Until Fri 7 Jul
Senna (12A)
Dir Asif Kapadia / GB FR US 2010 / 106 mins
http://youtu.be/HrbJPsPtTyU
A moving documentary charting the remarkable story of legendary Brazilian motor-racing champion Ayrton Senna, following his personal achievements and charting his iconic status in the sporting world. Spanning Senna’s years as a Formula 1 driver, the film uses only archival footage to follows his rise to fame and his tragic death at the age of 34. More than a film just for F1 fans, this tender portrayal was the winner of the World Cinema Audience Award for Documentary at Sundance Film Festival 2011.
With a preview screening on Tue 31 May, including a post-screening Q&A with Asif Kapadia and writer Manish Pandey. See Film Events for details (pp.6-7).
Until Fri 7 Jul
Potiche (15)
Dir François Ozon / FR 2010 / 103 mins / French wEng ST
Catherine Deneuve, Gerard Depardieu, Fabrice Luchini
Catherine Deneuve stars in Ozon’s satirical comedy as Suzanne, the wife of a despotic company exec taken hostage by his own downtrodden workers. Stepping in to manage the company in his absence, Suzanne proves herself to be more than a mere trophy wife and blossoms as a competent and confident leader.
Until Fri 24 Jul
Incendies (15)
Dir Denis Villeneuve / CN FR 2010 / 131 mins / Arabic wEng ST
Lubna Azabal, Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin, Maxim Gaudette
This epic and emotional film follows twins Simon and Jeanne as, after the death of their mother, they undertake a journey to her homeland in the Middle East in search of their origins. Their mother, Nawal, has engineered their journeys by leaving each of the twins a letter and instructions to find the father, whom they believed dead, and an unknown sibling. Their personal missions are presented alongside flashbacks that reveal secrets in their mother’s past and deep-rooted, painful cultural memories. Canada’s entry to the 2011 Foreign Language Film Oscar.
From Fri 1 Jul
The Round-up (La Rafle)
Dir Rose Bosch/FR DE HU 2010/125 mins/French, German, Yiddish wEng ST
Gad Elmaleh, Jean Reno, Melanie Laurent, Raphaëlle Agogué
This powerful WWII drama was a Box Office hit in France following its 2010 release and its meticulously researched historical detail and characterisation bring to life one of the darkest periods in recent French history. Set in Paris in the summer of 1942, The Round-Up tells the harrowing true story of the arrest and deportation of thousands of French Jews. Focusing on the experiences of three young children and their families, Rose Bosch’s heartrending drama recreates the horrific tragedy of the 13,000 Jewish citizens who were held captive by France’s Vichy government in the Vélodrome D’Hiver. Strong performances from the child actors alongside the adult stars make for compelling viewing in this wholly affecting drama.
From Fri 1 Jul
A Separation (PG)
(Jodaeiye Nader az Simin)
Dir Asghar Farhadi/IR 2011/123 mins/Persian wEng ST
Peyman Moaadi, Leila Hatami, Sareh Bayat, Shahab Hosseini
Middle-class couple Nader and Simin’s marriage falls apart when Nader decides to call off their plans to leave Iran. Following his separation from his wife, Nader hires a devout carer to look after his elderly father and later becomes embroiled in her life as he discovers his employee is both pregnant and working without her husband’s permission. Asgar Farhadi was awarded the Golden Bear Award at the Berlin Film Festival 2011 for this
compelling drama which casts a spotlight on moral and social issues in contemporary Iran.
From Fri 1 Jul
Restrepo (15)
Dir Sebastian Junger, Tim Hetherington/ US 2010/ 94 mins/
From May 2007 to July 2008 a brigade of American soldiers were stationed in the remote Korengal Valley – one of the most dangerous postings of recent warfare and the epicentre of the U.S. war in Afghanistan. This astonishing and sobering film tells their story, in their words, following the soldiers as they build a remote and strategic outpost named “Restrepo,” in honour of their popular comrade Private Juan Restrepo who was killed in action early in the campaign. Restrepo is an insightful yet troubling documentary throwing light on the Americans’ fear and suffering during the Afghanistan war, revealing the truth of life on the front line. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival 2010.
