Our Ladies
(13 September 2022)
Michael Caton-Jones | UK | 2019 | 15 | 105 mins | English | TrailerA boisterous take on the coming-of-age genre adapted from the 1998 cult novel, The Sopranos; it follows six Scottish schoolgirls on a day trip to Edinburgh to participate in a choir competition. After a fleeting acquaintance with culture they’re soon off to have a wild time in the city. Brilliant performances in a riotous comedy that ponders class differences, sexuality and true friendship.
(Be aware that it contains very strong language and full frontal nudity).
Collective
(27 September 2022)
Alexander Nanau | Romania | 2019 | 15 | 109 mins | Romanian| TrailerCollective documents a fight against total corruption in the Romanian health service. Catalin Tolontan, a journalist from a sports daily newspaper reveals classic and sinister government incompetence following botched treatment of victims from a tragic nightclub fire in the popular Bucharest nightclub Colectiv. (Contains disturbing scenes).
Here We Are
(4 October 2022)
Nir Bergman | Israel | 2020 | 12 | 94 mins | Hebrew | TrailerA beautifully observed modern day Israeli drama. Aharon (Shai Avivi) has given up a lucrative career to look after his autistic son Uri. It is time for Uri to move into specialised care to learn to live independently, but neither father nor son are ready. A touching portrait of a father son relationship that is in transition, it is moving and unsentimental with a superb performance by Shai Avivi as the patient and caring father.
Papicha
(11 October 2022)
Mounia Meddour | France/Algeria | 2019 | 15 | 108 mins | French/Arabic | TrailerFashion students kick back against misogyny and religious extremism on a university campus in Algiers. Nedjma – Papicha, Algerian slang for ‘cool girl’ or ‘rebel girl’, has a defiant idea to stage a fashion show with new designs and colours for the traditional women’s wrap.
Playground/AGM
(25 October 2022)
Laura Wandel | Belgium | 2021 | 15 | 72 mins | French | TrailerNora and her older brother Abel have started at a new school. The subsequent bullying is made all the more real as the director films at Nora’s level which gives the viewer an immersive experience. An incredible performance by Maya Vanderbeque as Nora who witnesses the bullying her brother endures when adults aren’t looking.
Charlatan
(1 November 2022)
Agnieszka Holland | Czech Republic | 2020 | 15 | 118 mins | Czech/German/Slovak | TrailerA multi-layered portrait of the enigmatic Jan Mikolášek whose startling ability to heal the sick using medicinal plants brought him wealth, fame and celebrity clients. Protected and used by the totalitarian regimes of Nazism and 1950’s Communism he finds his morality put to the test. Can he navigate the fine line between good and evil and survive? (Contains strong violence and nudity).
Two of Us
(8 November 2022)
Filippo Meneghetti | France/Luxembourg/Belgium | 2019 | 12 | 99 mins | French | TrailerMadeline and Nina are two retired ladies in their seventies who live in adjacent apartments, by moving between apartments they have managed to keep their love for each other a secret. A bitter sweet love story that is heightened by suspense as Nina appears to be capable of anything to stay with the woman she loves. A film about true love, loyalty and trust with great performances. France’s submission for Best Foreign Film Oscar.
Happening
(15 November 2022)
Audrey Diwan | France | 2021 | 15 | 100 mins | French | TrailerIt could hardly be more topical: the illegality of abortion in France in the 1960s. Anne is a brilliant student who becomes pregnant shortly before important exams. Determined to complete her studies, she decides to seek an abortion, despite the law. It’s a race against time, and the film has the pace of a first-rate thriller. (Contains abortion scenes and nudity).
Ali & Ava
(10 January 2023)
Clio Barnard | UK | 2021 | 15 | 95 mins | English | Trailer
A warm, optimistic film beautifully directed by Clio Barnard. Charismatic landlord Ali, from an Indian immigrant family, meets widowed Ava, an Irish Catholic teaching assistant, and a deep connection develops. Can it survive the legacies of their past relationships and the prejudices of their respective families? A compelling contemporary love story; funny and moving in equal measure.
Hit the Road
(17 January 2023)
Panah Panahi | Iran | 2021 | 12 | 93 mins | Persian/English | Trailer
A chaotic and likeable family are travelling by car across Iran, at first, we do not know why, but do know something momentous is at its end. Each family member is deftly drawn, the darkness is balanced with gentle humour, very nuanced – a great watch. The striking feature debut of Panah Panahi, son and collaborator of the imprisoned Iranian auteur Jafar Panahi (Taxi Tehran, 3 Faces). Winner of the London Film Festival Official Competition 2021.
Wild Men
(31 January 2023)
Thomas Daneskov | Denmark | 2021 | 15 | 104 mins | Danish | Trailer
Martin’s mid-life crisis sees him fleeing from his family in Denmark for a life as a Viking hunter-gatherer in the remote and inhospitable mountains of Norway. There he runs into fugitive drug dealer Musa and a very Scandi caper/comedy/drama ensues with naïve rebel Martin and his companion Musa attempting to evade bungling drug dealers, hapless police, fellow Vikings and Martin’s wife! Poking gentle fun at
middle-aged masculinity with dry, deadpan humour but also with empathy; Wild Men’s twisty plot and sympathetic performances make it both warm and wickedly funny.
Talking About Trees
(7 February 2023)
Suhaib Gasmelbari | France/Sudan | 2019 | PG | 93 mins | Arabic/English | Trailer
A charming documentary. The military coup of 1989 resulted in the collapse of the Sudanese film Industry and the closure of all cinemas. Four elderly Sudanese film directors try to bring a disused cinema back to life for the local population in Khartoum. They remain ever optimistic despite the political situation. Their humour, camaraderie and quiet dignity shine through and make you wish for their success. A film for all who love cinema.
Homeward
(21 February 2023)
Nariman Aliev | Ukraine | 2019 | 12 | 96 mins | Ukranian | Trailer
A sensitive and well-observed Ukrainian drama. For Mustafa, a Russian speaking Crimean Tatar *, nothing is more important than returning the body of his elder son, Nazim, killed fighting the Russian separatists in the Donbas, to his homeland of Crimea. His younger son Alim, a journalism student in
Kyiv reluctantly accompanies him. The father/son road trip unfolds in tense encounters and suspicion from those they meet on the way. For writer-director Nariman Aliev, a Tatar himself, one young soldier’s death stands in for the slaughter, exile and dispossession of an entire people.
* Crimean Tatars are a Muslim ethnic minority indigenous to the Crimean Peninsula. In May 1944 over 180,000 Crimean Tatars were forcibly deported to Soviet Russia. Enduring dire living conditions almost half are thought to have died of starvation and disease. Following 43 years of exile 2,300 Crimean Tatars were able to return to their homeland with 19,300 returning the following year. The Soviet authorities neither assisted their return nor compensated them for their lost land. Since the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea, thousands of ethnic Tatars have fled to mainland Ukraine. Russian imperial power remains the lurking offstage villain in Homeward.
The Innocents
(28 February 2023)
Eskil Vogt | Norway +++ | 2021 | 15 | 117 mins | Norwegian | Trailer
An original and gripping horror/fantasy/thriller. A family moves to a new area and the two young daughters soon find two friends who are just as lonely as they are. It isn’t long before their new friends begin to develop telekinetic and telepathic powers. Initially harmless and fun, these soon begin to develop into something much more sinister. Excellent performances from the young children, particularly the young actor playing the non-speaking autistic girl Anna. Very cleverly done, this is an atmospheric film that will keep you on the edge of your seat. (The film contains some disturbing scenes, including those involving animals).
Clara Sola
(28 March 2023)
Nathalie Alvarez Mesen | Costa Rica/Sweden | 2021 | 15 | 106 mins | Spanish | Trailer
Clara lives in a remote Costa Rican village, suffers from curvature of the spine but is regarded as a healer and a mystic. Visiting pilgrim’s donations sustain her family but Clara begins waking up to her own individual needs and finally to what her body and self craves.
Wheel of Fortune & Fantasy
(4 April 2023)
Ryûsuke Hamaguchi | Japan | 2021 | 15 | 121 mins | Trailer
A triptych of short films exploring memory and coincidence. Each one illustrates a deep personal connection between people brought together by happenstance, although there is no narrative connection between them. Conversation is the driver of the stories and each one builds towards the terrific third episode. A beautiful and beguiling film from the award-winning director of Drive My Car.
Small Body
(18 April 2023)
Laura Samani | Italy/Slovenia | 2021 | 12A | 89 mins | Italian/Slovenian | Trailer
In 1900 Italy, after suffering a stillborn child Agata embarks on a desperate journey to reach a mysterious sanctuary where a supernatural power could bring her dead child back to life just long enough for baptism and the saving of its immortal soul.
Master Cheng/Wine & Cheese event
(25 April 2023)
Mika Kaurismäki | Finland/China | 2019 | PG | 114 mins | English/Finnish/Manadarin | Trailer
A Chinese stranger and his son arrive in a remote Finnish village in search of the mysterious “Fongtron”. He takes work in a cafe and inspires the residents with his Chinese cuisine. A gentle culture clash romance; warm, with beautiful Lapland landscapes and sumptuous food.