After marrying a successful Parisian writer known commonly as "Willy" (Dominic West), Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (Keira Knightley) is transplanted from her childhood home in rural France to the intellectual and artistic splendour of Paris.

Willy convinces Colette to ghost-write for him. She pens a semi-autobiographical novel about a witty and brazen country girl named Claudine, sparking a bestseller and a cultural sensation. After its success, they become the talk of Paris and their adventures inspire additional Claudine novels. Colette's fight over creative ownership and gender roles drives her to overcome societal constraints, revolutionizing literature, fashion and sexual expression. Director Westmoreland (Still Alice) and cinematographer Giles Nuttgens have created a visually fabulous film, Paris is scrumptiously decadent as Colette navigates the city's eclectic, gossipy social scene.

UK/USA 2018 Wash Westmoreland 111m

Trautmann

The extraordinary life of goalkeeper ‘Bert’ Trautmann (David Kross), a man whose love for football, for England and for the love of his life, Margaret (Freya Mavor), saw him rise from Nazi 'villain' to British hero.

Trautmann’s name is well-known to British football fans as the heroic Manchester City goalkeeper who played to the end of the 1956 FA Cup Final despite having broken his neck. Not many though, will be aware of the full back story, how, as a former German POW, Trautmann refused repatriation and started to play in the hostile UK minor leagues despite having been awarded an Iron Cross for his actions on the battlefront during the Second World War. (Some Subtitles)

Germany/UK 2018 Marcus H. Rosenmüller 120m

We are delighted to welcome Catrine Clay, author of ‘Trautmann's Journey: From Hitler Youth to FA Cup Legend’ for an intro and Q&A at the Saturday screening.

In 1850s Oregon, a gold prospector is chased by the infamous duo of assassins, the Sisters brothers.

Charlie and Eli Sisters (Joaquin Phoenix and John C. Reilly) are both brothers and assassins, boys grown to men in a savage and hostile world. They have blood on their hands: that of criminals, that of innocents... and they know no state of existence other than being gunmen. The older of the two, introspective Eli rides hard with his younger sibling yet dares to dream of a normal life. The younger of the two, hard-drinking Charlie has taken charge with gusto as lead man on the duo's assignments. Each increasingly questions, and quibbles with, the other's methods. Audiard (‘Rust and Bone’, ‘A Prophet’) reimagines the cinematic Western as a dangerous, witty, and emotionally cathartic exploration of what it means to be a man. Also stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Riz Ahmed.

France 2018 Jacques Audiard 121m

The mesmerising Charlotte Rampling brings an intelligent intensity to the role of a woman whose ageing husband has been jailed.

This is the intimate portrait of a woman's loss of identity as she teeters between denial and reality. Left alone grappling with the consequences of her husband's (André Wilms) imprisonment, Hannah (Rampling) begins to unravel. Ostracised by family members, neighbours hurl abuse through her door, even her gym membership, bizarrely, is suddenly revoked. Through the exploration of her fractured sense of identity and loss of self-control, the film investigates modern day alienation, the struggle to connect, and the dividing lines between individual identity, personal relationships, and societal pressures. Rampling was awarded the Volpi cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival for this wondrous performance. (Some Subtitles)

Italy/France 2017 Andrea Pallaoro 93m

Lazzaro Felice

This enchanting, surprising Italian fable from the gifted Italian filmmaker Alice Rohrwacher, was the winner of Best Screenplay at Cannes 2018.

Lazzaro (Adriano Tardiolo) is a naive and optimistic twenty-year-old farmer. On the other hand, Tancredi (Tommaso Ragno) is a young man with a fervid imagination. Between the two an unexpected friendship is born, one that for Lazzaro, turns out to be an important moment of growth. The first half of the film takes place on the ironically named Inviolata, a large, isolated tobacco farm owned by the wealthy Marquise de Luna (Nicoletta Braschi), before moving to a city of paved streets and modern buildings. With an unapologetic social message, ‘Happy as Lazzaro’ dares one to imagine a reality where each individual would task themselves to be as selfless and morally whole as its main protagonist. (Subtitles)

Italy 2018 Alice Rohrwacher 125m

A new stage adaptation of the classic 1950 film opens in the West End’s Noel Coward Theatre starring Gillian Armstrong and Lily James and transmitting live in Cinemas.

