Bradford 2025: Clio Barnard on the North’s ‘rich history’ of filmmaking - and Bradford's Year of Culture

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
Clio Barnard shares why Northern cinema is still as important as ever - and her advice for young filmmakers 🎞
  • Northern women in cinema are being celebrated in Bradford 2025’s Northern Soul programming.
  • The films, curated by filmmaker Clio Barnard, are being screened at the recently-refurbished Pictureville Cinema.
  • The award-winning director talks to Benjamin Jackson about the importance of Northern cinema - and why ‘kitchen sink realism’ has earned some negative connotations in recent years.

As Bradford continues to mark its status as the UK City of Culture in 2025, there’s a focus on Pictureville Cinema - which is currently celebrating northern women in film.

Yorkshire’s biggest independent cinema, located in Bradford’s National Science and Media Museum, is running a Northern Soul programme - showing films that span six decades. Showcasing the northern female voice in cinema, the screenings include A Taste of Honey (1961), Wuthering Height (2011) and Typist Artist Pirate King (2022).

Curating the season is Clio Barnard, the West Yorkshire-raised writer-director of The Arbor, centred on Bradford writer Andrea Dunbar, The Selfish Giant and Ali & Ava, a moving romance set in the city.

Northern Soul is part of Bradford: A City of Film, a programme of independent film across the Bradford District, and forms part of the Bradford2025 celebrations.

“I felt really thrilled to be in Bradford,” Clio said. “Getting off the train and seeing the Bradford 2025 sign - and Pictureville, it’s a brilliant cinema.”

The Northern Soul season opened on Thursday (January 30), kicking off with Tony Richardson’s 1961 film A Taste of Honey. It’s a film many consider one of the first to emerge from the era’s ‘kitchen sink realism’ movement.

But that term, Barnard believes, has taken on some negative connotations over the years.

“It's become a bit of a pejorative term, which is a shame,” she said. “Because I think they're brilliant films in terms of British cinema history and culture.”

“You know,” she adds, “we're really good at it.”

‘Rich on character and story’

Director Clio Barnard discusses Northern cinema as a programme of films, Northern Soul, takes place at Pictureville Cinema in Bradford as part of the City of Culture festivities.Director Clio Barnard discusses Northern cinema as a programme of films, Northern Soul, takes place at Pictureville Cinema in Bradford as part of the City of Culture festivities.
Director Clio Barnard discusses Northern cinema as a programme of films, Northern Soul, takes place at Pictureville Cinema in Bradford as part of the City of Culture festivities. | Nick Wall

Though the ‘kitchen sink’ term might be viewed as a pejorative, Barnard believes it’s somewhat unfair, especially as “there’s a social conscience at work” and that those films all have a lot more in common that perhaps cinephiles give credit to.

“They’re very rich in character and story,” she said. “I think that social issues are very embedded into the story and the character.”

Part of the reason for the focus on Northern cinema comes from “how surprising" the films’ relevancies are, Barnard said.

She recalls Ridley Scott’s first work as we discuss the importance of the style of cinema that the North of England has to offer, mentioning the director’s first film while studying at the Royal College of Art in 1962 - Boy and Bicycle.

Barnard added: “He made a black and white song about a boy on a bike, cycling around the part of the North East that he was from, and supposedly, Blade Runner was inspired by this enormous chemical works that's on the coast there, near Middlesbrough.

“There's a rich tradition of filmmaking here, and not just film, television as well.”

‘I hope it shines a spotlight’

When asked what she hopes people take away from the programming and Bradford being the City of Culture in 2025, Barnard revealed her fondness for the area.

“I hope it really shines a spotlight on how brilliant it is and how much it has to offer,” she said.

“I really love Bradford, I’ve made three films here. The people you meet make it a fantastic place to make films, and to come and watch films. I think that it’s very welcoming and I hope it changes the way people see it, because it’s got so much to offer.”

But what of younger Northern filmmakers who may attend the season of films at Pictureville Cinema; what does Clio hope they draw from the programming?

“I think there is a real vital energy from younger filmmakers and that there’s a political anger, in a way,” she said. She added that she “totally understands” those sentiments from a younger generation of filmmakers.

But her advice for budding directors in the North of England is simple: “I encourage people to do it. The tools are there...fresh new voices in cinema are so needed and wanted.

“I think there's a lot of younger filmmakers who are finding this very original and interesting space that picks up on that strength within British cinema, in terms of realism. But they’re doing something very different with it.”

Full list of upcoming Northern Soul screenings

  • Bhaji on the Beach (Gurinder Chadha, 1993). Friday January 31 at 7.30pm - book here.
  • Under the Skin (Carine Adler, 1997). Saturday February 1 at 6.30pm - book here.
  • A Taste of Honey (Tony Richardson, 1961). Sunday February 2 at 1.15pm - book here.
  • Wuthering Heights (Andrea Arnold, 2011). Wednesday February 5 at 7.15pm - book here.
  • Northern Soul (Elaine Constantine, 2014). Saturday February 8 at 7.30pm - book here.
  • Typist Artist Pirate King (Carol Morley, 2022). Sunday February 9 at 1.15pm - book here.

Northern Soul takes place at Pictureville Cinema until February 9 - for more information or to book tickets to the screenings on show, visit the official Northern Soul page on the Bradford 2025 website.

Leeds news you can trust since 1890
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice