If there’s been one thing lacking from 2013 so far, it’s DocHouse Thursdays. You may be used to heading to the Tricycle for your regular dose of challenging and fascinating documentary goodness, but if you don’t live in Kilburn (probably sensible) then other options are available – most notably Best For Film’s local cinema, Rich Mix. The pride of Bethnal Green is well worth visiting at any time of the week, but a DocHouse Thursdays screening is particular cause for celebration… and this week there’s an absolute doozy lined up for your consideration.

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Winner of the Audience Award and Domestic Documentary Film award at notable Czech film festival Jihlava, Solar Eclipse is the acclaimed 2011 film from master documentary filmmaker Martin Mareček. It follows Tomáš and Milan, two engineers who return to a village in Zambia five years after they first visited to construct a solar electrical system. To their consternation, a combination of neglect, interference and ill-advised attempts at repair have destroyed the system – so they build another one. “The interplay between the givers and receivers of international aid is quietly laid bare in this non-judgemental, incisive and frequently very funny observational documentary”, says someone who’s actually seen it – we’ll be at the screening on Thursday, and we think you should be too.

But that’s not all! Star Tomáš Tozicka, who we are told is not only an engineer but also an expert on development issues (fair enough) and a theologian (what?), will be joining the audience via the magic of Skype for a Q&A session immediately after the screening. Quickly, make a late New Year’s Resolution to ‘attend a virtual talk with a Czech theologian’ as well as ‘go to as many DocHouse Thursday screenings as possible’ – you’ll be ahead of your friends in no time!

Solar Eclipse will screen at 8pm on Thursday 10th January as part of DocHouse Thursdays. Rich Mix can be found at 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA – check out the bar, it’s excellent. Tickets are £7 or £5 for concessions. Their website is currently unavailable but you can contact Rich Mix directly on 020 7613 7498.