Showing in memoriam of co-director Tim Hetherington, who was tragically killed in April 2011 while covering the conflictFrom Fri 8 Jul
The Tree of Life (12A)
Dir Terrence Malick/US 2011/138 mins
Brad Pitt, Fiona Shaw, Jessica Chastain, Sean Penn
http://youtu.be/WXRYA1dxP_0
The long-awaited return of Terrence Malick wowed audiences at Cannes Film Festival, with The Tree of Life receiving near universal praise and a reputation as the must see cinematic experience of the summer. This visionary film chronicles youngster Jack’s early life in 1950s small-town America where he lives with his parents and two brothers. Malick interweaves this boyhood narrative with episodes from Jack’s life as an adult where he struggles to reconcile his difficult relationship with his religious disciplinarian father. Through a series of visually arresting sequences, Malick abandons realism for a poetic and ambitious filmic style exploring the origins of the cosmos and questioning the meaning of life. Winner of the Palme d’Or award at Cannes Film Festival 2011.
From Fri 15 Jul
Cell 211 (18) (Celda 211)
Dir Daniel Monzón/ES FR 2009/113 mins/Spanish wEng ST
Carlos Bardem, Luis Tosar, Alberto Ammann, Marta Etura
http://youtu.be/ZH4jRRAtQCA
Monzón’s tense prison drama recounts the story of a newly appointed warden who is accidentally caught up in violent jail riots. In order to survive, Juan must blend in with the prisoners as they revolt, and so poses as new inmate of cell 211 to save his skin. Cell 211 was a Box Office smash hit in Spain, and the film collected eight prestigious Goya awards in 2010.
From Fri 22 Jul
Beginners (15)
Dir Mike Mills/US 2010/104 mins
Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Melanie Laurent, Goran Visnjic
http://youtu.be/DFM3AE64bgw
A wistful and understated American indie, following a lonely, grief-stricken man as he strives to make sense of his parents’ lives after the death of his mother and revelation that his father is gay. This highly personal semi-autobiographical story is directed by filmmaker, artist and graphic designer Mike Mills (Thumbsucker) and is a quirky yet delicate exploration into the mysteries of love, depicted by a charismatic star cast, with a romantic touch reminiscent of early Woody Allen.
Screening in July
Arrietty (CTBA) (Kari-gurashi no Arrietty)
Dir Hiromasa Yonebayashi/JP 2010/ 94 mins
Arrietty is an enchanting adaptation of The Borrowers from the masters of Japanese animation, Studio Ghibli. Arrietty is a young Borrower, one of a family of tiny people living under the floorboards of a house and in close proximity to the human occupants. When Arrietty breaks the most important Borrower rule and interacts with one of the human children, she does all she can to protect the Borrowers’ way of life. The majority of screenings will be shown in Japanese wEng ST. There will be selected dubbed screenings. Check our website for the latest information on these showings.
Screening in July
Film Socialisme (CTBA)
Dir Jean-Luc Godard/ FR CH 2010/101 mins/French wEng ST
Catherine Tanvier, Christian Sinniger, Jean-Marc Stehle
The great iconoclast of French cinema, Jean-Luc Godard, returns with one of his most beautiful and enigmatic films. Divided into sections, the first half is dominated by a sea journey, taking in Egypt, Palestine, Odessa, Hellas, Naples and Barcelona, whose myths and histories have defined their identity. Thereafter, Godard explores the way we interpret the world, through the confusion of contemporary media, asking if the increase in news and information has made for a more confusing existence.
Screening in July
The Light Thief (CTBA) (Svet-Ake)
Dir Aktam Arym Kubat/Kyrgyzstan DE FR NL 2010/80 mins/Kyrgyz wEng ST
Aktan Arym Kubat, Taalaikan Abazova, Askat Sulaimanov, Asan Amanov
Blending tradition with political commentary, The Light Thief is a modern-day folk tale of good and evil in which an electrician devotes himself to improving his neighbours’ lives. Fixing anything he can including short circuits, power cuts, electricity meters and even marriages, Svet-Ake is an unassuming local hero. When unemployment and capitalist corruption challenge the villagers, he refuses to give up his humble struggles.
