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OFFICIAL COMPETITION [Spain], Thursday 23 February, 8pm

By archive, Season 24 films

ALL ONLINE TICKETS ARE NOW SOLD OUT. A LIMITED NUMBER OF TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR. CARD PAYMENT WILL BE ACCEPTED.

Penélope Cruz and Antonio Banderas star as two egomaniacs commissioned by a millionaire to make a movie together in this sharp comedy skewering wealth, art, and pride.

In this Spanish comedy, a millionaire decides on his eightieth birthday that he needs something more memorable than business success to guarantee his legacy. He decides to produce a film and after securing the rights to a Nobel Prize-winning novel, engages acclaimed but unconventional auteur Lola Cuevas (Penelope Cruz) to direct. She in turn casts two very different actors – global movie star Felix (Antonio Banderas) and distinguished thespian Iván (Oscar Martínez) – as her leads. Before long, methods, personalities and egos clash.

Official Competition is a clever satire that pokes fun at various elements of film culture, but also has some genuine laugh-out-loud moments. All three actors are clearly enjoying themselves, but it is Cruz that is the standout here.

An uproarious comedy that’s also deliciously well-performed… this Spanish-language gem cleverly gets away with being both roast session and sneaky celebration at once. – Tim Robey, Daily Telegraph

[Cruz] has rarely been stronger on screen, as an idiosyncratic martinet who nonetheless finds moments of genius and tenderness between her leading men. A blast. – Kevin Maher, Times [UK]

A sly satire of cinema that also manages to be a showcase for the comedic chops of its stars: Penélope Cruz, Antonio Banderas and Oscar Martínez. – Michael O’Sullivan, Washington Post

It dismantles the lofty ambitions of cinema as great, important and significant, a monument on the cultural landscape. Instead, it shows us art for ego’s sake, and it has a lot of wickedly spiteful fun doing so. – Wendy Ide, Observer

96% Rotten Tomatoes

  • Official Competition (Competencia Oficial)
  • Spain, Argentina 2021 | Language: Spanish | 115 minutes | Cert: 15A
  • Directors: Mariano Cohn, Gastón Duprat
  • Cast: Penélope Cruz, Antonio Banderas, Oscar Martínez
  • Foreign language films are subtitled.  Cert: CLUB for over 18s.
  • Tickets: €8.50/€7 concession
  • Cork Cine Club is absorbing all booking fees.
  • Book online: https://bit.ly/OfficialCompetition-Spain
  • Pay at the door by card or cash. Exact change appreciated.

The Gravedigger's Wife, Somalia

THE GRAVEDIGGER’S WIFE [Somalia], Thursday 2 March, 8pm

By archive, Season 24 films

ONLINE BOOKING NOW AVAILABLE.

TICKETS GO ON SALE SUNDAY 5 FEBRUARY AT 10AM.

CLICK HERE TO BUY

Our first-ever film from Somalia is a big-hearted and humorous tribute to the power of family.

Guled and Nasra are a loving couple, living on the outskirts of Djibouti city with their teenage son Mahad. However they are facing difficult times: Nasra urgently needs an expensive operation to treat chronic kidney disease. Guled is already working hard as a gravedigger to make ends meet. How will they find the money to save Nasra and can they keep the family together?

Finnish-Somali writer-director Khadar Ayderus Ahmed’s poetic debut is charming and wistful without ever feeling maudlin. It’s a beautiful love letter to the power of family.

A handsome, widescreen fable about family bonds and financial insecurity, this Somali-language film’s simplicity and economy is its power. – Observer [UK]

A film brimming with authenticity that, supported by three riveting performances, highlights how love and family fuel us.– Insession Film

Charming and wistful without ever feeling maudlin, The Gravedigger’s Wife is a beautiful love letter to the power of family. – RogerEbert.com

It’s a gentle, humorous film in Africa’s quietist cinema tradition with grace notes of irony and wit. – The Guardian

96% Rotten Tomatoes

Cork filmmaker Sinead O’Loughlin will introduce and screen her short film, Lamb [15 minutes], before the feature.

  • The Gravedigger’s Wife [Guled & Nasra]
  • Somalia, Finland 2021 | Language: Somali| 82 minutes | Cert: Club
  • Director: Khadar Ayderus Ahmed
  • Cast: Omar Abdi, Yasmin Warsame
  • Foreign language films are subtitled.  Cert: CLUB for over 18s.
  • Tickets: €8.50/€7 concession
  • Cork Cine Club is absorbing all booking fees.
  • Book online: https://bit.ly/GravediggersWife
  • Pay at the door by card or cash. Exact change appreciated.

