Spring Film Season 2016
Fidelio: Alice's Odyssey (2014), Fr. Thirty-year-old Alice's occupation is rather unusual for a woman : she works as an engineer on a freighter. She loves her job and does it competently but even in a greasy blue overall a woman will be a woman, with her heart, her desires and her seduction... In such conditions can an all-male crew really remain totally insensitive to her charms? A situation all the more complicated as not only does Alice leave her fiancé Felix behind but she also discovers on board the Fidélio that the captain is Gaël, her first love...
Taxi, Tehran (2015) Iran Director: Jafar Panahi. Jafar Panahi is banned from making movies by the Iranian government, he poses as a taxi driver and makes a movie about social challenges in Iran.
The Lobster, (2015) Ireland In a dystopian near future, single people, according to the laws of The City, are taken to The Hotel, where they are obliged to find a romantic partner in forty-five days or are transformed into beasts and sent off into The Woods.
Miss You Already, (2015) UK An honest and powerful story following two best friends, Milly and Jess, as they navigate life's highs and lows. Inseparable since they were young girls, they can't remember a time they didn't share everything -secrets, clothes, even boyfriends -- but nothing prepares them for the day Milly is hit with life-altering news
Suffragette, (2015) UK Stars: Carey Mulligan, Anne-Marie Duff, Helena Bonham Carter The foot soldiers of the early feminist movement, women who were forced underground to pursue a dangerous game of cat and mouse with an increasingly brutal State.
Beasts of No Nation, (2015) US/UK: Newcomer Abraham Attah plays Agu, a nine-year-old boy whose village stands in a UN-regulated buffer zone adjoining a warring neighbouring state: his father, a teacher, has given some family- owned land to help house the refugees, a gesture that has alienated some in the community. Soon the chaos spreads over the border; Agu’s own country is torn apart by civil war. Brooklyn (2015), UK/Ireland An Irish immigrant lands in 1950s Brooklyn, where she quickly falls into a romance with a local. When her past catches up with her, however, she must choose between two countries and the lives that exist within.
Black Mass, (2015) US/UK Stars: Johnny Depp, Benedict Cumberbatch. The true story of Whitey Bulger, the brother of a state senator and the most infamous violent criminal in the history of South Boston, who became an FBI informant to take down a Mafia family invading his turf.
Carol, (2015) US Stars: Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, An aspiring photographer develops an intimate relationship with an older woman. 6 Oscar nominations
Crimson Peak, (2015) US Director: Guillermo del Toro In the aftermath of a family tragedy, an aspiring author is torn between love for her childhood friend and the temptation of a mysterious outsider. Trying to escape the ghosts of her past, she is swept away to a house that breathes, bleeds - and remembers.
Dressed as a Girl, (2015) UK Filmed over six years and following six celebrated performers as they swim against the tide, the film follows the literal highs and graphic lows of this popular tribe, revealing the personal struggles of each heroine.
The Lady in the Van, (2015) UK Writer: Alan Bennett Stars: Maggie Smith, A man forms an unexpected bond with a transient woman living in her car that's parked in his driveway.
Steve Jobs, (2015) US Stars: Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen. Steve Jobs takes us behind the scenes of the digital revolution, to paint a portrait of the man at its epicenter. The story unfolds backstage at three iconic product launches, ending in 1998 with the unveiling of the iMac. Tangerine, (2015) US A working girl tears through Tinseltown on Christmas Eve searching for the pimp who broke her heart. (nominated best film at the London Film Festival).
Under Milk Wood, (2015) UK, Wales Stars:Rhys Ifans, Di Botcher, Julian Lewis Jones Residents of a fictional Welsh community share stories and poems of their life in their seaside town.
Macbeth, (2015) Stars: Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard Macbeth, the Thane of Glamis, receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders his king and takes the throne for himself.
My Skinny Sister, (2015) Sweden, St Stars: Rebecka Josephson, Amy Diamond, Henrik Norlén Just as Stella enters the exciting world of adolescence she discovers that her big sister and role model Katja is hiding an eating disorder. A story about jealousy, love and betrayal.
