Gourmet is Strickland’s latest release, a dark comedy starring Asa Butterfield and Gwendoline Christie.
The 49-year-old is known for making his work a fully sensory experience, and this offering was truly brought to life through sound.
A group of experimental performance artists, who use food to extract disturbing noises in a process called ‘sonic catering’, take part in a residency at a remote artistic institution.
Their journey is documented by a journalist, who, unbeknownst to him, finds himself slowly becoming more involved in the group.
The Reading-born director and screenwriter subsequently took questions from a packed-out Cinema 1.
He engaged the crowd, discussing his ‘love-hate’ relationship with his hometown, and admitted spending time away has helped him appreciate the area’s qualities.
The former Progress Theatre member also hoped his latest offering would create awareness for chronic and auto-immune issues which are sometimes treated lightly in social settings.
Strickland went on to speak of his love of writing screenplays, saying the process was ‘far more enjoyable than shooting’ due to time pressures on set.
For information at future events at Reading Biscuit Factory, visit: www.readingbiscuitfactory.co.uk