The legendary 1950 Bette Davis film, which also featured one of Marilyn Monroe’s earliest screen performances, has been adapted by Ivo Van Hove, who also directs the production. 'All About Eve' tells the story of Margo Channing. Legend. True star of the theatre. The spotlight is hers, always has been. But now there’s Eve. Her biggest fan. Young, beautiful Eve. The golden girl, the girl next door. But you know all about Eve…don’t you…? Lifting the curtain on a world of jealousy and ambition, this new production, from one of the world's most innovative theatre directors, Ivo van Hove (Network, NT Live: A View from the Bridge), asks why our fascination with celebrity, youth and identity never seems to get old. It has been designed by Jan Versweyveld, with new music from PJ Harvey. It will be the first time Anderson has appeared on the London stage since her Evening Standard Theatre Award-winning performance in 'A Streetcar Named Desire' at the Young Vic in 2014. The cast of the production, which looks set to be one of the biggest shows of the year, also includes Monica Dolan, Ian Drysdale and Julian Ovenden.    130m approx

Tickets £17.50 (Friends/Students £15)

Thu 11 Apr 19:00 (Live)

Sun 28 Apr 15:00 (Encore)

A chronicle of the years leading up to Queen's legendary appearance at the Live Aid) concert in 1985.

A foot-stomping celebration of Queen, their music and their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury, who defied stereotypes and shattered convention to become one of the most beloved entertainers on the planet (Rami Malek is mesmerizing as Mercury). The film traces the meteoric rise of the band through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound, their near-implosion as Mercury's lifestyle spirals out of control, and their triumphant reunion on the eve of Live Aid, in one of the greatest performances in the history of rock. In the process, cementing the legacy of a band that were always more like a family, and who continue to inspire outsiders, dreamers and music lovers to this day.

UK/USA 2018 Bryan Singer 134m

ROH Live:

The lavish scale of French grand opera is wonderfully in evidence in this production by David McVicar, set in 1870s Paris, with a large chorus, sensational sets, ballet and an ecstatic finale.

There are many versions of the story of Faust, who trades his soul with the Devil for youth and power, but Gounod’s opera remains one of the most constantly enthralling. Michael Fabiano stars as Faust, with Diana Damrau as his beloved Marguerite and Erwin Schrott as the diabolical Méphistophélès. Virtuoso leading roles, a large chorus, sensational sets, ballet and an ecstatic finale make this the epitome of theatrical spectacle – the lavish scale of French grand opera is wonderfully in evidence in this production by David McVicar, set in 1870s Paris. Above all, the music includes several of popular opera’s most recognizable numbers, performed by a cast of great international singers and the Royal Opera Chorus. The cast includes Michael Fabiano (Faust), Erwin Schrott (Méphistophélès), Diana Damrau (Marguerite). An opera in 5 acts sung in French with English subtitles. 255m approx including 2 intervals.

Tue30 Apr 18:45 (Live)  

Tickets £17.50 (Friends/Students £15)

Them

Paolo Sorrentino’s much-anticipated treatment of Silvio Berlusconi is a sharply written look at the politician and the people attracted to his power.

Naturally Berlusconi is inhabited by Sorrentino’s muse Toni Servillo, the shapeshifting star who once again transforms himself not simply with the help of prostheses and hair dye, but through his exceptional physicality.

This film aims to peer not just into Berlusconi’s monomaniacal soul, but to expose, as with Sorrentino’s ‘The Great Beauty’, the apotheosis of vulgarity and craving for attention that’s been the canny politician and media magnate’s lasting imprint on Italian society.

This kaleidoscopic consideration of the four-time prime minister and the Italy he fostered, is a subtly written, stylistically classical look at one of the most divisive European leaders in recent memory. (Subtitles)

Italy 2018 Paolo Sorrentino 151m

A singer from Glasgow is on a quest to become a Nashville country music star.

