Films being shown in 2023 - 2024
Below are the films shown in 2023-2024, and a description of each film.
THE OUTFIT
The Outfit
27 September 2023
UK/USA 2022, 105 mins
Director: Graham Moore
Mark Rylance plays a London tailor (“I’m not a tailor, I’m a cutter.”) who has emigrated to the USA. It’s the time of the great depression and the only clients that can afford his beautiful bespoke suits are the gangsters. Clients like these bring the inevitable choices that are much more difficult than the cut of a suit. Voted one of the top ten movies of 2022.
UK/USA 2022, 105 mins
Director: Graham Moore
Mark Rylance plays a London tailor (“I’m not a tailor, I’m a cutter.”) who has emigrated to the USA. It’s the time of the great depression and the only clients that can afford his beautiful bespoke suits are the gangsters. Clients like these bring the inevitable choices that are much more difficult than the cut of a suit. Voted one of the top ten movies of 2022.
LUNANA: A YAK IN THE CLASSROOM
Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom
18th October 2023
Bhutan 2019, 110 mins
Director: Pawo Choyning Dorji
You don’t get to see many movies from Bhutan – but this is a classic! A young student dreams of escape (to Australia!) to become a pop singer. But his work assignment as a teacher (to pay off his student loan) takes him to the remote village of Lunana where the village children have a lot to teach him.
Bhutan 2019, 110 mins
Director: Pawo Choyning Dorji
You don’t get to see many movies from Bhutan – but this is a classic! A young student dreams of escape (to Australia!) to become a pop singer. But his work assignment as a teacher (to pay off his student loan) takes him to the remote village of Lunana where the village children have a lot to teach him.
BENEDICTION
Benediction
15th November 2023
UK 2021, 120 mins
Director: Terence Davies
Poetry and War are not a good mix for anyone. The Poet-Soldier Siegfried Sassoon was an officer in WW1. His bravery under fire earned him the Military Cross, but his poetry condemning the Generals and politicians for blindly continuing the blood bath earned him our admiration. The Military consigned him to a Military Hospital in Edinburgh to keep him quiet. This obviously did not work.
UK 2021, 120 mins
Director: Terence Davies
Poetry and War are not a good mix for anyone. The Poet-Soldier Siegfried Sassoon was an officer in WW1. His bravery under fire earned him the Military Cross, but his poetry condemning the Generals and politicians for blindly continuing the blood bath earned him our admiration. The Military consigned him to a Military Hospital in Edinburgh to keep him quiet. This obviously did not work.
THE BIG HIT
The Big Hit
13th December 2023
France 2020, 105mins
Director: Emmanuel Courcol
Out-of-work actors always need jobs. Our hero, Étienne, works as a drama coach for amateur theatricals in a high-security prison. Getting these tough guys to act and react was always going to be hard – but Étienne wins their confidence with more laughs than tears as they try to put on Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot”.
France 2020, 105mins
Director: Emmanuel Courcol
Out-of-work actors always need jobs. Our hero, Étienne, works as a drama coach for amateur theatricals in a high-security prison. Getting these tough guys to act and react was always going to be hard – but Étienne wins their confidence with more laughs than tears as they try to put on Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot”.
THE BLUE CAFTAN
The Blue Caftan
3rd January 2024
Morocco 2022, 120 mins
Director: Maryam Tonzani
Haim and Mina run a traditional hand-made Caftan store in Morocco’s oldest medina. As business booms they hire a helper, a young man anxious to learn the craft. A good Caftan will stand the test of time, passing from mother to daughter. But the new young man can also teach new ways of looking at life from under the Blue Caftan. Voted Best Foreign film in 2023 Oscars.
Morocco 2022, 120 mins
Director: Maryam Tonzani
Haim and Mina run a traditional hand-made Caftan store in Morocco’s oldest medina. As business booms they hire a helper, a young man anxious to learn the craft. A good Caftan will stand the test of time, passing from mother to daughter. But the new young man can also teach new ways of looking at life from under the Blue Caftan. Voted Best Foreign film in 2023 Oscars.
MR JONES
Mr Jones
7th February 2024
UK/Ukraine 2019, 119 mins
Director: Agnes Holland
A naïve but brave Welsh journalist (James Norton), visiting Ukraine in 1939, discovers first-hand the deliberate starvation policies of Stalin condemning millions of people to die. As a good journalist he tries to get the story out, but nobody wants to upset Stalin with World War 2 building in the wings. Now, eighty years later, Ukraine is back in the News.
UK/Ukraine 2019, 119 mins
Director: Agnes Holland
A naïve but brave Welsh journalist (James Norton), visiting Ukraine in 1939, discovers first-hand the deliberate starvation policies of Stalin condemning millions of people to die. As a good journalist he tries to get the story out, but nobody wants to upset Stalin with World War 2 building in the wings. Now, eighty years later, Ukraine is back in the News.
WINNERS
Winners
28th February 2024
Iran/Morocco, 2022 85mins
Director: Hassan Nazer
In a small Iranian town, even the children work hard to help their families. Nine-year-old Yahya finds what looks like a precious statue in the town garbage dump. Trying to find how best to sell it, the children pass through many adventures before a rewarding end.
Some of the film was shot ‘under-cover’ in Tehran since Director Nazar and his films are banned in Iran.
Iran/Morocco, 2022 85mins
Director: Hassan Nazer
In a small Iranian town, even the children work hard to help their families. Nine-year-old Yahya finds what looks like a precious statue in the town garbage dump. Trying to find how best to sell it, the children pass through many adventures before a rewarding end.
Some of the film was shot ‘under-cover’ in Tehran since Director Nazar and his films are banned in Iran.
COMPARTMENT 6
Compartment 6
20th March 2024
Finland 2021 107 mins
Director: Juho Kuosmanen
Cinema has always loved the Railway - Steam, Diesel or Electric; all trains seem to be made for film stories.
Finnish student Laura is taking the train up to Murmansk and hoping for a quiet ride - but compartment six also holds a drunken Russian miner. It’s a long ride so we know that whatever happens it will be a good ride!
Finland 2021 107 mins
Director: Juho Kuosmanen
Cinema has always loved the Railway - Steam, Diesel or Electric; all trains seem to be made for film stories.
Finnish student Laura is taking the train up to Murmansk and hoping for a quiet ride - but compartment six also holds a drunken Russian miner. It’s a long ride so we know that whatever happens it will be a good ride!
THE LOST KING
The Lost King
17th April 2024
UK 2022 108 mins
Director: Stephen Frears
“Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this sun of York”
No! No Shakespeare here. Richard lll is the ‘Lost King’ and Phillipa Langley (Sally Hawkins) is sure she knows where he was put to rest 500 years ago. Her fight with all the authorities makes watching her triumph over all of them a thrill to us all.
UK 2022 108 mins
Director: Stephen Frears
“Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this sun of York”
No! No Shakespeare here. Richard lll is the ‘Lost King’ and Phillipa Langley (Sally Hawkins) is sure she knows where he was put to rest 500 years ago. Her fight with all the authorities makes watching her triumph over all of them a thrill to us all.