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Big screen classics
The timeless films we urge you to see.
February / March
Cinematic Homes
Take a cinematic journey through a variety of homes – from small city flats and holiday villas to grand mansions and decorative châteaux. Some of these living spaces become catalysts for change in protagonists’ lives, terrifying prisons or refuges for forbidden feelings. Others are settings for mysterious happenings or critiques of societies and the human condition. Sometimes they become symbols of loneliness, decay or hope for a better future. However, every residence in this programme plays an intrinsic part in each unfolding drama.

Bed and Sofa
A masterpiece of early Soviet cinema, a daring exploration of a ménage à trois, and a critique of contemporary Soviet realities.

Bed and Sofa + intro by Dr Milena Michalski, Visiting Senior Research Fellow, King’s College London
A masterpiece of early Soviet cinema, a daring exploration of a ménage à trois, and a critique of contemporary Soviet realities.

The Rules of the Game
Considered one of the greatest films ever made, Renoir’s ensemble piece is the perfect blend of a comedy of manners and a biting satire of French society.

The Magnificent Ambersons
Among the most famous of broken films, Orson Welles’ masterful follow-up to Citizen Kane was taken out of his control and re-edited by the studio.

The Apartment
This Oscar-winning dark romantic comedy stars charming Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine.

The Innocents
Deborah Kerr excels as a sexually represented governess suspecting sinister forces at play in the mansion of her new employer.

The Innocents + intro
Deborah Kerr excels as a sexually represented governess suspecting sinister forces at play in the mansion of her new employer.

An Autumn Afternoon
A profoundly moving and elegantly composed account of loneliness and family relations from the Japanese master.

An Autumn Afternoon + intro by Professor Jennifer Coates, University of Sheffield
A profoundly moving and elegantly composed account of loneliness and family relations from the Japanese master.

Charulata
This touching story about a lonely wife is regarded as Ray’s finest achievement.

Black Girl
The seminal work from the father of African cinema focuses on a domestic worker who emigrates from Senegal to France in the hope for a better life.

Black Girl + intro
The seminal work from the father of African cinema focuses on a domestic worker who emigrates from Senegal to France in the hope for a better life.

Girlfriends
This exploration of female friendship in 1970s New York City is quoted as an influence on the work of Lena Dunham and Greta Gerwig.

Girlfriends + intro by freelance film critic Laura Venning
This exploration of female friendship in 1970s New York City is quoted as an influence on the work of Lena Dunham and Greta Gerwig.

To Sleep with Anger
A brilliant drama about an African American family reeling from an unexpected visit.

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
A pivotal film in Almodóvar’s career oozes with his unique vision.

Ratcatcher
Lynne Ramsay’s debut heralded the arrival of a highly original new voice in British cinema.

Ratcatcher + intro
Lynne Ramsay’s debut heralded the arrival of a highly original new voice in British cinema.

The Swamp
This assured first feature puts a troubled bourgeois extended family under a microscope.

The Swamp + intro by Aga Baranowska, Events Programmer
This assured first feature puts a troubled bourgeois extended family under a microscope.

Get Out
A suspenseful horror and a timely social commentary go hand in hand in Peele’s groundbreaking film.

Get Out + intro
A suspenseful horror and a timely social commentary go hand in hand in Peele’s groundbreaking film.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire
One of the greatest cinematic love stories exquisitely brought to the screen by France’s leading contemporary director.

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