The Forbidden Room, (2015) Canada Director: Guy Maddin A never-before-seen woodsman mysteriously appears aboard a submarine that's been trapped deep under water for months with an unstable cargo. As the terrified crew make their way through the corridors of the doomed vessel, they find themselves on a voyage into the origins of their darkest fears.
Sunset Song, (2015) UK Stars: Agyness Deyn, Peter Mullan, Kevin Guthrie Set in the rural community of Kinraddie, Scotland, this film is driven by the young heroine Chris and her intense passion for life, for the unsettled Ewan and for the unforgiving land. As the approaching war brings the modern world to bear on the rural community, Chris must endure against the hardships of rural Scottish life and draw strength from this ancient land.
Les Anarchistes, (2015) France St Stars: Tahar Rahim, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Swann Arlaud An undercover cop - Tahar Rahim - sent to a mission: infiltrate a group of anarchists, idealistic young men and women who seek a better society, and who fight against rich people who rule the country at the end of the 19th century., The Danish Girl, (2015) UK/Denmark Stars: Eddie Redmayne, Alicia Vikander, Amber Heard A fictitious love story loosely inspired by the lives of Danish artists Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener. Lili and Gerda's marriage and work evolve as they navigate Lili's groundbreaking journey as a transgender pioneer.
The Lesson, (2014) Bulgaria Stars: Margita Gosheva, Ivan Barnev, Ivan Savov In a small Bulgarian town Nadezhda, a young teacher, is looking for the robber in her class so she can teach him a lesson about right and wrong. But when she gets in debt to loan sharks, can she find the right way out herself?
Innocence of Memories, (2015) Turkey Documentary, Director: Grant Gee Orhan Pamuk - Turkey's Nobel laureate for Literature - opens a museum in Istanbul. A museum that's a fiction: its objects trace a tale of doomed love in 1970's Istanbul. The film takes a tour of the objects as the starting point for a trip through love stories, landscapes and the chemistry of the city.
The Assassin, (2015) China St Director: Hsiao-Hsien Hou 8th century China. 10-year-old general's daughter Nie Yinniang is abducted by a nun who initiates her into the martial arts, transforming her into an exceptional assassin charged with eliminating cruel and corrupt local governors. One day, having failed in a task, she is sent back by her mistress to the land of her birth, with orders to kill the man to whom she was promised. Winner Cannes; Best Film Director.
Kaakkaa Muttai, (2014) (The Crow's Egg) India st Director: M. Manikandan Periya Kakka Muttai (Vignesh) and his younger brother Chinna Kaaka Muttai (Ramesh) are growing up in a slum and make their living stealing coal from the railway yard. They have their own dreams like any other kids and here, they want to try out a Pizza from the newly opened Pizza shop. Their curiosity about pizza is because, the new shop is opened by Tamil star Silambarasan. A deceptively simple, charming film
Room (2015), UK Ireland Director: Lenny Abrahamson ROOM tells the extraordinary story of Jack, a spirited 5-year-old who is looked after by his loving and devoted mother. Their life, however, is anything but typical--they are trapped--confined to a windowless, 10-by-10-foot space that Ma has euphemistically named Room. Ma has created a whole universe for Jack within Room, and she will stop at nothing to ensure that, even in this treacherous environment, Jack is able to live a complete and fulfilling life. Nominated for 4 Oscars.
Spotlight, (2015) US Stars: Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton The true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core. Nominated for 6 Oscars.
