WELCOME TO our latest season of international films. We were sadly unable to meet for nearly two years, because of the pandemic, and started our 33rd season late with a half-season beginning on January 9th 2022. We are now enjoying a full season once again, beginning in the autumn of 2022. The 2023-24 season will start on September 17th 2023. We hope to publish the programme in July.
Programme 2022-23
Date / Title / Approx. Audience / Reaction:
2022
18/09 - The Father - 64 - 92%
02/10 - Riders of Justice* - 112 - 78%
16/10 - Ali and Ava - 105 - 67.5%
30/10 - Parallel Mothers* - 108 - 88%
13/11 - Compartment No 6* - 118 - 75%
27/11 - Soylent Green - 112 - 69%
04/12 - Phantom of The Open - 100 - 89%
2023
08/01 - Escape from Mogadishu* - 107 - 85%
22/01 - Belfast - 98 - 91%
05/02 - Hive* - 100 - 82%
19/02 - Hell Drivers - 78 - 73%
05/03 - Here We Are* - 102 - 87%
19/03 - The Duke - 82 - 93%
* subtitled films.
2022
18/09 - The Father - 64 - 92%
02/10 - Riders of Justice* - 112 - 78%
16/10 - Ali and Ava - 105 - 67.5%
30/10 - Parallel Mothers* - 108 - 88%
13/11 - Compartment No 6* - 118 - 75%
27/11 - Soylent Green - 112 - 69%
04/12 - Phantom of The Open - 100 - 89%
2023
08/01 - Escape from Mogadishu* - 107 - 85%
22/01 - Belfast - 98 - 91%
05/02 - Hive* - 100 - 82%
19/02 - Hell Drivers - 78 - 73%
05/03 - Here We Are* - 102 - 87%
19/03 - The Duke - 82 - 93%
* subtitled films.
INTRODUCTION
Please note, we have retained the 3F system as follows: F = female director; F = noteworthy female role(s); f = female editor.
SOME PRESS COMMENTS
THE FATHER
‘A breathtaking directorial debut’ Radio Times
‘[Hopkins] is absolutely remarkable here’ The Spectator
RIDERS OF JUSTICE
‘The film works as both tarmac-black comedy and exciting thriller’ Sight & Sound
‘A dark, funny, smart spin on the revenge movie’ NME
ALI & AVA
‘Two wonderfully naturalistic performances’ The Independent
‘A tender tale with two brilliant leads’ Little White Lies
PARALLEL MOTHERS
‘Cruz sets the tone . . . she has never been better’ Observer
‘Intelligent, well-acted film-making’ Mail on Sunday
COMPARTMENT NO. 6
‘An improbably beautiful film about strangers on a train’ Wall Street Journal
‘Smart, nuanced film that rarely goes where you might expect’ New York Times
SOYLENT GREEN
'With such a powerful story and charismatic lead like Heston, it’s hard to go wrong’ Eye for Film
‘Edward G. Robinson’s movie . . . he is witty, cultivated and appealing’ Hollywood Reporter
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPEN
'Very charming and very funny’ Mark Kermode
‘This irresistible biopic deserves everything that comes its way’ Sunday Independent (Ireland)
ESCAPE FROM MOGADISHU
‘Slickly edited, dryly humorous and shot with a bold yellow palette’ Observer
‘A muscle-clenchingly thrilling third act’ Guardian
BELFAST
‘Warms your heart’ Evening Standard
‘Probably the best film Branagh has made since his debut’ Sunday Times
HIVE
‘A breathtaking film that will buzz and hum around your mind long after viewing’ HeyUGuys
‘A beautifully delicate rally for independence and justice’ Empire
HELL DRIVERS
‘Gripping British thriller’ Radio Times
‘Home Counties noir at its best’ Time Out
HERE WE ARE
'A poignant, perceptive and subtly gauged film’ Sight & Sound
‘Nothing feels forced or false in this sensitive and insightful film’ Radio Times
THE DUKE
'Warm-hearted, funny and unexpectedly touching, too’ The Mail on Sunday
‘A crowd-pleasing underdog comedy with exceptional performances’ Independent
Please note, we have retained the 3F system as follows: F = female director; F = noteworthy female role(s); f = female editor.
