Saved events

Imitation of Life (12) followed by a conversation with Ellen E Jones and Rhianna Dhillon + Reception

,Cinema 1
An older woman sits on the grass with a younger woman at her feet.

Douglas Sirk’s 1959 masterpiece centers on the relationship between two single mothers, Lora (Lana Turner) and Annie (Juanita Moore), whose lives become deeply intertwined after a chance encounter. 

The film contrasts their experiences: Turner plays a white aspiring actress whose daughter (Sandra Dee) is navigating her first crush, while Moore portrays a Black woman whose light-skinned daughter (Susan Kohner) is attempting to pass as white. 

Through their intersecting lives, Sirk explores themes of race, class, and gender, using the framework of melodrama to present a poignant counterpoint to the ideals of 1950s suburban America. 

This event has been organised to celebrate the 2025 Kraszna-Krausz Moving Image Book Award recipient, Screen Deep: How film and TV can solve racism and save the world by Ellen E Jones.

Following the screening, Ellen E Jones will be in conversation with Rhianna Dhillon to discuss the film and Ellen’s book.

Afterwards, audience members will be invited to the cinema foyer for a wine reception and book signing.

Tagged with: Cinema Young Barbican Members' Events More...
Film information
  • Release year   1959
  • Country of origin   USA
  • Director   Douglas Sirk
  • Runtime   2hrs 5mins

Ticket prices

Standard
£13
* Excludes £1.50 booking fee

Booking fees

£1.50 booking fee per online/phone transaction.

No fee when tickets are booked in person.

Booking fees are per transaction and not per ticket. If your booking contains several events the highest booking fee will apply. The booking fee may be reduced on certain events. Members do not pay booking fees.

Ellen E Jones is the Kraszna-Krausz Prize-winning author of Screen Deep: How Film and TV Can Solve Racism and Save the World (Faber, 2024) and co-host of the BBC’s flagship film and TV programme, Screenshot, on BBC Radio 4, for which she was named ‘Presenter of The Year, 2025’ by the Broadcasting Press Guild. She writes regularly for newspapers and magazines including The Guardian, The Observer, Empire, Elle and Esquire. Recent interviewees include Spike Lee, Mike Leigh, Amy Adams, Sir Steve McQueen and Cynthia Erivo. Her former roles include TV critic at The Independent, columnist for the Evening Standard and The Independent on Sunday, and the resident critic for BBC One’s Film programme.

 

Rhianna Dhillon has been a film critic for 14 years, beginning her career at BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra as their in-house film critic. Now the film and TV critic for Nick Grimshaw's BBC 6Music’s Breakfast Show, Rhianna also hosts the Penguin Podcast. Rhianna moderates ceremonies and Q&As for BAFTA, Disney, Netflix, the BFI, The Edinburgh TV Festival and others and appears regularly on news and film shows across the BBC, Sky and Channel 4 and others.

 

The Kraszna-Krausz Book Awards are the UK’s leading prizes celebrating excellence in photography and moving image publishing. They recognise individuals who have made an outstanding original or lasting contribution to literature concerning photography or the moving image. 

Cinema 1

Location
Barbican Cinema 1 is located within the main Barbican building on Level -2. Head to Level G and walk towards the Lakeside Terrace where you’ll find stairs and lifts to take you down to the venue floor.   

Address
Barbican Centre
Silk Street, London
EC2Y 8DS

Public transport
The Barbican is widely accessible by bus, tube, train and by foot or bicycle. Plan your journey and find more route information in ‘Your Visit’ or book your car parking space in advance.