HIT THE ROAD [Iran], Thursday 9 March, 8pm

By archive, Season 24 films

ONLINE BOOKING NOW AVAILABLE.

TICKETS ON SALE SUNDAY 5 FEBRUARY AT 10AM.

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Panah Panahi is the son and collaborator of Iranian director Jafar Panahi [Taxi Tehran], who was released on bail in February after being jailed since July 2022. Panah makes a striking feature debut with this charming, sharp-witted, and deeply moving comic drama. 

In July 2022, Jafar Panahi [director of Taxi Tehran which we showed in 2016] went to the Tehran prosecutor’s office to inquire about the arrest of a filmmaker detained in the government’s crackdown on protests. Panahi himself was arrested and, on a decade-old charge, sentenced to six years in jail.

From Variety on 3 February 2023: “Dissident Iranian director Jafar Panahi has been released from Tehran’s Evin prison, his wife Tahereh Saeidi has announced in an Instagram post. The director was released on Friday two days after announcing he was going on a hunger strike to protest still being incarcerated after Iran’s supreme court last October had overturned a six-year sentence issued against the director in 2010 for “propaganda against the system.”

We fervently hope for Jafar’s continued freedom and, in the meantime, we are pleased to present this wonderful film by his son and collaborator.

Hit the Road takes the tradition of the Iranian road-trip movie and adds unexpected twists and turns. It follows a family of four — two middle-aged parents and their sons, one a taciturn adult, the other an ebullient six-year-old — as they drive across the Iranian countryside. Over the course of the trip, they bond over memories of the past, grapple with fears of the unknown, and fuss over their sick dog. Unspoken tensions arise and the film builds emotional momentum as it slowly reveals the furtive purpose for their journey. The result is a humanist drama that offers an authentic, raw, and deeply sincere observation of an Iranian family preparing to part with one of their own.

An almost flawless Iranian comic drama…what really makes Hit the Road fly is the fizzy interplay between the superb core actors. Irish Times

It’s that blend of heartbreak and joy, profundity and absurdity that is the key to this enchanting movie’s magical spell. – Observer

Panahi is the son of the imprisoned filmmaker Jafar Panahi, one of Iran’s greatest living artists. He has his father’s subtle touch for interpersonal dynamics and for light tales that build to surprising hidden depths. – The Atlantic

Ellen McCabe’s short Irish film, LONE WOLF [15 minutes], will be shown before the feature.

95% Rotten Tomatoes

  • Hit the Road [Jadde Khaki]
  • Iran 2021| Language: Persian | 94 minutes | Cert: 12A
  • Director: Panah Panahi
  • Cast: Phassan Madjooni, Pantea Panahiha, Rayan Sarlak, Amin Simiar
  • Foreign language films are subtitled.  Cert: CLUB for over 18s
  • Tickets €8.50/€7 concession
  • Cork Cine Club is absorbing cost of booking fees.
  • Book online: https://bit.ly/HitTheRoad-Iran
  • Pay at the door by card or cash. Exact change appreciated.

The Rose Maker

THE ROSE MAKER [France], Thursday 16 March, 8pm

By archive, Season 24 films

ONLINE BOOKING NOW AVAILABLE.

TICKETS ON SALE SUNDAY 5 FEBRUARY AT 10AM.

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Presented with the support of the French Embassy and the Institut Français.

A charming and witty comedy-drama, The Rose Maker is a crowd-pleasing tale of the fight for independence in the cut-throat world of artisan floristry.

Eve is one of France’s greatest rose growers, but her business is on the verge of collapse. When her secretary hires three inexperienced ex-convicts, they must team up to rescue the business in this verdant comedy. Despite her initial hostility to the idea, the new arrivals soon inspire Eve to give rose-designing one last shot.

A fierce lead performance from Catherine Frot proves a particular highlight here, with the Marguerite star once again proving herself to be one of France’s most compelling screen performers.

It’s a relaxed film, one that allows the audience to sit back and, if not smell the roses, then at least appreciate them. – New York Times

A film that wears its emotions lightly but generously, like dew on a blush-colored petal. – Washington Post

Christine Braithwaite’s short Irish film, Circuit Love [15 mins], will be shown before the feature.