SOME PRESS COMMENTS
THE FATHER
‘A breathtaking directorial debut’ Radio Times
‘[Hopkins] is absolutely remarkable here’ The Spectator
RIDERS OF JUSTICE
‘The film works as both tarmac-black comedy and exciting thriller’ Sight & Sound
‘A dark, funny, smart spin on the revenge movie’ NME
ALI & AVA
‘Two wonderfully naturalistic performances’ The Independent
‘A tender tale with two brilliant leads’ Little White Lies
PARALLEL MOTHERS
‘Cruz sets the tone . . . she has never been better’ Observer
‘Intelligent, well-acted film-making’ Mail on Sunday
COMPARTMENT NO. 6
‘An improbably beautiful film about strangers on a train’ Wall Street Journal
‘Smart, nuanced film that rarely goes where you might expect’ New York Times
SOYLENT GREEN
'With such a powerful story and charismatic lead like Heston, it’s hard to go wrong’ Eye for Film
‘Edward G. Robinson’s movie . . . he is witty, cultivated and appealing’ Hollywood Reporter
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPEN
'Very charming and very funny’ Mark Kermode
‘This irresistible biopic deserves everything that comes its way’ Sunday Independent (Ireland)
ESCAPE FROM MOGADISHU
‘Slickly edited, dryly humorous and shot with a bold yellow palette’ Observer
‘A muscle-clenchingly thrilling third act’ Guardian
BELFAST
‘Warms your heart’ Evening Standard
‘Probably the best film Branagh has made since his debut’ Sunday Times
HIVE
‘A breathtaking film that will buzz and hum around your mind long after viewing’ HeyUGuys
‘A beautifully delicate rally for independence and justice’ Empire
HELL DRIVERS
‘Gripping British thriller’ Radio Times
‘Home Counties noir at its best’ Time Out
HERE WE ARE
'A poignant, perceptive and subtly gauged film’ Sight & Sound
‘Nothing feels forced or false in this sensitive and insightful film’ Radio Times
THE DUKE
'Warm-hearted, funny and unexpectedly touching, too’ The Mail on Sunday
‘A crowd-pleasing underdog comedy with exceptional performances’ Independent
18 September
THE FATHER
NZ/UK/Fr/, 2020, 96m, colr, 12A, F
Director: Florian Zeller
With Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Colman, Mark Gatiss, Imogen Poots
ANTHONY HOPKINS deservedly won a second Oscar, in 2021, for his astonishing performance as a proud, retired engineer who, seemingly, lives alone in his Maida Vale flat despite the onset of dementia. Debutant director Florian Zeller, who worked with Christopher Hampton on the screenplay, makes a very telling use of music, colour and camera placement to take us into the character’s increasingly fragmented world. Olivia Colman also lends excellent support as his worried daughter, Anne.
2 October
RIDERS OF JUSTICE
Den/Swe, 2020, 116m, colr, 15, s/t
Director: Anders Thomas Jensen
With Mads Mikkelsen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Andrea Heick Gadeberg
THE NARRATIVE is established in a style reminiscent of Hitchcock in his prime: a mother has to unexpectedly change her plans and is then killed, when the train she is on crashes. Her husband, Markus, returns from his posting overseas to look after their daughter and begins to suspect that the crash, which claimed 11 lives, was not an accident. . . We have done well, over the years, with tense, brooding, Scandinavian dramas – Mikkelsen’s own The Hunt and, more recently, The 12th Man spring readily to mind. This drama, courtesy of its oddball characters and cutting-edge comedy, is different again and all the better for it.
16 October
ALI & AVA
It/Ire/Leb/US, 2021, 94m, colr, 15, FFf
Director: Clio Barnard
With Adeel Akhtar, Claire Rushbrook, Ellora Torchia
SET IN Britain’s newly-appointed City of Culture, Bradford, this is a poignant, delightful love story from writer/director Clio Barnard. Ali is a British Muslim who is estranged from his wife, but who still lives with her such are the strictures of religion and family. Ava is a fifty-something grandmother and teaching assistant coming to terms with the death of her husband. A chance meeting and a shared love of music (albeit different types) soon lead to a warm friendship, and then to them making the tentative first steps towards a deeply-felt, loving relationship.