Rose-Lynn (Jessie Buckley) is a Glaswegian jailbird who is still grasping on to dreams of becoming a country singer and heading to Nashville to pursue her talents. Her mother (Julie Walters) has been looking after the two youngsters while Rose has been in prison and, hoping a bit of jail time will buck up her ideas, tries to instil a sense of responsibility in her daughter. But Rose’s itchy feet – no matter the ankle tag under her white cowboy boots – will get her to Nashville at any cost. So begins an arduous but always optimistic cycle, as the young woman runs away from the responsibilities of family and adulthood in order to chase who she thinks she has to be. Directed by ‘War and Peace’ (BBC) director Tom Harper.

UK 2018 Tom Harper 100m

A working-class Italian-American bouncer becomes the driver of an African-American classical pianist on a tour of venues through the 1960s American South.

Based on the true story of Tony Lip (Viggo Mortensen), a bouncer from an Italian-American neighbourhood in the Bronx, who is hired to drive world-class Black pianist Dr. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) on a concert tour from Manhattan to the Deep South. They must rely on "The Green Book" to guide them to the few establishments that were then safe for African-Americans. Confronted with racism, danger-as well as unexpected humanity and humour - they are forced to set aside differences to survive and thrive on the journey of a lifetime. Both Mortensen and Ali are certainties for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor nominations in the Awards season.

USA 2018 Peter Farrelly 129m

In Simon Amstell's affecting, bittersweet comedy, a filmmaker is thrown into emotional turmoil by a burgeoning romance and an upcoming film premiere.

Rising young filmmaker Benjamin (Colin Morgan), is thrown into emotional disarray over the impending release of his second feature ‘No Self’. If that was not enough to mess with his emotions, his hard-drinking publicist Billie introduces him to a magnetic French musician called Noah (Phénix Brossard). This comedy about being weird and struggling for a connection, is a letter to the director’s younger self. In Amstell’s first feature film, he seems to channel Woody Allen, and achieves a warm, heartfelt, and very funny look at the insecurities of our hero Benjamin. Look out for Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo in a cameo as they review Benjamin’s film.

UK 2018 Simon Amstell 85m

A political thriller based on the harrowing true events of the Katyn Massacre in Spring 1940.

In post-war England, ambitious journalist Stephen Underwood (Alex Pettyfer) comes across a disturbing spate of suicides by Polish soldiers. Sensing a story, his first port of call is Colonel Janusz Pietrowski (Will Thorp), a Liaison Officer for the resettlement of Polish troops under British command but the meeting with Pietrowski leaves Stephen unsettled, and from here his investigation escalates as he finds himself embroiled in a dangerous, multi-layered conspiracy concerning the execution of 22,000 Polish military and civilians by Stalin’s secret police. Michael Gambon co-stars.

UK/Poland 2018 Piotr Szkopiak 97m

We welcome Director Piotr Szkopiak for a Q&A after the Sunday screening.

During the 40 years of the cinema, we were privileged to present many actors, directors, writers, producers etc, to introduce their works. And for the 6th Chichester Film Festival in 1997, I invited the legendary Hollywood actress Kathleen Turner to introduce one of her latest and most controversial films, ‘The War of the Roses’. In her Q&A she gave a fascinating and very amusing account of her work under director Danny DeVito to an enthralled audience. – Roger Gibson.

Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito star in this cunning comedy about the demise of a marriage. Oliver (Douglas) and Barbara (Turner) Rose have been together for 18 years. Now Barbara wants a divorce, but when it comes to deciding who will get their sumptuous house neither is willing to give an inch. Oliver’s lawyer (DeVito) offers some savvy advice, but it’s already too late. Oliver and Barbara become entangled in a mire of rapidly escalating spite and revenge as the war of the Roses moves towards its stunning conclusion. Extremely outrageous and very funny.

USA 1989 Danny DeVito 116m

The extraordinary true story of Joan Stanley (Dame Judi Dench), who was exposed as the KGB's longest-serving British spy.

