Dorothy Arzner (1897-1979) was simply one of Hollywood's great pioneers in the transition from the silent to the talking era, a woman making it big in the context of a gruesomely male environment.

There were other women directors before her, of course: Alice Guy-Blaché, Lois Webel, Mabel Normand are some names that come to mind, but Arzner managed to bring complex characterization into otherwise 'typical Hollywood' stories. Determined and ambitious, she was accepted as a director at Paramount, as the first woman to direct a talking picture for the star Clara Bow. A true pioneer of the cinema, she was the only woman director at a major Hollywood studio in the 1930s and 1940s, openly lesbian, dressed like a man, making movies “avant-gardiste” about women’s condition. She was a mentor for Francis Ford Coppola, who considers her as one of the most important woman directors of Hollywood. This mid-length documentary (53mins) manages to put some of her achievements in the spotlight.

France 2024 Clara Kuperberg & Julia Kuperberg 53m

A burlesque queen (Lucille Ball) competes with an aspiring ballerina (Maureen O'Hara) for a divorced playboy (Louis Hayward).

It is impressive enough that Dorothy Arzner was the only woman director to find steady work in Hollywood from the late 1920s through the early 1940s - throw in the fact that she was openly gay and her success seems like nothing short of a miracle. This is arguably her most popular picture, and a great introduction for those who may not have heard of this ground-breaking director. It is the classic Madonna/whore, virgin/vamp, good girl/bad girl dichotomy, but Arzner provides the film with welcome complexity. Not surprisingly, the scene where O’Hara’s character directly lambasts an audience for its collective “male gaze” retains its topicality today.

USA 1940 Dorothy Arzner 90m

From visionary filmmaker Luca Guadagnino (‘Call me By Your Name,’ ‘A Bigger Splash’) comes this love triangle formed around the world of professional tennis.

Zendaya stars as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach and a force of nature who makes no apologies for her game on and off the court. Married to Art Donaldson (Mike Faist – ‘West Side Story’) a champion on a losing streak, Tashi's strategy for her husband's redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against the washed-up Patrick Zweig (Josh O'Connor – ‘The Crown’) - his former best friend and Tashi's former boyfriend. As their pasts and presents collide, and tensions run high, Tashi must ask herself, what will it cost to win.

USA 2024 Luca Guadagnino 131m

Theatre Royal, London  

The legendary Broadway musical theatre classic, is a ‘glorious’ (★★★★★ Express) and ‘utterly moreish extravaganza of glitz’ (★★★★★ Times). Featuring iconic songs ‘42nd Street’, ‘We’re In The Money’,  and ‘I Only Have Eyes For You’, this is pure musical magic on the big screen – entertainment doesn’t get bigger than this!

Thu 16 May 18:00

Sun 19 May 15:00

A searing drama following a team of military-embedded war correspondents as they race against time to reach Washington DC before rebel factions descend upon the White House.

A near-future US has turned its anger against itself as civil war rages. The president (Nick Offerman), barricaded in the White House, rehearses for his televised address as he promises that the defeat of the rebels is imminent: “Some are already calling it the greatest victory in the history of mankind,” with an obvious nod to Trumpian rhetoric. Four journalists are on a mission to reach DC to interview and photograph the president. Lee (Kirsten Dunst) is numb and cooly professional, any softness in her personality long since shuttered; thrill-seeking Joel (Wagner Moura) is more gung-ho in his approach. Although elderly and out of shape, Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson) can’t countenance the idea of retiring. Jessie (Cailee Spaeny) is horrified and terrified but has never felt so alive. British writer/director Alex Garland (‘Sunshine’) chillingly captures the terrible, self-perpetuating momentum of war. A war that, in this case, has reached the point at which people no longer know what they are fighting for, only that they are fighting. This is an effective piece of filmmaking. Is it a cautionary tale? An incitement for revolution? It all depends on your perspective.

USA 2024 Alex Garland 109m

The true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s. A critically acclaimed film more about family than wrestling which should not be overlooked.

Through tragedy and triumph, under the shadow of their domineering father and coach Fritz (Holt McCallany), the brothers Kevin (Zac Efron), Kerry (Jeremy Allen White), Mike (Stanley Simons) and David (Harris Dickinson) seek larger-than-life immortality on the biggest stage in sports. Everyone puts in a great performance here, but it is Efron, his outrageously muscled body made beatific with a Joan of Arc bowl cut, who softens the film’s harder knocks with a performance of disarming tenderness.

