Conspicuous by his absence at the Olympic closing ceremony (instead we got a bunch of faded supermodels gyrating to Fashion), the spirit of David Bowie settles in for a short stay at the ICA next weekend as part of the inaugural Bowiefest.
The festival brings together most of Bowie's cinematic output, including the great (The Man Who Fell To Earth, Labyrinth), the decent (The Hunger, which was the late Tony Scott's début film) and the less-well loved (did anybody like Absolute Beginners?). There's also a talk between Alan Yentob and Jeremy Deller about Cracked Actor, the 1974 television documentary on the musician when he was simultaneously at both a musical high and drug-addicted low.
Regrettably, this preview comes too late for the opening gala screening of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, which is already sold out; as punishment we'll be forcing ourselves to listen to Earthling on repeat for the rest of the afternoon.
Will the Thin White Duke himself make a home-town appearance? The organisers are keeping shtum, but it doesn't seem likely: Bowie is in semi-retirement these days, living in lower Manhattan and generally keeping a low profile. Here's a video to remind you of the man at his peak:
Bowie fans should also note that Labyrinth is also being shown at a Masquerade Ball at the Prince Charles Cinema, while next year the V&A will be mounting an exhibition featuring the great man's costumes.
Bowiefest runs from 31st August - 2nd September at the Institute of Contemporary Arts.
