| 2008/09 Season |
Monday, 27th April 2009 |
 | | LEMON TREE (Israel/Germany/France) 2008 PG Directed by Erin Riklis from a screenplay by Suhia Arraf and himself. Photography (Colour): Rainer Klausmann. Music: Habib Shehadeh Hanna. Length: 106 mins.
With: HIAM ABBASS (Salma Zidane), RONA LIPAZ-MICHAEL (Mira Navon), ALI SULIMAN (Ziad Daud), DORON TAVORY (Israel Navon, Israeli Defence Minister).
Hiam Abbass is remarkable as the Palestinian widow who fights for her right to cultivate her property when the Israelis try to deny her on security grounds. A very human and involving story.
Mini Season more |
Wednesday, 22nd April 2009 |
| | OF TIME AND THE CITY (UK,2008) OF TIME AND THE CITY (UK, 2008) (12A).
Directed by Terence Davies from his own screenplay. Photography (black & white and Colour): Tim Pollard. Goldman. Length: 74 mins. Narrated by Terence Davies.
This is Terence Davies’s greatly acclaimed return to cinema with a highly personal take on his home city, Liverpool, and on his own life during a period of great social change.
“The kind of documentary which deserves to stand among the best of its time ****” – Derek Malcolm, Ev more |
Wednesday, 1st April 2009 |
| | VALENTIN (Argentinian/Spain, etc. 2002) VALENTIN: Directed by Alejandro Agresti from his own screenplay. Photography (Colour): José Luis Cajaraville. Music: Paul M. Van Brugge. Length 82 mins. With: RODRIGO NOYA (Valentin), CARMEN MAURA (Grandmother), MEX URTIZBEREA (Rufo), JULIETTA CARDINALI (Leticia), ALEJANDRO AGRESTI (Vicente).
Mini Season Presentation - Not part of the main season (See also "Winged Migration") more |
Wednesday, 1st April 2009 |
| | WINGED MIGRATION (France/Germany, etc.2001) WINGED MIGRATION: Directed by Jacques Perrin from his own screenplay.
Photography (Colour): Pierre Bec and others. Music: Bruno Coulais. Length: 89 minutes.
Marking our 60th Anniversary we repeat the double bill which, although undermined by bad weather in 2005, nevertheless earned an 84.7% response for the Argentinian study of a 60s childhood and a 91.7% rating for the poetic French nature film.
WINGED MIGRATION: “One of the movies of the year” – The Independent.
“Such magical visuals... more |
Wednesday, 25th March 2009 |
| | WALTZ WITH BASHIR (Israel/France, etc, 2008) Directed by Ari Folman from his own screenplay. In Colour. Animation by Bridgit Folman Film Gang.
Music: Max Richter. Length: 90 mins. With the voices of interviewees Ori Sivan, Ronny Dayag, Shmuel Frenkel, Professor Zahava Solomon.
Ari Folman’s film from Israel portrays his own real life discovery of repressed memories linked to the war with Lebanon. Animation has rarely been used so powerfully and so seriously.
“Fascinating and often electrifying... extraordinary ****” – The Guardian. more |
Wednesday, 18th March 2009 |
| | THE VISITOR (USA,2007) Directed by Tom McCarthy from his own screenplay. Photography (Technicolor): Oliver Bokelberg.
Music: Jan A. P. Kaczmarek. Length: 106 mins. With: RICHARD JENKINS (Professor Walter Vale), HIAM ABBASS (Mouna), HAAZ SLEIMAN (Tarek), DANAL GURIRA (Zainab).
Oscar nominated Richard Jenkins is superb as a widower in his 60s re-engaging with life after a visit to New York has unexpected developments.
“Richard Jenkins gives a subtly nuanced, deeply moving performance. He’s magnificent” – Ph more |
Wednesday, 11th March 2009 |
| | THE ITALIAN (Russia, 2005) THE ITALIAN Russia, 2005. Directed by Andrei Kravchuk from a screenplay by Andrei Romanov.