In a picturesque village in England, Joan lives in contented retirement, when suddenly, her tranquil existence is shattered as she's shockingly arrested by MI5. For Joan has been hiding an incredible past; she is one of the most influential spies in living history. At Cambridge University in the 1930s, the young Joan (Sophie Cookson), a demure physics student, falls intensely in love with a seductively attractive Russian saboteur, Leo (Tom Hughes). Through him, she begins to see that the world is on a knife-edge and perhaps must be saved from itself in the race to military supremacy. Post-war and now working at a top-secret nuclear research facility, Joan is confronted with the impossible: Would you betray your country and your loved ones, if it meant saving them? What price would you pay for peace? This is a taut and emotional discovery of one woman's sacrifice in the face of incredible circumstances. A woman to whom we perhaps all owe our freedom.

UK 2018 Trevor Nunn 110m

In Yorgos Lanthimos’ (‘The Lobster’, ‘Dogtooth’) new film, Olivia Colman is simply dazzling as a fragile, volatile and sometimes dotty Queen Anne.

Early 18th century. England is at war with the French. Nevertheless, duck racing and pineapple eating are thriving. A frail Queen Anne occupies the throne and her close friend Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz) governs the country in her stead while tending to Anne's ill health and mercurial temper. When a new servant Abigail (Emma Stone) arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah. As the politics of war become quite time consuming for Sarah, Abigail steps into the breach to fill in as the Queen's companion. Their burgeoning friendship gives her a chance to fulfil her ambitions and she will not let woman, man, politics or rabbit stand in her way. A wicked delight!

Ireland/UK 2018 Yorgos Lanthimos 120m

Jordan Peele’s eagerly awaited follow-up to the critically acclaimed 2017 ‘Get Out’.

Haunted by an unexplainable and unresolved trauma from her past and compounded by a string of eerie coincidences, Adelaide (Lupita Nyong'o – ’12 Years a Slave’) feels her paranoia elevate to high-alert as she grows increasingly certain that something bad is going to befall her family. After spending a tense beach day with their friends, the Tylers (Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker, Cali Sheldon, Noelle Sheldon), Adelaide and her family return to their vacation home. When darkness falls, the Wilsons discover the silhouette of four figures holding hands as they stand in the driveway. ‘Us’ is a thriller/horror that pits an endearing American family against a terrifying and uncanny opponent: doppelgängers of themselves.

USA 2019 Jordan Peele 120m

Yannick Nézet-Séguin leads the classic John Dexter production of Poulenc’s devastating story of faith and martyrdom.

Mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard sings the touching role of Blanche and soprano Karita Mattila, a legend in her own time, returns to the Met as the Prioress.

209m inc Interval.

Tickets £20.00 (Friends/Students £17.50)

After witnessing a murder, a young single mother is forced to act as a witness. Threatened on all sides, she must do whatever it takes to protect her son.

The story follows Isla (Kate McLaughlin), a young single mother who witnesses a murder and is thrown into a dangerous game she did not ask to be part of, all the while fighting to keep her son safe. Filmed in Glasgow over the course of eighteen days on a tiny budget with a cast and crew comprised mostly of Scottish talent. Catriona Evans plays prosecutor Anne Ramsay, determined to solve the murder of her late informant. The tension between these two characters is palpable as is the relationship between Ramsay and the antagonist crooked police detective, Brian Ross (Jim Sweeney). A great independent thriller screened at the 2018 Chichester International Film Festival.

UK 2017 R. Paul Wilson 110m

The story of the Cuban dancer Carlos Acosta, a legend on the dance world and the first black dancer to perform some of the most famous ballet roles.

This documentary follows Acosta - nicknamed Yuli by his father - from growing up on the streets of his native Cuba, through his time at the country's National Dance School, to performing at London's prestigious Royal Ballet. Raised in a poorer barrio of Havana by his white mother Maria (Yerlín Perez) and his black truck-driver father Pedro (Santiago Alfonso), Yuli, as a child, was dragged away from Michael Jackson break-dancing routines, and forced to attend the Cuban School of Ballet, where a teacher soon recognizes his talent. By the age of 25, he is dancing for the prestigious Royal Ballet. Director Bollaín creates outstanding dance routines that gives the film its vitality and joy – for both ballet aficionados and newbies alike. (Some Subtitles)

Spain/Cuba 2019 Icíar Bollaín 115m

A young carer discovers an unlikely talent for stand-up comedy in this moving, provocative, and often hilarious debut by James Gardner.