USA 2023 Sean Durkin 132m

Based on internationally acclaimed Irish author John McGahern's award-winning novel of the same name, this is a vivid evocation of nature, humanity and life itself, set in a 1980's rural community in Ireland.

Joe (Barry Ward) and Kate Ruttledge (Anna Bederke) leave London to live and work in a small lakeside community in Ireland, near to where Joe grew up. He writes, she is a photographer and artist. Creative days mingle with tending to the bee hives, growing food in their raised beds and keeping open house for any neighbour who feels inclined to drop by for a gossip, a mug of tea or a word of advice. Joe and Kate look upon their neighbours with a kind of benevolent indulgence; in turn, some of the locals regard them with fond bemusement. The prickly Patrick (Lalor Roddy) belittles their love of the quiet rural life and seems to resent the pleasure they take in the simple things. Sharing some of the sensitive qualities of Colm Bairead’s ‘The Quiet Girl’ (2022), this is a lyrical, loving celebration of the everyday. The sense of tranquillity is palpable, and the film almost seems designed to lower your blood pressure.

Ireland/UK 2023 Pat Collins 111m

An effortlessly charming (and funny) heist film with a Hitchcockian plot, plenty of twists and a wondrously open-hearted finale.

Buenos Aires bank employee Morán (Daniel Elías) dreams up a scheme to liberate himself from corporate monotony: he will steal enough money to support a modest retirement, then confess and serve prison time while his co-worker holds on to the cash. Soon under pressure by a company investigator, accomplice Román (Esteban Bigliardi) heads to a remote rural idyll to hide the funds. There, he encounters a mysterious woman (Margarita Molfino) who will transform his life forever. This is an astute existential heist movie that will reward patient viewers with a humorous fable about freedom. (Subtitles)

Argentina 2023 Rodrigo Moreno 189m

In this this indie road-trip drama, a father takes his estranged daughter on the road in an effort to get her out of trouble.

After a drastic incident in her life, a young woman (Clara McGregor) embarks on an impromptu road trip with her estranged father (Ewan McGregor). En route to their destination of Santa Fe, New Mexico, the two are forced to confront the issues of their past that have led to their frail relationship, while encountering an eccentric array of characters along the way, in order to bring them closer together again. This is a film that is about the journey itself, its final moments taking a breath of completed exploration and discovery. A film that leaves viewers with a sense of hope and release. Real-life father and daughter (Ewan and Clara McGregor) are electrifying in this indie road-trip drama, their close relationship off-screen seeping into their hugely convincing performances.

USA 2023 Emma Westenberg 96m

La Passion de Dodin Bouffant

This mouthwatering and sensual exercise in haute cuisine and late-flowering romance is set in 1885 and almost totally within the confines of a rustic kitchen in a chateau. This is our closing film of this year’s French Film Festival.

Tran Anh Hùng, the Vietnamese director, now living in France, of ‘The Scent of the Green Papaya’ based the film on the book ‘The Life and Passion of Dodin-Bouffant, Gourmet’ by Marcel Rouff. Peerless cook Eugénie (Juliette Binoche) has worked for the famous gourmet Dodin (Benoît Magimel) for the last 20 years. As time went by, the practice of gastronomy and mutual admiration turned into a romantic relationship. He realises, however, that while he schmoozes the rich and famous in the dining room, she remains in the kitchen but is clearly hugely responsible for his august reputation. There is talk of marriage, but Eugénie values her independence too much in a relationship that she considers should be of equal parts. Both Binoche and Magimel who were together in life for a considerable time, exude an effortless rapport. Chosen as France’s Oscar contender. Warning: Another film like the recent ‘Delicieux’ that should not be seen on an empty stomach! (Subtitles)

France/Belgium 2023 Tran Anh Hùng 134m

Gym manager Lou falls for Jackie, a bodybuilder who is passing through town en route to a competition in Las Vegas.

1989, New Mexico. Lonely gym manager Lou (Kristen Stewart) spends her free time listening to cassette tapes on quitting smoking. The only thing keeping her in this small town is her sister Beth (Jena Malone), who is frequently beaten by her spineless husband JJ (Dave Franco). Everything changes when Jackie (Katy O’Brian) saunters into the gym: a square-jawed, leotard-wearing goddess heading to Vegas for a bodybuilding championship. This film from director Rose Glass (‘Saint Maud’) is all about the body, what lurks within it, and what physical extremes we’ll push ourselves to for lust, love and freedom. It veers through noir to revenge thriller to pitch-black comedy via moments of magic realism. When it’s not purely thrilling and darkly funny, it’s also just so wonderfully gay. Kristen Stewart with a mullet reading a book called ‘Macho Sluts’ might just be the representation queer women have been waiting for.

