#WeAreQFT: Emma Bainbridge

You are stuck at home and your favourite cinema is closed. What five films do you watch?

I’m going to cheat just a little bit and do a season for the first one because I can’t watch just one of an evening.

1. Musical Season: The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994), Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001), Connie and Carla (2004) and finish with Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975).

2. The Silence of the Lambs (1991): I honestly could never get bored of Jodie Foster’s performance.

3. Paris is Burning (1990): I cannot recommend this enough to anyone who hasn’t seen it, it’s such a visceral film you can practically SMELL '80s New York and it’s an amazing snapshot of history. It’s everything I love about documentary film making.

4. Rear Window (1954): A true study of self-isolation and how to overcome the boredom.

5. Paradise Lost Trilogy (1996 - 2011): Truly one of the best series of true crime documentaries made about a single case, it’s really interesting to see the theories and focus of the filmmakers change as more evidence emerges.

What three words would you use to describe QFT?

Quirky, indie, hipster.

What is your earliest cinema-going memory?

My first cinema experience was being 5 years old and going to see Jurassic Park (1993). I vividly remember a teenage boy screaming when Mr Gennaro met his untimely end, while I was giggling manically. It triggered a healthy love of both dinosaurs and monster disaster movies that I indulge to this day. Jurassic Park is and always will have a special place in my heart as it triggered my love of cinema. I even have a “Clever Girl” tattoo of a Velociraptor riding a bike to make sure everyone knows.

What film do you dislike that everyone else loves?

I have two that have probably cost me a dinner party invitation but they are It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) and The Goonies (1985). I will never get the hype for either.

What is your guilty pleasure film?

If I’ve had a particularly rough week I’ll put on Julie and Julia (2009). Something about that much butter and Meryl Streep is just extremely soothing.

What is your favourite film soundtrack?

A soundtrack I can listen to on a loop is Juno (2007) which might be cheating a bit because it has most of my favorite bands on it. My favourite film score is the score for Carol (2015).

What film character would you love to meet and why?

The Mayor from Jaws (1975). I’d like to ask him how (spoiler alert) he managed to not only get re-elected but remained Mayor for 4 more summers in Jaws 2 (1978) because that much political insight would be very handy in these uncertain times.

What is the best thing about going to the cinema?

My favourite thing about cinema is the force of focus and the true escapism you can experience. You get to be silent and still and become separate from yourselves for a while which is truly a gift these days. I also like the magic of film projection, how a strip of pictures looping around very quickly can truly let a person escape from their reality is a beautiful thing.

Do you have a special place in the cinema where you always sit?

I like to be in the middle slightly to the right of the screen.

Who is your favourite film villain?

This is very difficult for me because as a kid I loved all the Disney villains more than the leads, as they usually got the best song in the film and the best costume. But I will say Patrick Bateman is the embodiment of everything I dislike in the world.

What one thing would you change about your favourite film?

I would take out all shots of the worst animatronic creation ever made from Jaws as, to my mind, until you see the creature Jaws is truly one of the best adventure/thrillers ever created. Apart from that I wouldn’t change a thing as sometimes the quirks in films are the best part!

What film do you think justifies a remake?

I usually HATE remakes, just on principle, but having said that Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) was an amazing film. It may not be the most sophisticated choice but I think it’s an amazing film that takes all the elements that made the original so loved but put a serious and contemporary message the centre of its story.

Have you ever changed your opinion on a film?

I’m usually pretty steadfast with my opinions on films, so not really, but I have stopped, or at least tried to stop, judging people's love of certain films even if they’re not my cup of tea.

What is your favourite movie quote?

“Remember, the shadows are just as important as the light” - Jane Eyre (1996)

Who would play you in a film of your life?

Kate Winslet, because while we are nothing alike I’d just like to meet Kate Winslet. More likely Patrick Stewart though.