30 October
PARALLEL MOTHERS
Sp/Fr/US, 2021, 123m, colr, 15, s/t Ff
Director: Pedro Almodóvar
With Penelope Cruz, Milena Smit, Israel Elejalde, Rossy de Palma
JANIS (CRUZ) AND ANA (SMIT) are two expectant mothers, of different generations, who first meet in a Madrid maternity ward. Despite the differences in age and experience they bond quickly. As this is an Almodóvar film there is much more to the story, of course: Janis is seeking permission to exhume a mass grave and pay respectful homage to the men who disappeared during the Spanish Civil War. The director has not lost his touch and, as we might expect from previous shows, the maestro’s framing and use of colour are exemplary.
13 November
COMPARTMENT N0. 6
Fin/Ger/Est/Rus/Nor, 2021, 108m, colr, 15, s/t Ff
Director: Juho Kuosmanen
With Seidi Haarla, Yuriy Borisov, Dinara Drukarova
LAURA (SEIDI HAARLA), a Finnish archaeology student, is travelling across Russia by train. Into her compartment steps Lyokha (Borisov), a young miner who is clearly a student of hard knocks and the worse for wear from drinking vodka. Train journeys tend to be long ones in Russia, of course, so there is plenty of time for Laura to ‘grow accustomed to his face’ (and his habits) and, who knows, to embark upon an unlikely friendship. Compartment No. 6 is a modest venture that has attracted considerable acclaim; its awards include the Grand Prix at Cannes and Best International Film at the 2021 Jerusalem Film Festival.
27 November
SOYLENT GREEN
US, 1973, 97m, colr, 15
Director: Richard Fleischer
With Charlton Heston, Edward G. Robinson, Leigh Taylor-Young, Chuck Connors
IT IS NOVEMBER 2022 (yes, really) and the city is New York. Charlton Heston is the dedicated, honest detective investigating the murder of a senior executive at the company that produces a new synthetic food: Soylent Green. And the weather is unbearably hot. So, now that it is 2022, how do we match up to the film’s source novel the sci-fi classic Make Room! Make Room!? Well, considering the topicality of global warming, food poverty, homelessness, euthanasia and assisted dying, the predictions are quite uncanny. Do join us for this special presentation and, who knows, a new kind of cake . . .
4 December
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPEN
UK, 2021, 106m, colr, 12A
Director: Craig Roberts
With Mark Rylance, Sally Hawkins, Mark Lewis Jones
UNLESS YOU ARE a golfer, you are probably not familiar with the story of Maurice Flitcroft. He was a crane operator from Barrow-in-Furness who, in 1976, and with the help of some outlandish disguises, conned his way into qualifying tournaments for the British Open. Mark Rylance is excellent in the main role and its very British eccentricities are presented with charm and good humour. The score and soundtrack capture the mood flawlessly and, all in all, it is the perfect film with which to end the first half of the season.
2023
8 January
ESCAPE FROM MOGADISHU
South Korea, 2021, 121m, colr, 15, s/t
Director: Ryoo Seung-Wan
With Kim Yoon-Seok, Jo In-Sung, Hed Joon-Ho
WHEREAS, tonight’s film is likely the perfect choice to revive us after those gentle Christmas offerings on the home screen! Thirty years ago, neither North nor South Korea had full membership of the UN so they were each in African states, such as Somalia, to rally support. When Mogadishu became a conflict zone, the two sets of diplomats had to put aside their differences and come up with an escape plan before it was too late. If, back in the day, you donated books to Africa you will be delighted to see them put to such good use . . .
22 January
BELFAST
UK/US, 2021, 98m, b/w & colr, 12A, F
Director: Kenneth Branagh
With Jamie Dornan, Caitriona Balfe Judi Dench, Ciarán Hinds and Jude Hill
BOOKENDED IN COLOUR but filmed mostly in lovely black & white, Belfast is the director’s semi-autobiographical account of his childhood in the city at the onset of The Troubles. There is a lot of love in his extended family and young Buddy happily does what young boys did at that time – go to the cinema, watch Thunderbirds and hope to get a Subbuteo set for Christmas. Times and the political climate are changing, though, and his parents have important decisions to make about their future. The entire principal cast is excellent, but a special mention for child actor Jude Hill is warranted; he is the heart and soul of the drama as it unfolds.