USA 2024 Rose Glass 104m

A down-and-out stuntman must find the missing star of his ex-girlfriend's blockbuster film in this hilarious and thoughtful tribute to the stunt community.

Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) is a stuntman. He gets blown up, shot, crashed, thrown through windows and dropped from the highest of heights, all for our entertainment. And now, fresh off an almost career-ending accident, this working-class hero has to track down the missing Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), an international superstar with a lethal combo of arrogance and insecurity which Colt regularly stunt doubles for. But that is not all, he must also solve a conspiracy and try to win back the love of his life - Jody (Emily Blunt) - while still doing his day job. What could possibly go right? Gosling and Blunt are terrific together, but the film also gives them both space to shine separately, with the help of a great supporting cast led by a scene-stealing Hannah Waddingham.

USA 2024 David Leitch 126m

A screenwriter drawn back to his childhood home enters into a fledgling relationship with a mysterious neighbour. Adapted by Andrew Haigh from a Japanese story, this unusual romance is aching, gorgeously shot and shimmering with sadness.

One night in his near-empty tower block in contemporary London, Adam (Andrew Scott) has a chance encounter with a mysterious neighbour Harry (Paul Mescal), which punctures the rhythm of his everyday life. As a relationship develops between them, Adam is preoccupied with memories of the past and finds himself drawn back to the suburban town where he grew up, and the childhood home where his parents (Claire Foy and Jamie Bell), appear to be living, just as they were on the day they died, 30 years before. Haigh, cinematographer Jamie D. Ramsay (‘Living’), and editor Jonathan Alberts utilize a lot of brilliant techniques to keep Adam slipping between worlds, to never fully resolve whether he is dreaming, is seeing ghosts, or is already one himself. A deeply moving film about loss and loneliness with a quartet of performances that blend together in a breathtaking way.

UK 2023 Andrew Haigh 105m

To complement the Chichester Festival Theatre’s June/July production of Harold Pinter’s ‘The Caretaker’, we present this classic 1963 film version which benefits from an outstanding cast.

Naive and lonely Aston (Robert Shaw) rescues the homeless and manipulative Davies (Donald Pleasence), inviting him to stay at his rundown family home. Aston's brother and guardian, Mick (Alan Bates), dislikes the shiftless Davies, but comes to see him as someone to unload the house onto when Aston proposes that Davies become its caretaker. Mick, fed up with his responsibilities, hopes Davies' duties as caretaker will extend to caring for his brother as well. Whilst he is best known for his theatrical work, Pinter was also an accomplished screenwriter; adapting several of his own works as well as many by other writers. In 1963, he wrote the treatment of his own play ‘The Caretaker’ for director Clive Donner. It turned out to be arguably his best. This is a triumph of a film which deserves to be reseen in an auditorium, and discovered by a new generation.

UK 1963 Clive Donner 105m

A young man unleashes a campaign of vengeance against the corrupt leaders who systemically victimize the poor and powerless.

Inspired by the Indian legend of Hanuman, an icon embodying strength and courage, ‘Monkey Man’ stars Dev Patel as Kid, an anonymous young man who ekes out a meagre living in an underground fight club where, night after night, he gets paid for losing fights against the headliners. After years of suppressed rage, Kid discovers a way to infiltrate the enclave of the city's sinister elite. As his childhood trauma boils over, his mysteriously scarred hands unleash an explosive campaign of retribution to settle the score with the men who took everything from him. What starts a tale of a street-smart grief-stricken man living only for revenge slow morphs into the journey of a man who learns to stand for something greater than himself. Dev Patel (‘Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’, ‘Slumdog Millionaire’) who stars, direct, writes and produces this film, is showing signs of being a future leader in British cinema.

USA/Canada/Singapore/India 2024 Dev Patel 121m

The Royal Ballet

Celebrating its tenth anniversary, Christopher Wheeldon’s this is an award-winning modern ballet classic adapted from Shakespeare’s profound story of love and loss.

Sun 26 May 14:30

The extraordinary story of Amy Winehouse's early rise to fame and the making of her groundbreaking album, ‘Back to Black’.