Between being bullied at school, put upon by her overbearing boss at the local arcade and having to look after her younger brother, sister and manic-depressive mother, life isn't easy for Sarah Taylor (Liv Hill). However, when Sarah's drama teacher channels her ferocious and volatile energies in to a stand-up comedy routine for the graduation showcase, Sarah discovers that she may have a hidden talent. As her love for comedy grows and the showcase draws nearer, the delicate balance in her life becomes increasingly difficult to maintain. Little by little the walls start to close in, ultimately forcing her to choose between her responsibilities as a carer and her newfound passion for comedy. Hill has genuinely funny bones and her outstanding talent shines through.

UK 2018 James Gardner 101m

Broadcast live from The Old Vic in London, Academy Award-winner Sally Field ('Steel Magnolias', 'Brothers & Sisters') and Bill Pullman ('The Sinner', 'Independence Day') star in Arthur Miller’s blistering drama 'All My Sons'.

America, 1947. Despite hard choices and even harder knocks, Joe and Kate Keller are a success story. They have built a home, raised two sons and established a thriving business. But nothing lasts forever and their contented lives, already shadowed by the loss of their eldest boy to war, are about to shatter. With the return of a figure from the past, long buried truths are forced to the surface and the price of their American dream is laid bare. Jeremy Herrin (NT Live: This House) directs the cast, which also includes Jenna Coleman (Victoria), and Colin Morgan (Merlin) alongside Bessie Carter, Oliver Johnstone, Kayla Meikle and Sule Rimi.

165m approx including interval.

Tickets £17.50 (Friends/Students £15)

Tue 14 May 19:00 (Live)                

Encore TBA

Royal Ballet Live:

A triple bill displaying the contemporary face of the Royal Ballet.

Within the Golden Hour / Medusa / Flight Pattern

The contemporary face of The Royal Ballet is shown in works from three of today’s leading choreographers. Christopher Wheeldon’s 'Within the Golden Hour' is based around seven couples separating and intermingling, to music by Vivaldi and Bosso and lit with rich colours suggested by sunset. Crystal Pite’s 'Flight Pattern', revived for the first time, uses a large dance ensemble and Górecki’s familiar music from his 'Symphony of Sorrowful Songs' for a poignant and passionate reflection on migration. Between them, a new work by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, 'Medusa', created for The Royal Ballet, has its premiere to bring the contemporary truly up-to-date. Choreography: Christopher Wheeldon, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Crystal Pite. Music: Ezio Bosso, TBC, Henryk  Górecki.

195m including 2 intervals.

Thu 16 May 19:15 (Live)

Tickets £17.50 (Friends/Students £15)      

The formative years of the orphaned author, J.R.R. Tolkien (Nicholas Hoult) as he finds friendship, love and artistic inspiration among a group of fellow outcasts at school.

This takes him into the outbreak of WW1, which threatens to tear the "fellowship" apart. His schoolmates who became close friends with the author in college and even fought alongside him during the first world war. These experiences would inspire Tolkien to write his famous Middle-Earth novels.

During his time in combat (including Battle of the Somme which is impressively staged), Tolkien encounters dark and mythical visions that he experiences upon falling sick - visions that ultimately help inspire the writer to create Sauron, Mordor, and other aspects of Middle-earth. The film explores deeper aspects, including his interest in language inspired by his meeting with a professor, nicely played by Derek Jacobi. The Finnish director Dome Karukoski sensitively brings all the elements together, and Nicholas Hoult is an outstanding rising star.

USA 2019 Dome Karukoski 113m

A taut moral thriller of our times, that sees a woman alone at sea, encounter a vessel full of refugees.