5 February
HIVE
Kos/Swi/Alb/NM, 2021, m, colr, 15, FFf
Director: Blerta Basholli
With Yllka Gashi, Çun Lajçi, Aurita Agushi
SET IN KOSOVO some 15 years ago, and inspired by a true story, Hive is the only feature to have won all three main awards (Audience, Directing and Grand Jury) at Sundance. Fearing that her husband was one of the thousands massacred by Serbian forces, Fahrije sets about organising other widows into a collective to better market their produce. However, their struggles are far from over as they still live in a society where the traditional (male-orientated) laws are sacrosanct. Yllka Gashi’s performance is truly memorable and, as so often in the past, we feel privileged to draw your attention to such a promising new director.
19 February
HELL DRIVERS
UK, 1957, 104m, b/w, PG
Directors: C Raker Endfield
With Stanley Baker, Herbert Lom, Peggy Cummins, Patrick McGoohan, Sean Connery
THE ACTORS listed above represent barely half of what seems like a veritable Who’s Who of late 1950s British talent. Mr Baker plays Tom, an ex-convict desperate for employment, who goes to work for a haulage company whose sine qua non is speed; men and machines are expendable. Peggy Cummins is touching – and rather good – in her role, but Hell Drivers is essentially a testosterone-fuelled thrill ride, so hold on to your seats! The star and director collaborated on several projects, most notably the classic Zulu, and it was the start of a rich 5-year-period for Baker which he never bettered.
5 March
HERE WE ARE
Is/It, 2020, 95m, colr, 12A, s/t f
Director: Nir Bergman
With Shai Avivi, Noam Imber, Smadar Wolfman
NORTHERN ISRAEL. Aharon Rossman and his wife Tamara separated some time ago; one of their difficulties related to their son Uri who is now twenty and severely autistic. Tamara now believes that Uri would be happier in a hostel for those with special needs. Aharon, after some initial agreement, decides that a father’s love will provide what is needed for Uri’s well-being and they go on the run. I must admit to the odd occasion, over the years, when an unheralded, quite marvellous little film has almost slipped through our net. This moving drama is one such film.
19 March
THE DUKE
UK, 2020, 95m, colr, 12A, Ff
Director: Roger Michell
With Jim Broadbent, Helen Mirren, Anna Maxwell Martin
IT IS 1961 and Kempton Bunton (Broadbent), a 60-year-old Geordie taxi driver, is aghast at the amount of money used to buy Goya’s portrait of the Duke of Wellington. How can this be, when so many people can barely make ends meet? His protest against this injustice involves the theft of the painting followed by an offer to return it, but only if the Government will exempt pensioners from payment of the TV licence fee. Alas, Bunton is not Professor Moriarty; the police arrest him and he is arraigned for trail. The Duke is hugely enjoyable and the late Roger Michell will be missed by film lovers everywhere.
THE FATHER
NZ/UK/Fr/, 2020, 96m, colr, 12A, F
Director: Florian Zeller
With Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Colman, Mark Gatiss, Imogen Poots
ANTHONY HOPKINS deservedly won a second Oscar, in 2021, for his astonishing performance as a proud, retired engineer who, seemingly, lives alone in his Maida Vale flat despite the onset of dementia. Debutant director Florian Zeller, who worked with Christopher Hampton on the screenplay, makes a very telling use of music, colour and camera placement to take us into the character’s increasingly fragmented world. Olivia Colman also lends excellent support as his worried daughter, Anne.
2 October
RIDERS OF JUSTICE
Den/Swe, 2020, 116m, colr, 15, s/t
Director: Anders Thomas Jensen
With Mads Mikkelsen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Andrea Heick Gadeberg
THE NARRATIVE is established in a style reminiscent of Hitchcock in his prime: a mother has to unexpectedly change her plans and is then killed, when the train she is on crashes. Her husband, Markus, returns from his posting overseas to look after their daughter and begins to suspect that the crash, which claimed 11 lives, was not an accident. . . We have done well, over the years, with tense, brooding, Scandinavian dramas – Mikkelsen’s own The Hunt and, more recently, The 12th Man spring readily to mind. This drama, courtesy of its oddball characters and cutting-edge comedy, is different again and all the better for it.