Told from Amy's (Marisa Abela) perspective and inspired by her deeply personal lyrics, the film follows the remarkable woman behind the phenomenon and the tumultuous relationship at the centre of one of the most legendary albums of all time. Winehouse was touted as “the next best thing” with the voice of a Blues’ angel, but left us way too soon at the age of 27, leaving not only a huge hole in her family’s life, but a chasm in the world’s musical sphere. The perfectly chosen support cast includes Jack O'Connell as Amy’s husband Blake Fielder-Civil, plus Eddie Marsan and Lesley Manville as the singer’s parents, Mitch and Cynthia. Directed by Sam Taylor Johnson, who did an outstanding job on John Lenon’s story in 2009’s ‘Nowhere Boy’. Screenplay is by Matt Greenhalgh also known for ‘Nowhere Boy’ as well as the Joy Division biopic ‘Control’.

UK 2024 Sam Taylor Johnson TimeTBC

As her world is shrouded in darkness, a young girl must overcome her fears and travel to a mysterious city of light, save her father from a dangerous scientist and prevent the destruction of her planet.

Free spirited and cheerful Arkie (Jillian Nguyen) lives with her adoptive octopus father, Blister (Rob Collins), on a flourishing, colourful peninsula. Together they help regenerate plant life using their magical tentacles, with the help of friendly mechanical bees powered by sunrays. That's until space bandits invade and kidnap Blister - so that an evil scientist, Dr. Maybee (Sam Neill), can use his powers to sap the planet's lifeforce and discover the key to immortality. Can Arkie rescue Blister in time to save her home from devastation? Based on the acclaimed graphic novel, toy and game brand, and featuring a stellar celebrity voice cast (including Tim Minchin), ‘Scarygirl’ is a visual treat.

Australia 2023 Ricard Cussó & Tania Vincent 90m

Sign up for the next CineCircle to discuss films seen at New Park.

Choose a warming drink, a glass of wine or beer at Brasserie Blanc.

TICKETS ARE FREE, but bookings are essential as we have limited numbers.

Brasserie Blanc, Chichester

Rapito

The brilliant and revealing story of a Jewish boy is kidnapped from his parents by the church and converted to Catholicism in 1858.

In 1858, in the Jewish quarter of Bologna, Pope Pius IX’s (Paolo Pierobon) soldiers burst into the home of the Mortara family. By order of the cardinal, they have come to take Edgardo, their seven-year-old son, who had been secretly baptized by his nurse as a baby and the papal law is unquestionable: he must receive a Catholic education. Edgardo's parents (Barbara Ronchi and Fausto Russo Alesi) naturally become distraught, and will do anything to get their son back. Supported by public opinion and the international Jewish community, the Mortaras' struggle quickly takes a political dimension. Their will to persevere even into their child’s young adulthood is so inspiring it will both break audiences’ hearts and galvanize them too. The film is blessed with extraordinary cinematography (Francesco Di Giacomo), production design (Andrew Castorina) and editing (Francesca Calvelli, Stefano Mariotti) contributing to a look that is eye-catching from beginning to end. A must-watch. (Subtitles)

Italy 2023 Marco Bellocchio 134m

Inspired by the incredible true story of a hairdresser who single-handedly rallies an entire community to help a widowed father save the life of his ill young daughter.

Sharon Steves (Hilary Swank) is a fierce but struggling hairdresser in small-town Kentucky who discovers a renewed sense of purpose when she meets Ed Schmitt (Alan Ritchson), a widower working hard to make ends meet for his two daughters. With his youngest daughter waiting for a liver transplant, Sharon sets her mind to helping the family and will move mountains to do it. What unfolds is the inspiring tale of faith, everyday miracles, and ordinary angels. This is an engrossing fact-based story that packs in some humour, some intense drama and will undoubtedly induce some tears. There is plenty of suspense that comes out of the story naturally, without the need for any manufactured Hollywood thrills. At a time when we all probably need it, this is a film that will make you feel better about the world… and yourself.

USA 2024 Jon Gunn 118m

A cranky history teacher at a remote prep school is forced to remain on campus over the holidays with a troubled student who has no place to go.

From acclaimed director Alexander Payne (‘Sideways’), we follow a the cynical, curmudgeonly classics instructor (Paul Giamatti) at a Massachusetts prep school who is forced to supervise the unfortunate boys unable to return home for the two-week holiday break. Eventually he forms an unlikely bond with one of them - a damaged, brainy troublemaker (Dominic Sessa) - and with the school's head cook, who has just lost a son in Vietnam (Da'Vine Joy Randolph). The snowy cinematography and nostalgic1970s production design are outstanding. This is one of Payne’s best films - very funny, occasionally touching and a sterling example of the bonds that can be forged by an unlikely family. Critics are tipping this as the dark horse of the awards season (96% on Rotten Tomatoes).

USA 2023 Alexander Payne 133m

A stunning, heartfelt drama exploring the complexities of female relationships and the delicate line between friendship and love.