Photography (Colour): Alexander Burov. Music: Alexander Kneiffel.
Certificate: “12A”. Length: 99 minutes.
Leading Players: KOLYA SPIRIDONOV (Vanya Solntsev), YURI ITSKOV (Director),
DENIS MOISEENKO (Koliyan), SASHA SIROTKIN (Sery),
MARIA KUZNETSOVA (‘Madame’), DIMA ZEMLYANKO
(Anton), DARIA LESNIKOVA (Mukhina), OLGA SHUVALOVA
(Irka), NIKOLAI REUTOV (Grisha).
more |
Wednesday, 11th March 2009 |
| | THE ITALIAN (Russia, 2005). The compelling tale of a Russian boy renouncing adoption by Italians and running away from an orphanage to seek out his own mother.
‘‘Finely crafted… gripping… sensitive to the hilt’ – Time Out.
more |
Wednesday, 25th February 2009 |
| | THE FALLEN IDOL (UK, 1948). Centred on a child in the French embassy in London, it’s this and not ‘The Third Man’, also directed by Carol Reed, which Graham Greene cited as the picture based on his own work that gave him the most satisfaction. ***** - Charlotte O’Sullivan, Evening Standard 2006. more |
Wednesday, 11th February 2009 |
| | DAN IN REAL LIFE (USA, 2007). Juliette Binoche delights in this American romantic comedy splendidly cast but sadly undervalued, possibly because it’s positive about family life!
‘Touching, tender and laugh-out loud funny’ – Total Film.
more |
Wednesday, 28th January 2009 |
| | EL VIOLIN (Mexico/Spain/France, 2006). This myth-like tale from Mexico about the need to oppose repression provides a wonderful showcase for 81 year-old Don Ángel Tavira who carried off a best actor prize at Cannes. ‘His face alone is worth a thousand words’ – Derek Malcolm, Evening Standard. more |
Wednesday, 28th January 2009 |
| | EL VIOLIN (Mexico/Spain/France, 2006) cont This myth-like tale from Mexico about the need to oppose repression provides a wonderful showcase for 81 year-old Don Ángel Tavira who carried off a best actor prize at Cannes. ‘His face alone is worth a thousand words’ – Derek Malcolm, Evening Standard. more |
Wednesday, 14th January 2009 |
| | COUS COUS (France 2007) COUSCOUS
(LA GRAINE ET LE MULET)
France, 2007. Directed by Abdellatif Kechiche from his own
screenplay. Photography (Colour): Lubomir Bakchev.
more |
Wednesday, 3rd December 2008 |
| | AZUR & ASMAR: THE PRINCES’ QUEST (France/Belgium/Spain/Italy, 2006). A new animated treat from Michel Ocelot (‘Kirikou and the Sorceress’) whose tales and fables blend breath-takingly beautiful images with deeply humane themes. ‘Sheer dazzlement’ – Nigel Andrews, Financial Times. more |
Wednesday, 19th November 2008 |
| | UNDER THE BOMBS (Lebanon/France/UK/Belgium, 2007). Echoing road movies like ‘Le Grand Voyage’, this remarkable film shot on location involves us in a personal drama played out against the background of war-torn Beirut. ‘Full of sharp detail and extremely moving’- Philip French, The Observer. more |
Wednesday, 22nd October 2008 |
| | REPRISE (Norway/Sweden, 2006). “Redolent of early Truffaut” wasVariety’s comment on this lively debut from Norway by Joachim Trier which honours French cinema of the sixties while questioning today’s arts world in which trends and celebrity can dominate over talent. more |
Wednesday, 15th October 2008 |
| | WE ARE TOGETHER (UK/USA, 2007). tbc Numerous awards confirm the uplifting quality of Paul Taylor’s memorable documentary about a South African children’s choir finding in music a way to aid an orphanage helping the needy in Natal. “A life-affirming testament to the power of music.” – The Times. more |
Wednesday, 1st October 2008 |
| | A MIGHTY HEART (USA/UK, 2007). Atmospherically shot in Karachi, Michael Winterbottom’s film starring a surprisingly impressive Angelina Jolie pays tribute to the journalist Daniel Pearl, a victim of our times. “Powerful. The movie is ultimately affirmative.” – The Observer. more |
Wednesday, 17th September 2008 |
| | THE EDGE OF HEAVEN (Germany/Turkey/Italy, 2007). Two countries, Germany and Turkey; two families whose lives become interconnected and two generations needing to come to terms. Fatih Akin’s thought-provoking drama is “passionate, ambitious and charismatically performed” (Daily Telegraph). For times see www.eastbournecurzon.net
more |
| 2007/08 Season |
Wednesday, 4th June 2008 |
| | The Orphanage Spain - (Not part of the season, but recommended by the Eastbourne Film Society) more |
Wednesday, 12th March 2008 |
| | TEN CANOES (AUSTRALIA, 2006) (tbc). Smaller in scale but not in power, this visually ravishing retelling of an ethnic legend from Northern Australia echoes the much admired “Atanarjuat – The Fast Runner” of 2000.