Rike (Susanne Wolff), a 40-year-old doctor from Europe, embodies a typical Western model of happiness and success. She is educated, confident, determined and committed. We see Rike's everyday life, as an emergency doctor, before she fulfills a long-held dream and sails out to sea alone in her sailing boat. Her goal: Ascension Island in the Atlantic Ocean. But her dream holiday is quickly broken off on the high seas, when, after a storm, she finds herself near a stricken fishing boat. Around a hundred people are about to drown. Rike follows maritime law and radios for help. As her request is going nowhere, she is forced to make a momentous decision. (Some subtitles)

Germany/Austria 2018 Wolfgang Fischer 94m

Studio Talk by Mike Jennings

After previous sessions in the Education programme’s season of Classic Comedy (Buster Keaton, The Marx Bros, Jacques Tati), the final session in the series looks at the greatest comedy double act in film history, one which has influenced countless other comedians in Britain and America, both in cinema and television.

Not only did they become world famous, but they were regarded with enormous affection in every country in which their films were distributed, including many countries whose first language was not English. This two-hour session will look at their individual careers, lives and contributions, with lots of illustrative clips, and will be led by Mike Jennings, Lead Trustee for Education. The Comedy Classics series will be starting again next year, as laughter, and the appreciation of those who so brilliantly provide it, is a must in all our lives!

Tickets £6.50

Fri 17 May 18:30 (Studio)

Based on Ann Patchett's best-selling novel, this is a dramatic love story that follows a famous soprano (Julianne Moore) who travels to a military dictatorship in South America to give a private concert at a party for a wealthy Japanese industrialist (Ken Watanabe).

Just as the glittering gathering of diplomats and politicians convenes, the mansion is taken over by a guerrilla rebel group demanding the release of their imprisoned comrades. Threats are made, lives are lost, a tense negotiation begins, and a month-long standoff ensues. While they are confined to the house, the hostages and their captors, who speak different languages, are forced to find ways to communicate. Music, especially the beautiful arias performed by Moore's character, a songbird in captivity, sparks a shared sense of comradeship and even love, uniting the disparate housemates as they form unexpected bonds and discover their shared humanity. (Some Subtitles)

USA 2018 Paul Weitz 100m

Please note that the originally scheduled subtitled screening on the Monday will now NOT have Subtitles for the Hard of Hearing as they are not available. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Bolshoi Ballet Live:

Our final ballets in this season’s programme is a tremendous live double bill of new Bolshoi productions: 'Carmen' Suite with music by Georges Bizet; Rodion Shchedrin and Igor Stravinsky’s 'Petrushka'.

Carmen: Impetuous Carmen seduces Don José in order to convince him to let her out of jail. Once outside, she thinks she’s finally free before realizing that she’s in fact prisoner of a love triangle: she wants to be with the famous Torero Escamillo, but she can’t make Don José go away.

Petrushka: At Saint-Petersburg’s carnival, three puppets are playing the same role over and over: the unhappy lover Petrushka, the coquette and a Moor. Fed up with this endless part that never goes well for him, Petrushka attacks his rival and flees from the puppets theatre.

'Carmen' is as passionate and free-spirited as ever as she finds herself caught in a love triangle. The passionate one act ballet by Cuban choreographer Alberto Alonso originally conceived for legendary Bolshoi prima ballerina Maya Plisetskaya will captivate audiences alongside 'Petrushka', a new creation for the Bolshoi by contemporary choreographer Edward Clug, in an evening encapsulating the soul of Russian Ballet. Music Georges Bizet, Rodion Shchedrin and Igor Stravinsky; Choreography Alberto Alonso and Edward Clu; Libretto (For Carmen Suite) Alberto Alonso after Prosper Merimee.

140m approx including interval.

Sun 19 May 16:00 - 18:20 approx (Live)

Tickets £17.50 (Friends/Students £15)

1998: 1st Festival Audience Award

We introduced the idea to our patrons to vote for the best new films for the first time in the 8th Chichester Film Festival (1999) and created various Audience Awards categories. The best new fiction film was, nor surprisingly, selected by our audience for our preview of a multi award-winning German film ‘Run Lola Run’, which had scooped the board in all the International Film Festivals. Here is another chance to re-view this gem! – Roger Gibson.