Celebrating her upcoming marriage, bride-to-be Jo (Greta Bellamacina) invites her childhood friend, and first love, Scarlet (Amber Anderson), on a girls’ trip to a country manor. However, despite drifting apart as adults, unresolved feelings still linger between them while the rest of the group enjoys the weekend away. With Jo about to embark on a new stage in her life, but struggling to let go of the past, she reflects with Scarlet on the young girls they once were, and the women they are becoming. Also stars Tamsin Egerton, Jessica Plummer, Bebe Cave and Josette Simon.

UK 2023 Jaclyn Bethany 92m

A Brief History of the School Movie

As Alexander Payne’s ‘The Holdovers’ makes a welcome return to the cinema, this talk will look back at the genre of the school movie and its origins in Victorian fiction.

Sat 1 Jun 10:30

In this British Mockumentary, the competitive giant vegetable growing world is rocked by scandal when up-and-coming prospect Caroline has her prized marrow plants stolen.

With Caroline’s (Jo Hartley) life turned upside down and desperate for answers, she turns to two private detectives, who are then dramatically kidnapped. Are the events linked? No, of course not. But Caroline thinks they are and the hunt or her missing marrows takes her way beyond the allotments, plunging her into a national corruption scandal that goes all the way to the top! This very British mockumentary is set in rural Somerset, and also stars Aisling Bea, Richard Lumsden and Fay Ripley. It will not only have you laughing out loud, but it will also surprisingly pull on your heartstrings.

UK 2024 Finn Bruce & Brook Driver 98m

Sadler’s Wells Ballet

The acclaimed dance theatre production by Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Kate Prince, set to the music of Grammy Award-winning artist Sting. The international refugee crisis is at the centre of this production – an imagined story about one displaced family, and a universal story of loss, fear, survival, hope and love.

Sat 1 Jun 15:45

Sun 2 Jun 12:45

To complement the return of one of the most loved films of the year – ‘The Holdovers’ – we bring you the first collaboration between director Alexander Payne and actor Paul Giamatti, this year celebrating its 20th anniversary.

Struggling writer and wine enthusiast Miles (Paul Giamatti) takes his engaged friend, Jack (Thomas Haden Church), on a trip to wine country for a last single-guy bonding experience. While Miles wants to relax and enjoy the wine, Jack is in search of a fling before his wedding. Soon Jack is sleeping with Stephanie (Sandra Oh), while her friend Maya (Virginia Madsen) connects with Miles. When Miles lets slip that Jack is getting married, both women are furious, sending the trip into disarray. This is a superb film about human beings who can be flawed and prickly, but if you go a little deeper, you will see beauty. Features a wonderfully written (Oscar and Bafta-winning) script, with two great lead performances, especially Giamatti.

USA 2004 Alexander Payne 127m

Exhibition on Screen

Beloved celebrities, devoted staff members and world class experts come together to paint a unique portrait of this iconic British institution for its 200th birthday.

Tue 4 Jun 16:00

Thu 6 Jun 18:00

Tue 11 Jun 12:45

Fran, who likes to think about dying, makes the new guy at work laugh, which leads to dating and more. Now the only thing standing in their way is Fran herself.

Lost on the dreary Oregon coast, Fran (Daisy Ridley) finds solace in her cubicle, listening to the constant hum of officemates and occasionally daydreaming to pass the time. She is ghosting through life, unable to pop her bubble of isolation, when a friendly new coworker, Robert (Dave Merheje), persistently tries to connect with her. Though it goes against every fibre of her being, she may have to give this guy a chance. This is a wry, wistful look at finding meaning in life when caught between social anxiety and the inevitable, interminable need to work, eat and find companionship. Do not let the title put you off, as this great little indie film is brought to life by Ridley’s superb, understated performance.

USA 2023 Rachel Lambert 94m

A clever, ambitious, and funny film from Alice Rohrwacher (‘Corpo Celeste’), which works as an intelligent meditation on our attitudes toward life, love, and death.

Everyone has their own Chimera, something they try to achieve but never manage to find. For the band of tombaroli, thieves of ancient grave goods and archaeological wonders, the Chimera means redemption from work and the dream of easy wealth. For Arthur, the Chimera looks like the woman he lost, Beniamina. To find her, Arthur challenges the invisible, searches everywhere, goes inside the earth - in search of the door to the afterlife of which myths speak. In an adventurous journey between the living and the dead, between forests and cities, between celebrations and solitudes, the intertwined destinies of these characters unfold, all in search of the Chimera. Rohrwacher is in great form, and has continued her trend of adding dashes of magic to tales that explore her country’s past. (Subtitles)

Italy 2023 Alice Rohrwacher 130m

The inspirational (locally-filmed) true story of Mercedes Gleitze, who in 1927 became the first British woman to swim the English Channel.  