95% Rotten Tomatoes

  • The Rose Maker [La Fine Fleur]
  • France, 2020 | Language: French| 95 minutes | Cert: Club
  • Director: Pierre Pinaud
  • Cast: Catherine Frot, Melan Omerta, Fatsah Bouyahmed, Olivia Côte
  • Foreign language films are subtitled.  Cert: CLUB for over 18s.
  • Tickets: €8.50/€7 concession
  • Cork Cine Club is absorbing cost of booking fees.
  • Book online: https://bit.ly/TheRoseMaker
  • Pay at the door by card or cash. Exact change appreciated.
Return to Dust, China

RETURN TO DUST [China], Thursday 23 March, 8pm

By archive, Season 24 films

ONLINE BOOKING NOW AVAILABLE.

TICKETS GO ON SALE SUNDAY 5 FEBRUARY AT 10AM.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK.

“Hit Chinese film Return to Dust has vanished from China’s cinemas”

Return to Dust,  a low-budget art-house Chinese film became a deeply unlikely commercial smash, topping the Chinese box office ahead of various blockbusters. But then there would also be the equally strange, far sadder tale of how it vanished from cinemas. Seemingly banned merely for spotlighting the hard lives of the rural poor, the sleeper hit appears a snapshot of an airless political climate — and a symbol of the vulnerability of art…

Two weeks after becoming the most popular movie in China, Return to Dust disappeared without warning from cinemas across the country. The streaming sites on which it had also been released no longer carried it, either…

No explanation was provided. Indeed, it has never been officially confirmed that the film was banned. But ever since it has remained impossible to see legally in China. – Financial Times

Read The Guardian article about censorship accusations.

Humble, unassuming Ma and timid Cao have been cast off by their families and forced into an arranged marriage. They have to combine their strength and build a home to survive. In the face of much adversity, an unexpected bond begins to blossom, as both Ma and Cao, uniting with Earth’s cycles, create a haven for themselves in which they can thrive. A story about eternal love, against the odds.

Return to Dust is many things — a vivid portrait of China’s hardscrabble rural north-west, an unexpected victim of state censorship — but it is first and last a love story. – Financial Times

It’s a gorgeous, quietly affecting film that finds an unassuming beauty in this simple life in rural China, but which doesn’t shy away from the extreme hardships faced by the very poorest. – The Observer

Return To Dust isn’t always an easy watch, but it’s a thought-provoking one with beautifully-judged performances that radiate warmth and encourage empathy. – Deadline Hollywood

100% Rotten Tomatoes

  • Return to Dust
  • China, 2022 | Language: Chinese| 131 minutes | Cert: Club
  • Director: Li Ruijun
  • Cast: Wu Renlin, Hai Qing, Yang Guangrui
  • Foreign language films are subtitled.  Cert: CLUB for over 18s.
  • Tickets: €8.50/€7 concession
  • Cork Cine Club is absorbing cost of all booking fees.
  • Book online: https://bit.ly/ReturntoDust
  • Pay at the door by card or cash. Exact change appreciated.

THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD [UK], WED 30 SEPTEMBER, 6:30PM and 6:45PM

By archive, Season 23 films

We have added a second screening.  Now at 6:30 and 6:45pm.

A fresh and distinctive take on Charles Dickens’ semi-autobiographical masterpiece, The Personal History Of David Copperfield, set in the 1840’s, chronicles the life of its iconic title character (played by Dev Patel) as he navigates a chaotic world to find his elusive place within it. From his unhappy childhood to the discovery of his gift as a storyteller and writer, David’s journey is by turns hilarious and tragic, but always full of life, colour and humanity.

Armando Iannucci delivers a minor miracle…maybe the best Dickens film adaptation since David Lean.The Irish Times [Donald Clarke] ★★★★★

Armando Iannucci both respects and reinvents the novel in a wonderfully entertaining adaptation full to bursting with fantastic comic performances.The Guardian [Mark Kermode] ★★★★★

Armando Iannucci’s souped-up, trimmed-down adaptation of the Dickens novel is an exuberant, heartfelt delight.  – New York Times

A vivacious adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic, this is as wide-eyed and open-hearted as they come. Independent UK ★★★★

93% Rotten Tomatoes

UK, 2020 | Language: English | 119 minutes | Cert: PG

Director: Armando Iannucci

Cast: Dev Patel, Peter Capaldi, Hugh Laurie, Tilda Swinton, Ben Whishaw, Gwendoline Christie

Foreign language films are subtitled.  Cert: CLUB for over 18s.

cancelled: A WHITE, WHITE DAY [ICELAND], WED 21 OCTOBER, 6:30PM

By archive, Season 23 films

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, we have cancelled this screening.  We hope to reschedule in January 2021.