“Marvellous. Wise, warm, witty fare” – Time Out. more |
Wednesday, 27th February 2008 |
| | GHOSTS OF CITÉ SOLEIL (USA/DENMARK, 2006) (tbc). The life of the poor under a harsh regime in Haiti has yielded a film so powerful that you can hardly believe that it’s a documentary – but it is, and one of the greatest ever made.
“Shocking” – Washington Post. “Amazing” – Variety.
more |
Wednesday, 30th January 2008 |
| | IT’S WINTER (IRAN, 2006). Centred on just a handful of characters this intense urban drama, subtle and beautiful, brings a new look to Iranian cinema.
“Stirring and unforgettable….. Visually superb” – Time Out.
more |
Wednesday, 16th January 2008 |
| | LIBERO (ITALY, 2006). Beautifully observed and played, this study of a boy adjusting to the separation of his parents recalls the great Italian films of De Sica such as “Bicycle Thieves”.
“A very promising debut. Brilliant acting. A heart-rending story” – Sight & Sound.
more |
Wednesday, 28th November 2007 |
| | REQUIEM (GERMANY, 2005). Sandra Hüller’s performance as a girl who believes herself possessed is on a par with recent work by Helen Mirren and Judi Dench . No “Exorcist”, this drama is based on real events. “One of the year’s best films” – Independent On Sunday. more |
Wednesday, 14th November 2007 |
| | TOKYO STORY (JAPAN, 1953). This wonderfully observed study of family life, at once specifically Japanese in detail but universal in its relevance, is quite simply Japan’s finest contribution to cinema.
“One of the most profoundly rewarding films ever made” – The Guardian.
more |
Wednesday, 31st October 2007 |
| | DAYS OF GLORY (FRANCE/MOROCCO/ALGERIA/BELGIUM, 2006). The role of North Africans within the war-time French Forces is central to this moving story. Told with visual brilliance it offers also a message for today.
“The most powerful war film of the year. Outstanding” – The Times.
more |
Wednesday, 17th October 2007 |
| | C.S.A. – THE CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA (USA, 2004). Spike Lee produced this stunningly original take on American history which comments on race issues by assuming that the South won the Civil War and recasting subsequent events accordingly
“Poisonous hilarity…..brilliant” - The Guardian Unlimited.
more |
Wednesday, 3rd October 2007 |
| | MOUTAIN PATROL (PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA/HONG KONG, 2004). Beauty and drama combine in this real-life tale of attempts to save the antelope from poachers in the highest regions of Tibet. “Awesome” – Financial Times. “Astonishing” – Evening Standard. more |
Wednesday, 19th September 2007 |
| | THE NAMESAKE (USA/INDIA/JAPAN, 2006). Mira Nair’s film of the acclaimed novel about an Indian family from Calcutta living in New York contrasts the attitudes of two generations.
“A considerable achievement, assured, moving, often very funny” - Philip French, ‘The Observer”. more |
