As I stepped into Fabrica on Duke Street in central Brighton on Valentine’s Day, I was greeted by smiles and a warm space. I was there to attend a screening of My Beautiful Laundrette.
Cosying up for a film night has not been this intriguing and fun for me in a long time. I was alone, but I didn’t feel like an outsider.
Fabrica offers a small bar with snacks and drinks to buy, this time including nostalgic-looking paper bags with popcorn. This took me right back to simple times at the movies, just on a different kind of site.
My Beautiful Laundrette At Fabrica In Brighton
My Beautiful Laundrette (1985) is a beautiful, eccentric film that takes place in London during the Thatcher years. It’s a love story of a Pakistani Briton and his white boyfriend, as they open a glamorous laundromat in a society that is on neither of their sides.
Its themes of money, class and race combined with the complicated romance make it a riveting yet at times tragic tale. The space being an old church added to the atmosphere, and it’s as if it was made for an occasion like this.
In addition to My Beautiful Laundrette, a lovely short film was also played beforehand at Fabrica.
Opened in 1996 in the deconsecrated Holy Trinity Church, Fabrica was established by a group of artists from Red Herring Studios, their focus being contemporary visual arts. This was all done with the support of South East Arts, Brighton Borough Council, The Foundation for Sport and the Arts, and the Chichester Diocese.
The cinema screen was set up at the far end of the hall and the high ceilings accommodated this well. There were rows of chairs to cosy up close to the screen, but also chairs and tables by the bar, which is where I opted for myself.
Address: 40 Duke St, Brighton, BN1 1AG
Website: https://www.fabrica.org.uk/