Set against the gritty urban scenescape of Berlin and a pounding techno soundtrack, ‘Run Lola Run’ is a frenetic, inventive existential thriller that explores the life-altering impact of seemingly inconsequential actions. Beautiful, hip and young, poor Lola has but 20 minutes to locate a missing bag containing 100,000 Deutsche Marks or come up with the money some other way - if she can't, gangsters are going to kill her boyfriend. A pulse-raising race against time, the film employs a startling array of innovative techniques to present three separate scenarios, all departing from a single split-second decision Lola makes. Franka Patente, who also sings on the soundtrack, is mesmerizing as Lola. (Subtitles)

Germany 1998 Tom Twyker 78m

Recorded live at Sadler’s Wells Theatre.

Matthew Bourne’s all male 'Swan Lake' comes to cinemas with a fresh look for the 21st century and is ‘as bold and beautiful as ever’ (★★★★★ Telegraph).

This thrilling, audacious and witty production is perhaps still best known for replacing the female corps-de-ballet with a menacing male ensemble, which shattered convention, turned tradition upside down and took the dance world by storm. Retaining the iconic elements of the original staging loved by millions around the world, Matthew Bourne and award-winning designers Lez Brotherston (Set & Costumes) and Paule Constable (Lighting) have created a ‘spellbinding’ (★★★★★ Independent) re-imagining of this classic New Adventures production. Filmed live at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London this production stars Will Bozier as The Swan/The Stranger, Liam Mower as The Prince and Nicole Kabera as The Queen. Collecting over thirty international accolades including an Olivier Award and three Tonys on Broadway, Matthew Bourne’s powerful interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s beloved tale is ‘still original, still unmissable’ (★★★★★ Metro), a passionate and contemporary Swan Lake for our times. 130m - no interval.

Tickets £17.50 (Friends/Students £15)

Tue 21 May 20:00

Sun 2 Jun 15:00

Director Sergey Loznitsa gives us a series of 13 loosely connected snapshots set in the Donbass region in eastern Ukraine.

In eastern Ukraine, a hybrid war blends open armed conflict, crimes and looting perpetrated by separatist gangs. In Donbass, war is called peace, propaganda is erected in truth and hate claims to be love. A journey through the Donbass is a series of crazy adventures in which the grotesque and the tragic mingle like life and death. This is not a tale about a region, a country or a political system but about a world lost in the after-truth and false identities. In this film’s own absurdist way, it sheds some light on just what the war did to the lives – and sensibilities – of civilians caught up in the nightmare.

(Subtitles)

Germany/Ukraine 2018 Sergey Loznitsa 110m

We follow a litter of puppies from the moment they're born and begin their quest to become Guide Dogs for the Blind, the ultimate canine career.

Cameras follow these pups through an intense two-year odyssey as they train to become dogs whose ultimate responsibility is to protect their blind partners from harm. Along the way, these remarkable animals rely on a community of dedicated individuals who train them to do amazing, life-changing things in the service of their human. The stakes are high and not every dog can make the cut. Only the best of the best. The pick of the litter. This film has all the fluffy adorableness audiences expect from a puppy documentary, along with a story that's as edifying as it is heartwarming. The most joyous time you'll have at the cinema all year.

USA 2018 Don Hardy & Dana Nachman 80m

Melissa McCarthy stars as Lee Israel, the best-selling celebrity biographer (and cat lover) who made her living in the 1970's and 80's profiling the likes of Katharine Hepburn, Tallulah Bankhead, Estée Lauder and journalist Dorothy Kilgallen.

When Lee found herself unable to get published because she had fallen out of step with the marketplace, she turned her art form to deception, abetted by her loyal friend Jack (Richard E. Grant). His performance and character remind one of his seminal 1987 black comedy ‘Withnail and I’ (but in a more tragi-comedic way), while she is a revelation, almost unrecognisable, in more than one sense of the word, from her previous big-screen outings. Just like Bart Leyton's brilliant ‘American Animals’, this is a thriller that revels in the incompetence and flaws of its protagonists. A gem of a film.