In a remote Icelandic town, an off-duty police chief begins to suspect a local man of having had an affair with his late wife, who died in a tragic accident two years earlier. Gradually his obsession for finding out the truth accumulates and inevitably begins to endanger himself and his loved ones. A story of grief, revenge and unconditional love.

An edge-of-seat psychological drama-thriller.The Guardian ★★★★

The accumulating melange of social unease and psychological torment is transfixing…quietly startling visual coups.Irish Times ★★★

An eerily gripping study of grief — and impotence in its face — with the trappings of a revenge thriller.New York Times Critic’s Pick

Delivers a superb psychological puzzle worth piecing together.Los Angeles Times

96% Rotten Tomatoes

Iceland, 2019 | Language: Icelandic | 1 hour & 49 minutes | Cert: 15A

Director: Hlynur Pálmason

Cast: Ingvar Sigurdsson, Ída Mekkín Hlynsdóttir, Hilmir Snær Guðnason

Foreign language films are subtitled.  Cert CLUB for over 18s.

cancelled: LES MISÉRABLES [FRANCE], WED 11 NOVEMBER, 6:30PM

By archive, Season 23 films

Inspired by the 2005 riots in Paris, Les Misérables – directed by Ladj Ly – follows Stéphane, a recent transplant to the impoverished suburb of Montfermeil, as he joins the local anti-crime squad. Working alongside his unscrupulous colleagues Chris and Gwada, Stéphane struggles to maintain order amidst the mounting tensions between local gangs. When an arrest turns unexpectedly violent, the three officers must reckon with the aftermath and keep the neighborhood from spiraling out of control.

Academy Award Nominee, Best International Feature Film, 2020

A wild and electrifying modern French drama…better than La Haine, more incendiary than Do the Right Thing. – Irish Times ★★★★★

The ghosts of Victor Hugo’s downtrodden 19th-century rebels haunt Ladj Ly’s César-winning contemporary urban drama, a streetwise tale of France’s dispossessed masses, brought once again to the brink of rebellion.The Guardian ★★★★

A cross between The Wire, Do the Right Thing and Training Day, Les Misérables is brilliantly paced, unbearably tense and a reminder that there are so many great actors who go under the radar.RTE ★★★★★

New York Times interview with director Ladj Ly:  A Movie Torn From the Pages of His Life.

88% Rotten Tomatoes

France, 2019 | Language: French, Bambara | 104 minutes | Cert: CLUB

Director: Ladj Ly

Cast: Damien Bonnard, Alexis Manenti, Djebril Zonga, Issa Perica, Al-Hassan Ly

Foreign language films are subtitled.  Cert CLUB for over 18s.

cancelled: THE PERFECT CANDIDATE [SAUDI ARABIA], WED 2 DECEMBER, 6:30PM

By archive, Season 23 films

A revealing look at the changing roles of women in Saudi Arabia from director Haifaa Al-Mansour (Wadjda), The Perfect Candidate follows Maryam, a determined young doctor who runs for city council after the male incumbent repeatedly ignores her request to fix the muddy road leading to her clinic. Maryam and her family mobilise their determination and creativity to move their traditional society forward.

In this assured and watchable picture, al-Mansour gives her audience a fine lesson in some key ingredients of political life in Saudi or anywhere else: nepotism, cynicism, sexism and chaos.The Guardian ★★★★

Saudi feminist drama is forthright and free from poeticism. For Haifaa al-Mansour, it’s an opportunity to reflect on the progress made by courageous women like her.Independent UK ★★★★

A subtle message movie from one of the world’s most important filmmakers.NME ★★★★

93% Rotten Tomatoes

Saudi Arabia, 2019 | Language: Arabic | 101 minutes | Cert: CLUB

Director: Haifaa Al Mansour

Cast: Nora Al Awadh, Dae Al Hilali, Mila Al Zahrani

Foreign language films are subtitled.  Cert CLUB for over 18s.

LE BRIO [FRANCE], THU 23 JANUARY, 8PM

By archive, Season 22 films

In Paris, a law student of Algerian descent clashes with a controversial professor who uses language tainted with racist slurs.  He is given one chance to redeem himself.  They both must overcome their prejudices.

Camelia Jordana and Daniel Auteuil prove to be a winning pair.Hollywood Reporter

Click here for Rotten Tomatoes.

France, 2017 | Language: French | 95 minutes | Cert: CLUB

Cast: Camélia Jordana, Daniel Auteuil, Yasin Houicha, Nozha Khouadra

Presented with the support of the French Embassy and the Institut Français.