Culture Shock!
Now three years running, we are continuing our popular programme 'Culture Shock' (or the Best Movies You’ve Never Seen), a weekly celebration of the less seen side of cinema. The brainchild of our Programme Coordinator Kate, Culture Shock aims to bring you a curated list of great films which many never get the chance to see.
If you're interested in broadening your film horizon's take a look at our Wednesday screenings, as we take the opportunity to explore new and interesting international cinema!
Polyester - 12th Feb
“It’s scent-sational!”
Blessed with a keen sense of smell and cursed with a philandering husband, a parasitic mother, and a pair of delinquent children, the long-suffering Francine Fishpaw (Divine) turns to the bottle as her life falls apart - until deliverance appears in the form of a hunk named Todd Tomorrow (Tab Hunter). A hilarious and truly scathing satire of the American nuclear family, this is typically boundary-pushing work from the legendary ‘Pope of Trash,’ John Waters.
Madchen in Uniform - 19th Feb
“What is its strange appeal? Why does it stir the emotions?”
A sensitive girl, Manuela (Hertha Thiele) is sent to an all-girls boarding school in 1930s Germany. Feeling out of place in this strict environment, Manuela develops a passionate love for her teacher, Fräulein von Bernburg (Dorothea Wieck). An overt and empathetic treatise on nascent lesbian love, the film has become an international cult classic. Banned under the Nazis and subject to ruthless censorship until the 70s, it’s a miracle that Mȁdchen in Uniform has survived.
Lingua France - 26th Feb
"I know, and I don't care"
A 2019 Philippine-American drama film edited, written, produced and directed by Filipina filmmaker-actress Isabel Sandoval. The film stars Sandoval as Olivia, an undocumented Filipina trans woman who works as a caregiver for Olga, an elderly Russian-Jewish woman in Brooklyn. In pursuit of a man willing to provide a marriage-based green card to her, she worries about possible deportation while becoming romantically involved with Olga's adult grandson, Alex.
Malena - 5th March
“Too young to be a widow, too beautiful to be alone”
A poignant coming-of-age drama set in a small Sicilian town during World War II, Malèna follows Renato (Giuseppe Sulfaro), a young boy whose infatuation with the beautiful and enigmatic titular heroine (Monica Bellucci) intertwines with her struggles as a widow ostracised by the townspeople. Malèna explores themes of desire, jealousy, and societal cruelty, as well as the harsh realities of life in a war-torn, patriarchal society. With evocative cinematography and a haunting score by Ennio Morricone, Malèna is a powerful meditation on innocence, longing, and resilience.
Incendies - 2nd April
“The search began at the opening of their mother’s will”
Their mother’s last wishes send twins Jeanne (Lubna Azabal) and Simon (Maxim Gaudette) on a journey to the Middle East in search of their tangled roots. Adapted from Wajdi Mouawad’s acclaimed play, Villeneuve’s film tells the powerful tale of young adults’ voyage to the core of deep-rooted hatred, never-ending war, and - finally - enduring love. Highly acclaimed, Incendies devastating emotional impact cannot be overstated. A film which once you’ve seen, you’ll never forget.