16 October
ALI & AVA
It/Ire/Leb/US, 2021, 94m, colr, 15, FFf
Director: Clio Barnard
With Adeel Akhtar, Claire Rushbrook, Ellora Torchia
SET IN Britain’s newly-appointed City of Culture, Bradford, this is a poignant, delightful love story from writer/director Clio Barnard. Ali is a British Muslim who is estranged from his wife, but who still lives with her such are the strictures of religion and family. Ava is a fifty-something grandmother and teaching assistant coming to terms with the death of her husband. A chance meeting and a shared love of music (albeit different types) soon lead to a warm friendship, and then to them making the tentative first steps towards a deeply-felt, loving relationship.
30 October
PARALLEL MOTHERS
Sp/Fr/US, 2021, 123m, colr, 15, s/t Ff
Director: Pedro Almodóvar
With Penelope Cruz, Milena Smit, Israel Elejalde, Rossy de Palma
JANIS (CRUZ) AND ANA (SMIT) are two expectant mothers, of different generations, who first meet in a Madrid maternity ward. Despite the differences in age and experience they bond quickly. As this is an Almodóvar film there is much more to the story, of course: Janis is seeking permission to exhume a mass grave and pay respectful homage to the men who disappeared during the Spanish Civil War. The director has not lost his touch and, as we might expect from previous shows, the maestro’s framing and use of colour are exemplary.
13 November
COMPARTMENT N0. 6
Fin/Ger/Est/Rus/Nor, 2021, 108m, colr, 15, s/t Ff
Director: Juho Kuosmanen
With Seidi Haarla, Yuriy Borisov, Dinara Drukarova
LAURA (SEIDI HAARLA), a Finnish archaeology student, is travelling across Russia by train. Into her compartment steps Lyokha (Borisov), a young miner who is clearly a student of hard knocks and the worse for wear from drinking vodka. Train journeys tend to be long ones in Russia, of course, so there is plenty of time for Laura to ‘grow accustomed to his face’ (and his habits) and, who knows, to embark upon an unlikely friendship. Compartment No. 6 is a modest venture that has attracted considerable acclaim; its awards include the Grand Prix at Cannes and Best International Film at the 2021 Jerusalem Film Festival.
27 November
SOYLENT GREEN
US, 1973, 97m, colr, 15
Director: Richard Fleischer
With Charlton Heston, Edward G. Robinson, Leigh Taylor-Young, Chuck Connors
IT IS NOVEMBER 2022 (yes, really) and the city is New York. Charlton Heston is the dedicated, honest detective investigating the murder of a senior executive at the company that produces a new synthetic food: Soylent Green. And the weather is unbearably hot. So, now that it is 2022, how do we match up to the film’s source novel the sci-fi classic Make Room! Make Room!? Well, considering the topicality of global warming, food poverty, homelessness, euthanasia and assisted dying, the predictions are quite uncanny. Do join us for this special presentation and, who knows, a new kind of cake . . .
4 December
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPEN
UK, 2021, 106m, colr, 12A
Director: Craig Roberts
With Mark Rylance, Sally Hawkins, Mark Lewis Jones
UNLESS YOU ARE a golfer, you are probably not familiar with the story of Maurice Flitcroft. He was a crane operator from Barrow-in-Furness who, in 1976, and with the help of some outlandish disguises, conned his way into qualifying tournaments for the British Open. Mark Rylance is excellent in the main role and its very British eccentricities are presented with charm and good humour. The score and soundtrack capture the mood flawlessly and, all in all, it is the perfect film with which to end the first half of the season.
