At Home in Hackney: The Lady Vanishes + Intro.

Introduced by Nicholas Haeffner, author of the book 'Alfred Hitchcock'.

Screening alongside the 'At Home in Hackney' photography exhibition, all of the films in this programme celebrate representations of the borough of Hackney on screen, from independent documentaries and short films, to Hollywood blockbusters, all using Hackney as a filming location.

When Hitchcock was given the opportunity to make The Lady Vanishes in 1938, his career was at a low ebb. Had the film been unsuccessful it might well have marked the end of his career. However, the film was a triumph and remains one of his most enjoyable. Although the film has a dream-like atmosphere and is ambiguous about where the action takes place it is very much a film of and about England as well as being one of the greatest films to come out of nearby Gainsborough studios.

During a journey aboard a Trans-Bonded Continental Express, a young woman strikes up an acquaintance with a middle-aged English governess. Later, the governess mysteriously disappears from her compartment. Seeking an explanation, the girl is accused of hallucinating to the extent that she begins to doubt her own state of mind. But as further enquiries are made among the passengers, the curious behaviour of a group of foreign government agents is revealed.

'At Home in Hackney' is a collaboration between Hackney Museum, East London Photographers Collective and East End Archive. See the exhibition for free at Hackney Museum and Hackney Picturehouse.