‘Vindication Swim’ depicts Mercedes’ (Kirsten Callaghan) upstream struggle in overcoming both the cold waters of the English Channel and the oppressive society of 1920s England. However, after a rival comes forward claiming to have accomplished the same feat, Mercedes is forced into battle to retain her record and her legacy. Callaghan trained for months in the English Channel before filming began in East Sussex, and the cast includes John Locke (‘Darkest Hour’, ‘Poor Things’, ‘The Favourite’) alongside James Wilby (‘Gosford Park’, ‘Howards End’) and Douglas Hodge (‘Joker’, ‘Black Mirror’).

UK 2024 Elliott Hasler 94m

NT Live

Sam Mendes ('The Lehman Trilogy') directs Mark Gatiss as John Gielgud and Johnny Flynn as Richard Burton in this fierce and funny new play.

Thu 21 Mar 19:30

Sat 23 Mar 12:15

Sun 7 Apr 12:30

Reflections on Harold Pinter’s Film Career

With a new production of ‘The Caretaker’ at The Minerva Theatre this month, this talk will look back at Harold Pinter’s work in the cinema, both as a screenwriter and also as an occasional director and actor.

Sat 8 Jun 10:30

Filmed prior to the current conflict in Gaza, this is a beautiful portrait of everyday Gazan citizens, leading meaningful lives beyond the rubble of perennial conflict.

This documentary has real value as a compassionate human document, in showing ordinary people who courageously have to keep going somehow, in the grimmest of conditions, in a world where, as someone puts it, there is a “wall between the people of Gaza and life itself”. A young woman practises the cello, a young man records rap tracks, a theatre director rehearses a performance piece, a fisherman broods over the oppression of his industry – they are not allowed to fish more than three miles out, and the amount of fish that can be caught so close to shore is pitifully meagre. The film wisely avoids any sermonizing or calls to action, and instead serves as an unwavering depiction of cinematic empathy. It’s a sombre film about a people under political siege, and so much more poignant in light of events since 7 October 2023.

UK 2019 Garry Keane & Andrew McConnell 92m

The Films of Powell & Pressburger

Martin Scorsese guides this rich, personal journey through the films of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.

The opportunity to have Scorsese, who has actively championed the duo’s films for at least half a century, walk the viewer through their work, his history with it and, more surprisingly, describe exactly how he has used some of it in his own pictures, is not to be missed. This brilliant documentary about film will be appreciated everywhere cinema is appreciated and features rare archival material from the personal collections of Powell, Pressburger and Scorsese. It is both an illustrative look at and guide to Powell and Pressburger’s gorgeous, radical work for the expert, the enthusiast and the student alike.

UK 2024 David Hinton 131m

The official record of George Mallory and Andrew Irvine's fateful 1924 expedition.

In June 1924 Mallory and Irvine walked to their deaths, disappearing from the view of their fellow explorers on the north-east ridge of Mount Everest. That there was a filmmaker with a customised camera and a telephoto lens on hand to record any of their final steps is impressive, even when viewed from the age of citizen photojournalism. The documentary that Captain John Noel crafted from his hard-won footage is an astonishing movie, one that pays equal tribute to the ambition of Mallory's team and the inhospitality of the mountain. A film that is astonishing in its chill grandeur, and that will linger long in the minds of viewers. We will also be screening the ‘The Great White Silence’ this season which traces the Arctic expedition led by Capt. Robert F. Scott.

UK 1924 J.B.L. Noel 87m

A janitor in Japan drives between jobs listening to rock music in this absorbing slice-of-life drama which adds a quietly soaring gem to director Wim Wenders' estimable filmography.

Hirayama (Kôji Yakusho) seems utterly content with his simple life as a cleaner of toilets in Tokyo. Outside of his very structured everyday routine he enjoys his passion for music and for books. A series of unexpected encounters gradually reveal more of his past. This is a movie about art, exploring how in the midst of chaos, it’s not labour but the physical objects of beauty that we weave into our lives - paperback novels, cassette tapes of favourite albums, carefully tended bonsai plants, a perfectly framed photograph - that structure and give our days meaning. A deeply moving reflection on finding beauty in the everyday world around us. A poem of extraordinary subtlety and beauty led by a remarkable performance by Yakusho. Not to be missed. (Subtitles)

Japan 2023 Wim Wenders 123m

Les Cyclades

An odd-couple comedy that sees two former school-friends reunited in middle-age for a sun-soaked Greek holiday.

