News | Thursday, 11th April 2019

Silver screen classics shed light on crime and justice

Manchester Crime and Justice Film Festival is curated by University sociologists and criminologists

Film screening
Manchester Crime and Justice Film Festival takes place between May 9-30

Crime fiction will illuminate crime fact at a new Manchester film festival. 

The Manchester Crime and Justice Film Festival (May 9-30), curated by academics from Manchester Metropolitan University, screens classic crime movies to shine a light on the real problems of crime, justice and punishment in contemporary society.

The new festival has been organised by criminologist Kevin Wong, who has also written film, television and radio dramas during his 20-year career as a criminal justice policy adviser and researcher.

Each Manchester Crime and Justice Film Festival screening is followed by a discussion with experts on themes including policing, prisons, tackling reoffending, and race and social cohesion.

Wong, Associate Director at the Policy Evaluation and Research Unit at Manchester Metropolitan, said: “Crime and criminal justice have rarely been out of the headlines over recent months, with constant stories about knife crime and poor standards in the prison and probation services.

“Despite this, we have had little informed debate about what this means to us and the world we would like to live in.

“So I had the idea to use crime films to illustrate some of the important but hidden issues about criminal justice that seldom get a hearing.”

Wong has written 10 BBC radio dramas, as well as the film Peggy Su! which was screened on BBC Two in 1998. His most recent theatre production Jin shan (Gold Mountain) was performed in Liverpool, London, Sweden and Canada.

Wong will introduce a screening of the 1986 film Mona Lisa at the Manchester Crime and Justice Festival, starring Bob Hoskins, Michael Caine and Cathy Tyson.

He said: “This film illustrates the challenge of leaving prison and trying to go straight when you have no legitimate job, no place to call your home and your family relationships are a mess.

“The other films we’ve chosen – The Purge, The Harder They Come and Do The Right Thing are all great and give an alternative take on crime and justice.

“What’s also exciting is that we indulge in a bit of nostalgia – we’re showing all the films in a cinema screen at No. 70 Oxford Road, next to Oxford Road Station, where I used to go to see art house movies.”

All tickets for the Manchester Crime and Justice Film Festival are free and can be reserved via Eventbrite.

Mona Lisa (dir. Neil Jordan / Year: 1986 / Runtime: 104 minutes / Certificate: 18)

Date: Thursday 9th May 2019

The Purge (dir. James DeMonaco / Year: 2013 / Runtime: 85 minutes / Certificate: 15)

Date: Thursday 16th May 2019

The Harder They Come (dir. Perry Henzell / Year: 1972 / Runtime: 103 minutes / Certificate: 18)

Date: Thursday 23rd May 2019

Do The Right Thing (dir. Spike Lee / Year: 1989 / Runtime: 120 minutes / Certificate: 18)

Date: Thursday 30th May 2019

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