Hastings, like Glastonbury or Stonehenge, is considered a “thin place” where the veil between this world and the next is a little more diaphanous than usual. The last resting place of Aleister Crowley, the infamous magus once dubbed “The Wickedest Man in the World,” Hastings holds many esoteric secrets. From pharaonic pyramid tombs in graveyards to pubs with mummified cats up the chimney, put there as protective talismans by legendary local witch Hannah Clarke, to the ritualistic slaying of Jack-in-the-Green to invoke the spirit of the Spring, Wicca Man–style, up on the West Hill by the Norman castle ruins each Mayday, the town is steeped in rituals and legends. Michael Smith and Maxy Bianco’s upcoming film Magick Hastings explores these mysteries, attempting to shed some light on the shadows.
Magick Hastings is a poetic exploration and an esoteric mystery tour of the town’s occult layers, with Smith and Bianco introducing viewers to tarot seers, trance-inducing witch doctors, and local occult dandies and adepts living in the spirit of Uncle Aleister, characters who embody the town’s eccentric, left-field spirit. Stops include a consecrated, working Russian Orthodox chapel where the Holy Spirit is invoked each Sunday, hidden in a suburban Edwardian back garden, and a chapel of an altogether darker nature, underneath the West Hill and the Jack-in-the-Green’s Maypole, where the idol of a Celtic god of the underworld hewn out of the subterranean rock troubles the shadows of the Smugglers Caves, and is said to disturb the goings on there.
Watch the trailer for the film below.
Smith and Bianco’s previous collaboration about St Leonards and Hastings, Stranger on the Shore (2015), had a soundtrack by Andrew Weatherall and was met with critical acclaim, and has been preserved in the BFI archive, cementing their reputation as filmmakers who are committed to exploring the B-roads of unpopular culture and the margins of society. Stranger on the Shore was the first in a trilogy about our coastal edgelands, a series that has been praised for its evocative portrayal of these mysterious and often overlooked spaces. These films explored themes of identity, belonging and the haunting beauty of the British coastline — elements that continue to resonate in this latest work.
Michael Smith is a Faber novelist, former BBC Culture Show presenter, writer for the Guardian, Dazed, Esquire, etc, and an adopted son of Hastings, where he has been an enthusiastic contributor to the cultural life of the town since moving there in 2015. Smith is known for his deep explorations of British identity and culture, often bringing a poetic sensibility to his work, whether in literature, television, or film.
Maxy Bianco is an award-winning filmmaker whose work often blurs the lines between documentary and fiction. Known for his visually striking and emotionally resonant storytelling, Bianco has been recognised for his ability to capture the raw essence of British life.
Together, Smith and Bianco have developed a unique filmmaking style that combines lyrical narrative, a deep understanding of place and history, and an ability to get under the skin of a place and unearth some of its more peculiar and idiosyncratic inhabitants.
The film is to be premiered on Saturday 26 October 2024 in the Smugglers Caves, Hastings [sold out]. Follow the Magick Hastings website and Instagram to keep up to date with release news and more.