BRIGHTON WOK: THE LEGEND OF GANJA BOXING
Dir. Gabriel Howard, 2008
United Kingdom, 90 min
In English
SUNDAY, APRIL 20 – 5 PM with Q&A ($10)
FRIDAY, APRIL 25 – MIDNIGHT
SUNDAY, APRIL 27 – 5 PM
TUESDAY, APRIL 29 – 10 PM
Ninjas, ganja, kung fu.
Terror has befallen the English coastal city of Brighton in the form of Italian ninja Vafan Cuolo and his army of kung fu warriors. The people’s fate lies in the hands of one man, Ryu, who is recently out of a care home and not exactly up to the task. Ryu must find the Ganja Master, learn the ways of ganja boxing, uncover Cuolo’s origins, and defeat Cuolo to save Brighton before it succumbs to tyranny.
Low in budget but high in action (and just high in general), BRIGHTON WOK is 4/20’s answer to the Spectacle Saint Patrick’s Day classic FATAL DEVIATION. A completely DIY affair, filming began in 2004 and wrapped in 2006, and the feature was finally released in 2008 after postproduction was split up over a couple years between other responsibilities—work, school, and of course, ganja. The production was all hands on deck and entirely Brighton-based, with fight choreography and even stunts taken care of by a local martial arts instructor and his pupils. It’s an impressive ragtag labor of love.
To celebrate one of our favorite holidays, on April 20th, director Gabrial Howard, producer Saul Howard, writer (and Vafan Cuolo actor) Samson Byford-Winter, and editor/cinematographer John MacDonald will join us for a very special virtual Q&A after the screening.