Screening of Stanley Kramer's 1959 nuclear war film 'On The Beach', starring Gregory Peck, with an introduction in collaboration with Derby CND.
QUAD is screening On The Beach on Sunday 22 November, a 1959 doomsday classic that's getting a bit more than just a showing. It's presented in collaboration with Derby CND (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament) and comes with an introduction before the film starts, so there's a bit of context to chew on before the credits roll.
Directed by Stanley Kramer and starring Gregory Peck, On The Beach is widely seen as the first 'important' entry in the doomsday genre. It's based on Nevil Shute's novel and set in 1964, when virtually all life on Earth has been wiped out by the radioactive fallout of a nuclear war. The only survivors are in Australia, who've been spared for now. Against that backdrop, faint radio signals from San Diego offer a ray of hope, and a submarine commander and his men set out to find out if life is still clinging on anywhere else. It's a long one—134 minutes—and it's rated PG.
Knowing the film comes from Derby CND adds a layer to it. The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament has spent decades campaigning against the very thing the movie is about, so having them involved makes the screening feel like more than just a trip to the cinema. It's a film that asks what's left when the world ends, and having that conversation in the room before the film starts gives it a bit more weight.
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QUAD is known for its accessible cinema, with regular descriptive subtitled screenings and Audio Description, and for supporting regional filmmakers and running film courses. The screening starts at 16:00 on Sunday 22 November, with tickets at £10.50 standard and £8.50 concession.
