Piercing Brightness

A tale of alien emissaries and interracial love... in Preston.

Preston is a hot spot for UFO sightings, and also has the UK’s fastest-growing Chinese population. Such local trivia provided the starting point for artist Shezad Dawood when he was developing a project in the town, and the end result is this woozy, socially-conscious science fiction movie. Avoiding Northern cliches, the film gives us a tale of alien emissaries and interracial love that has a real sense of place, with wig-out moments provided by Acid Mothers Temple and a climax on the roof of the brutalist Preston Bus Station. Shezad Dawood will be here after the screening to talk about Piercing Brightness with Gavin Wade (Eastside Projects).