2023
8 January
ESCAPE FROM MOGADISHU
South Korea, 2021, 121m, colr, 15, s/t
Director: Ryoo Seung-Wan
With Kim Yoon-Seok, Jo In-Sung, Hed Joon-Ho
WHEREAS, tonight’s film is likely the perfect choice to revive us after those gentle Christmas offerings on the home screen! Thirty years ago, neither North nor South Korea had full membership of the UN so they were each in African states, such as Somalia, to rally support. When Mogadishu became a conflict zone, the two sets of diplomats had to put aside their differences and come up with an escape plan before it was too late. If, back in the day, you donated books to Africa you will be delighted to see them put to such good use . . .
22 January
BELFAST
UK/US, 2021, 98m, b/w & colr, 12A, F
Director: Kenneth Branagh
With Jamie Dornan, Caitriona Balfe Judi Dench, Ciarán Hinds and Jude Hill
BOOKENDED IN COLOUR but filmed mostly in lovely black & white, Belfast is the director’s semi-autobiographical account of his childhood in the city at the onset of The Troubles. There is a lot of love in his extended family and young Buddy happily does what young boys did at that time – go to the cinema, watch Thunderbirds and hope to get a Subbuteo set for Christmas. Times and the political climate are changing, though, and his parents have important decisions to make about their future. The entire principal cast is excellent, but a special mention for child actor Jude Hill is warranted; he is the heart and soul of the drama as it unfolds.
5 February
HIVE
Kos/Swi/Alb/NM, 2021, m, colr, 15, FFf
Director: Blerta Basholli
With Yllka Gashi, Çun Lajçi, Aurita Agushi
SET IN KOSOVO some 15 years ago, and inspired by a true story, Hive is the only feature to have won all three main awards (Audience, Directing and Grand Jury) at Sundance. Fearing that her husband was one of the thousands massacred by Serbian forces, Fahrije sets about organising other widows into a collective to better market their produce. However, their struggles are far from over as they still live in a society where the traditional (male-orientated) laws are sacrosanct. Yllka Gashi’s performance is truly memorable and, as so often in the past, we feel privileged to draw your attention to such a promising new director.
19 February
HELL DRIVERS
UK, 1957, 104m, b/w, PG
Directors: C Raker Endfield
With Stanley Baker, Herbert Lom, Peggy Cummins, Patrick McGoohan, Sean Connery
THE ACTORS listed above represent barely half of what seems like a veritable Who’s Who of late 1950s British talent. Mr Baker plays Tom, an ex-convict desperate for employment, who goes to work for a haulage company whose sine qua non is speed; men and machines are expendable. Peggy Cummins is touching – and rather good – in her role, but Hell Drivers is essentially a testosterone-fuelled thrill ride, so hold on to your seats! The star and director collaborated on several projects, most notably the classic Zulu, and it was the start of a rich 5-year-period for Baker which he never bettered.
5 March
HERE WE ARE
Is/It, 2020, 95m, colr, 12A, s/t f
Director: Nir Bergman
With Shai Avivi, Noam Imber, Smadar Wolfman
NORTHERN ISRAEL. Aharon Rossman and his wife Tamara separated some time ago; one of their difficulties related to their son Uri who is now twenty and severely autistic. Tamara now believes that Uri would be happier in a hostel for those with special needs. Aharon, after some initial agreement, decides that a father’s love will provide what is needed for Uri’s well-being and they go on the run. I must admit to the odd occasion, over the years, when an unheralded, quite marvellous little film has almost slipped through our net. This moving drama is one such film.
19 March
THE DUKE
UK, 2020, 95m, colr, 12A, Ff
Director: Roger Michell
With Jim Broadbent, Helen Mirren, Anna Maxwell Martin
IT IS 1961 and Kempton Bunton (Broadbent), a 60-year-old Geordie taxi driver, is aghast at the amount of money used to buy Goya’s portrait of the Duke of Wellington. How can this be, when so many people can barely make ends meet? His protest against this injustice involves the theft of the painting followed by an offer to return it, but only if the Government will exempt pensioners from payment of the TV licence fee. Alas, Bunton is not Professor Moriarty; the police arrest him and he is arraigned for trail. The Duke is hugely enjoyable and the late Roger Michell will be missed by film lovers everywhere.
Tea and cakes downstairs each Sunday from 4:45pm
Film on-screen 5:30pm
Film on-screen 5:30pm