Three feisty femmes – Magalie (Laure Calamy), Blandine (Olivia Côte) and Bijou (Kristin Scott Thomas) – play estranged childhood friends who tentatively reunite for a trip to the Greek Islands. Recently divorced, and watching helplessly as her only son leaves home, Blandine is struggling to find her footing again, so when her former best friend Magalie, loud and fearless, suddenly resurfaces, she allows herself to be spontaneous for a change. But as they head off towards their destination, it is soon apparent that Magalie’s very different approach to holidaying – and to life – could lead Blandine to her breaking point… and beyond. An unashamed crowd-pleaser with Kristin Scott Thomas getting in on the act and letting down her hair as a hippie jewellery maker called Bijou. The film emerges as a breezily delightful tale of female camaraderie, intermingled with laughter, tears and great scenery around Amorgos, where Luc Besson’s cult ‘The Big Blue’ was shot. (Subtitles)

France/Greece/Belgium 2022 Marc Fitoussi 110m  

ROH

Jonas Kaufmann headlines David McVicar's spectacular staging of Giordano's epic historical drama of revolution and forbidden love, conducted by long-time collaborator Antonio Pappano.

Tue 11 Jun 19:15

Sun 16 Jun 14:15

An amazing true story about a sensuous, unusual woman ahead of her time, who just happened to be the first bearded lady attraction.

Rosalie lives in a small French village of the 1870s, she is a young woman unlike any other. However, she hides a secret: Rosalie was born with a face and body covered in hair, a peculiarity she has concealed her all her life to stay safe, shaving to fit in. Until Abel, an indebted bar owner unaware of her secret, marries Rosalie for her dowry. Will Abel be able to love Rosalie and see her as the woman she is? This is a delicate drama about a woman who refused to accept social beauty standards of her time, with terrific charismatic lead performances from Nadia Tereszkiewicz as Rosalie and Benoît Magimel as her husband. The film has plenty of applications to modern times - not least of all in its appeal for tolerance of others’ differences - but the film works best as a quiet study in accepting oneself.

A novelist who is fed up with the establishment profiting from "Black" entertainment uses a pen name to write a book that propels him to the heart of hypocrisy and the madness he claims to disdain.

At once broadly comedic and bitingly barbed, ‘American Fiction’ is the story of Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (an outstanding Jeffrey Wright), a writer and malcontent who unwillingly finds himself back in his East Coast hometown. There he is confronted with the family turmoil he tries to avoid, heightened by growing irritation with the expectations he feels from the literary establishment about what “Black literature” ought to be. This is an extremely funny movie that lands some sharp blows, and a stellar feature debut from seasoned TV writer Cord Jefferson, where he confronts our culture's obsession with reducing people to outrageous stereotypes.

USA 2023 Cord Jefferson 117m

La Bête

Based on a Henry James novella ‘The Beast in the Jungle’, this is set partly in a near future in which artificial intelligence is in control of lives and human emotions are perceived as a threat.

The year is 2044: artificial intelligence controls a stoic society as humans routinely "erase" their feelings. Hoping to eliminate pain caused by their past-life romances, Gabrielle (Léa Seydoux) continually falls in love with different incarnations of Louis (George MacKay). Set first in Belle Époque-era Paris, Louis is a British man who woos her away from a cold husband, then in early 21st Century LA, he is a disturbed American bent on delivering "retribution." Visually audacious, this is suffused with a haunting sense of mystery, and is punctuated by a career-defining, three-role performance by Seydoux. This is the final element on our short strand on Henry James’ Women on Screen which includes a screening of ‘The Innocents’ and an illustrated talk on the author’s female characters on the big screen.

France 2023 Bertrand Bonello 146m

What happens when you're ambushed by time? An archaeologist and an architect fight to re-imagine a future after traumatic brain injury leaves them adrift from the people they love.

Sarah (Rebel Wilson) is an archaeologist who is trying to juggle professional and personal responsibilities, while her partner Joe (Celyn Jones) slips away a piece at a time. He has trouble retaining memories and often forgets who and where he is – leaving Sarah reliant on various routines which safely control his day.  Toni (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and her partner Gwen (Trine Dyrholm) form the other part of this relationship equation. Gwen suffered a similar injury following a car crash and has been losing pieces of herself for over ten years. Linking both relationships together is Doctor Falmer (Meera Syal), who continues to treat both Gwen and Joe, even though their respective partners seem to be in perpetual denial. This is a life-affirming drama about loved ones dealing with long-term brain injury, with Rebel Wilson (seen in a new light here) and Charlotte Gainsbourg being the highlights.

