Westminster’s Regent Street Cinema screens graduate film The Last Bath

The University of Westminster hosted a film screening of the graduate film The Last Bath in Regent Street Cinema on 6 November. The debut feature film was directed by alumnus David Bonneville and co-written by himself and fellow Screenwriting and Production MA graduate Diego Rocha.

Photo credit: Hasan Matar, alumnus from the same course as David and Diego, now Westminster colleague in the Film studios on Harrow Campus

The event was hosted by Reshel Shah, Course Leader and Senior Lecturer of the Business of Film MA course and was organised by the Alumni Relations Office at Westminster. The event began with a small introduction to David, Diego and the film, and it transitioned into the full screening.

After the film, there was an industry talk from David and Diego, also touching on their previous film success Gypsy, as well as an audience Question and Answer session for those who wanted to get to know more about the film. While discussing the making of the film, Diego addressed how he wanted to make not just any film, but specifically a David Bonneville film, ensuring that his style of filmmaking was accurately captured throughout The Last Bath. David highlighted that the reason for minimal dialogue in the film was to mirror the quiet atmosphere of a rural village so that viewers could truly settle into the film, as if they were part of it and not just watching it.

The day concluded with a networking session, allowing people to meet David and Diego and connect with individuals in the Cinema's bar area.

The 2020 Portuguese/French Drama screened at the event, also known as O Último Banho, depicts a nun who is about to take her perpetual vows and is called upon to her childhood village to adopt her 15-year-old nephew after his caretaker, her father, died, and consequently, religious, familial and sensual love become entangled.

The film received many nominations such as the Ingmar Bergman Award at the Gothenburg Film Festival and the Oscar's Best Foreign Film submission by the Portuguese Academy of Film. It also won Awards like Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Art Direction at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts Sophia Awards, the Golden Globe for Best Actress, the Actors Guild Best Newcomer Award, and Le Rimbaud du Cinéma for Best Directing in France.

The Last Bath previously premiered at Tokyo International Film Festival and MOSTRA Internacional de Cinema in São Paulo, Brazil, and has now had its first ever London premiere at Regent Street Cinema, where Westminster students, alumni, colleagues and some external guests were presented with the opportunity to enjoy the film.

David graduated in 2010 and has since directed many short films as well as another feature film titled Octameron. He started his career as an assistant to Turner Prize winner Douglas Gordon and Palme d'Or winner Manoel de Oliveira and has also worked at the BBC. David is an alumnus of the British Film Institute (BFI) London Film Festival, Berlinale and Cork Talent Development programmes. He also has a Directing Diploma from the German Film Academy and a Media BA degree from the Portuguese Catholic University.

David is also a workshop Leader and Lecturer in Film Directing, Screenwriting and Drama at several undergraduate programmes. He teaches film production at the School of Innovation and Creation Technologies (ETIC), ACT and RESTART Institute. He has been a member and head of juries at film festivals in many countries such as Oslo, Iceland, Spain, Poland, Czechia, Turkey and India, a committee member for Oscar submissions in Portugal and for a project funding at the Colombia Film Institute.

Diego started his career as a copywriter in advertising agencies. He has also worked as a creative director for different advertising agencies, production companies and television channels. Later in 2013, he worked as a creative director for eight years at TV Cultura, one of the most respected Brazilian television networks headquartered in São Paulo. His latest feature film credits include Dead or Alive, a comedy co-produced by Globo Filmes, The Fall, a Drama/Thriller set in the Southeast of Brazil and The Last Bath, which he co-wrote with David.

About the film screening event, Reshel Shah said: "The screening and premiere of The Last Bath at Regent Street Cinema was an absolute success. The film has done incredibly well and having it screened with the presence of David and Diego followed by a Q&A provided students with real world thinking and points of views, which is what we strive for in our University. Haydn and the Alumni Relations Team did a wonderful job in organising the event which had a great turn out."

David added: "I really feel that this event was exceptionally well prepared by everyone involved but especially the care and attention to detail by the Alumni Relations Office. It went well beyond my expectations, bringing together the interest of alumni, current students, scholars and industry professionals alike. I feel it was a real privilege to have Reshel Shah's enthusiasm in moderating the session, making the Q&A all the more enticing. I loved to share the intricacies of this project with the audience and can't wait for the opportunity to do this again with my next films."

Diego added: "It was very special to go back to University after so many years and show the film to our old classmates and the new students. David and I met during our MA at Westminster, where we became friends and started our collaboration. So, if I could give a piece of advice to the current students, I would say to get involved in as many projects as you can, offer to collaborate in any capacity with your colleagues, and be generous with your time and ideas. It will pay off in the future, just as it did to me."

The event directly contributed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4: Quality Education. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.

Find out more about the Film and Television courses at the University of Westminster.

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