“A feminist sci-fi musical extravaganza… Remains consistently fresh and unpredictable”- Sight and Sound
The Gold Diggers screens as part of this year’s Cinema Rediscovered; the 9th edition of the UK’s leading festival of newly restored, rarely screened or recently re-found cinematic gems – running in and around Bristol, UK, Wed 23 – Sun 27 July 2025. Doors will be open an hour before the film for behind-the-scenes tours of the Curzon, with an intro to the film at 1pm from So Mayer, writer, bookseller, organiser and film curator, currently based in London.
The ground-breaking first feature from the director of Orlando and The Tango Lesson; The Gold Diggers is a key film of early ’80s feminist cinema.
Whilst the season foregrounds Channel 4’s revitalisation of British filmmaking in the 1980s it should not be forgotten that both the Arts Council and the British Film Institute were supporting experimental filmmaking and “new and uncommercial filmmakers”. Sally Potter’s roots in experimental dance and the artists’ filmmaking hub of the London Filmmaker’s Co-op led to support first from the Arts Council for her short films then a partnership with the BFI for her bold and radical debut feature. Starring Julie Christie and shot in rich black & white by Babette Mangold (Chantal Akerman’s cinematographer)The Gold Diggersis in striking cinematic provocation. Made with an all-woman crew, it embraces a radical and experimental narrative structure. Celeste (Colette Laffont) is a computer clerk in a bank who becomes fascinated by the relationship between gold and power. Ruby (Christie) is an enigmatic film star in quest of her childhood, her memories and the truth about her own identity. As their paths cross they come to sense that there could be a link between the male struggle for economic supremacy and the female ideal of mysterious but impotent beauty.
With thanks to the BFI National Archive.
This screening is part of Cinema Rediscovered with the support of the BFI Audience Projects Fund, awarding National Lottery funding, and principal sponsors Park Circus and STUDIOCANAL.
Starring:
Julie Christie , Colette Laffont and Hilary Westlake
Directed By:
Sally Potter
Running time:
90 mins