UK 2022 Celyn Jones & Tom Stern 96m

In 1910 the British Antarctic Expedition, led by Capt. Robert F. Scott, embarks from Lyttleton, NZ on a quest to become the first to reach the South Pole.

Part of the thrill watching this extraordinary record of Captain Scott's doomed race to the South Pole is knowing that its original audiences were watching these spectacular sights on film for the first time: killer whales; querulous penguins; fearsome crystal cliffs of ice. Ponting was the expedition's official photographer, and the BFI spent years beautifully restoring his footage – which he edited into this silent feature film in 1924. The intertitles function as narration, often with direct reference to the director and the filmmaking process. They often have a certain dry wit to them too, which keeps things amusing throughout. We will also be screening the ‘The Epic of Everest’ this season which traces the Himalayan expedition of George Mallory and Andrew Irvine.

UK 1922 Herbert G. Ponting 80m

The story of a Jewish British girl who is moved from England to Jerusalem for a new start that can help her heal from the death of her mother.

12-year-old Rebecca (Miley Locke), following the death of her mother, relocates to Jerusalem with her grieving father to begin a new life in a house which once belonged to her grandfather. The house has an older past which she has not reckoned with, and her discovery of this goes hand in hand with her developing awareness of the political climate surrounding her. After a supernatural encounter, her father wants her to see a psychologist as she did after her mother’s death, but this leads her to seek comfort with her new ghostly companion, a girl who insists that she's not dead, just hiding in the house where she grew up, waiting for her family to return. An eerily suspenseful and beautifully told heart-warming story exploring the strength of memory and the power of love.

Germany/Palestine/UK 2023 Muayad Alayan 103m

To complement Tony Palmer’s documentary and Q&A on Leonard Bernstein (11 May), we present this classic musical that sees three sailors wreak havoc as they search for love during a whirlwind 24-hour leave in New York City.

Fun-loving sailors Gabey (Gene Kelly), Chip (Frank Sinatra) and Ozzie (Jules Munshin) have 24 hours of shore leave in New York City, and they want to make every second count. While Chip hooks up with loudmouth cab driver Brunhilde (Betty Garrett) and Ozzie swoons for prim anthropologist Claire (Ann Miller), Gabey falls in love with an actress he sees in an advertisement, Ivy Smith (Vera-Ellen). Delightful, exhilarating stuff with some unusual - but wonderful - location shooting. New York never looked better. Leonard Bernstein, with lyricists Betty Comden and Adolph Green, provides the music. Features some great songs such as ‘On the Town’ and ‘New York, New York’.

USA 1949 Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly 98m

Julian Asange

The story of a man who risked everything to bring the truth to light.

Having dominated headlines in the 2010s, the WikiLeaks founder has dropped out of sight having been confined at London’s Belmarsh prison since 2019. And that was kind of the plan, this impassioned documentary asserts, with the aid of staunch defenders including the late John Pilger, Tariq Ali, Jill Stein, Pentagon Papers leaker Daniel Ellsworth and Assange family members. “The persecution of Julian has been a long, slow form of killing somebody,” says Pilger; witnessing Assange’s trajectory from a buccaneering truth-teller to a frail, mentally damaged prisoner, perpetually denied justice, it’s hard to disagree. The film documents in detail WikiLeaks’ role in exposing US war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan, including graphic footage of a helicopter attack in Baghdad in 2007 that killed several innocent civilians and two Reuters photographers. And it convincingly argues that the US has sought to punish him ever since, aided by successive, supine UK and Australian governments.

Australia 2023 Kym Staton 128m

This intimate documentary reveals the story of a fierce rock 'n' roller, actress, muse and mother who rose to prominence in the 1960s and 1970s.

Anita Pallenberg was at many points in her life a newspaper headline: a "rock n' roll goddess," a "voodoo priestess," and an "evil seductress." She was accused of trying to break up the Rolling Stones, among other things. But those who loved her considered her an exciting cultural force, and a loving mother - and innocent of the accusations. Never-seen-before home movies and family photographs explore life with the Rolling Stones and tell a bittersweet tale of both triumph and heartbreak. From ‘Barbarella’ to the Swiss Alps, and the Lower East Side to London, Anita Pallenberg was a creative force ahead of her time. This has a perfect balance of heart, soul and humor that resonates within its core and just makes for some enjoyable and informative viewing.

USA 2023 Alexis Bloom & Svetlana Zill 110m