Trumbo, (2015) US Stars: Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane, Helen Mirren In 1947, Dalton Trumbo (Bryan Cranston) was Hollywood's top screenwriter until he and other artists were jailed and blacklisted for their political beliefs. TRUMBO (directed by Jay Roach) recounts how Dalton used words and wit to win two Academy Awards and expose the absurdity and injustice of the blacklist, which entangled everyone from gossip columnist Hedda Hopper (Helen Mirren) to John Wayne, Kirk Douglas and Otto Preminger
Youth, (2015) Italy Director: Paolo Sorrentino Stars: Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel, Rachel Weisz Fred and Mick, two old friends, are on vacation in an elegant hotel at the foot of the Alps. Fred, a composer and conductor, is now retired. Mick, a film director, is still working. They look with curiosity and tenderness on their children's confused lives, Mick's enthusiastic young writers, and the other hotel guests. While Mick scrambles to finish the screenplay for what he imagines will be his last important film, Fred has no intention of resuming his musical career. But someone wants at all costs to hear him conduct again.
Sicario, (2015) US Stars: Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, Benicio Del Toro FBI-Agent Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) is recruited to pursue a Mexican drug-baron. She is being guided by a seemingly untouchable covert assassin named Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro). Their investigation and methods are pushed further into unknown territory where justice and morality are no longer valid. The end not only justifies the means, it requires them.
The Second Mother, (2015) Brazil St Director: Anna Muylaert When Val's estranged teenage daughter comes to stay with the affluent family she lives with and serves, the balance is upset by her simply using their pool and eating their ice cream. It highlights the social constructs which are assumed with certain boundaries and duties. The family considers Val part of the family, but far from treats her like one, and Regina Case's performance as Val is effortless and stellar. Victoria, (2015) Germany St Stars: Laia Costa, Frederick Lau, Franz Rogowski A young Spanish woman who has newly moved to Berlin finds her flirtation with a local guy turn potentially deadly as their night out with his friends reveals a dangerous secret.
Born to Be Blue, (2015) Stars: Ethan Hawke, Carmen Ejogo, Callum Keith Rennie Born to be Blue starring Ethan Hawke is a re-imagining of jazz trumpeter Chet Baker's life in the 60's. When Chet stars in a film about himself, a romance heats up with his costar, the enigmatic Jane (Carmen Ejogo). Production is shelved when Chet's past comes back to haunt him and it appears he may never play music again but Jane challenges him to mount a musical comeback against all the odds.
Güeros, (2014) Mexico St Director: Alonso Ruizpalacios Ever since the National University strike broke out, Sombra and Santos have been living in angst- ridden limbo. Education-less, motionless, purposeless, and unsure of what the strike will bring, they begin to look for strange ways to kill time. But their idiosyncratic routine is interrupted by the unexpected arrival of Tomas, Sombra's kid brother. Unable to fit in amongst these older slackers, Tomas discovers that unsung Mexican folk-rock hero Epigmenio Cruz has been hospitalized somewhere in the city. Tomas convinces Sombra and Santos they must track him down in order to pay their final respects on his deathbed. But what they thought would be a simple trip to find their childhood idol, soon becomes a voyage of self-discovery across Mexico City's invisible frontiers.
Mustang, (2015) Turkey St Director: Deniz Gamze Ergüven In a village in northern Turkey, Lale and her four sisters are walking home from school, playing innocently with some boys. The immorality of their play sets off a scandal that has unexpected consequences. The family home is progressively transformed into a prison; instruction in homemaking replaces school and marriages start being arranged. The five sisters who share a common passion for freedom, find ways of getting around the constraints imposed on them.
It Follows, (2014) US Director: David Robert Mitchell For nineteen-year-old Jay, Autumn should be about school, boys and week-ends out at the lake. But after a seemingly innocent sexual encounter, she finds herself plagued by strange visions and the inescapable sense that someone, something, is following her. Faced with this burden, Jay and her friends must find a way to escape the horrors, that seem to be only a few steps behind. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, (2013) Japan Animation Director: Isao Takahata An old man makes a living by selling bamboo. One day, he finds a princess in a bamboo. The princess is only the size of a finger. Her name is Kaguya. When Kaguya grows up, 5 men from prestigious families propose to her. Kaguya asks the men to find memorable marriage gifts for her, but the 5 men are unable to find what Kaguya wants. Then, the Emperor of Japan proposes to her