USA 2018 Marielle Heller 106m

An unusual set of circumstances brings unexpected success to a pop star.

The story begins in 1999 when teenage Celeste (Raffey Cassidy) survives a violent tragedy. After singing at a memorial service, Celeste transforms into a burgeoning pop star with the help of her songwriter sister (Stacy Martin) and talent manager (Jude Law). Celeste's meteoric rise to fame dovetails with a personal and national loss of innocence, consequently elevating the young powerhouse to a new kind of celebrity: American icon, secular deity, global superstar. By 2017, adult Celeste (Natalie Portman) is mounting a comeback after a scandalous incident almost derailed her career. There is much to love here - wonderful naturalistic acting, especially the virtuoso performance by an almost unrecognisable Portman; the glorious soundtrack; the script, with its often savagely witty dialogue; the moments of heart-stopping drama; and the striking visual images.

USA 2018 Brady Corbet 114m

Richard Cupidi Day Course

“The most important parts of a film are the mysterious parts – beyond the reach of reason and language.” Stanley Kubrick

After his initial breakthrough film ‘The Killers’, Stanley Kubrick went on to produce a litany of 20th century cinematic icons: ‘Paths of Glory’, ‘Dr. Strangelove’, ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’, ‘A Clockwork Orange’, ‘Barry Lyndon’ (screening at New Park on 9 & 14 Mar), ‘The Shining’. An uncompromising master in scope and scale of visual storytelling, Kubrick ignored convention by embracing black comedy, political satire, war, historical drama, horror, speculative sci-fi, neo-noir, documentary and sexual melodrama.    

"A film … should be more like music than fiction … a progression of moods and feelings. The theme, what's behind the emotion, the meaning, all that comes later."

Rather than concentrate on themes and narratives, our interactive workshop will explore Kubrick’s artistic development over time - his continuities and tangents, his extensions and repetitions, his “mysterious parts”. We’ll also survey Kubrick’s exceptional technical accomplishments which helped him render his epic visions onscreen, right down to the minute particulars.

As a finale, we’ll examine two of his most enigmatic films, ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ and ‘The Shining’, which both involve travelling into confined spaces, murderous occupants, violence unleashed, labyrinths and time-slips (that’s just for starters). Everyone welcome.

Tickets £10 (Friends/Students £8.50)

Sat 25 May 10:00 – 15:30

Please note that this day course was moved from the originally programmed March 2nd. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

This breathtakingly beautiful Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, inspired by the Oscar winning MGM film, tells the impassioned story of discovering love in the 'City of Light'.

Featuring the gorgeous music and lyrics of George and Ira Gershwin, stunning designs, and show-stopping choreography. An American GI's chance encounter with a beautiful young dancer leads Paris to become the backdrop to a sensuous, modern romance of art, friendship and love in the aftermath of war...

With a record-setting 28 five-star reviews from critics, An American in Paris is directed and choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon, the musical film stars Robert Fairchild and Leanne Cope, who lead a company of more than 50 performers.

Stanley Kubrick's brilliant Cold War satire remains as funny and razor-sharp today as it was in 1964.

In 1964, with the Cuban Missile Crisis fresh in viewers' minds, the Cold War at its frostiest, and the hydrogen bomb relatively new and frightening, Kubrick dared to make a film about what could happen if the wrong person pushed the wrong button - and played the situation for laughs. Dr. Strangelove's jet-black satire and a host of superb comic performances (including three from Peter Sellers) have kept the film fresh and entertaining. There is so much to like about this pre-eminent satire of Cold War paranoia, but Peter Sellers is undoubtedly the star of the show. And perhaps the highlight… whilst playing US President Merkin, he says – “Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here, this is the War Room!” A treat to be able to see this on the big screen.

USA/UK 1964 Stanley Kubrick 95m

Once two overzealous policemen get suspended from the force, they must delve into the criminal underworld to get their proper compensation.

Brett (Mel Gibson) and Tony (Vince Vaughn) are two detectives that find themselves suspended when a video of their strong-arm tactics is leaked to the media (think ‘bad cop, worse cop’). With little money and no options, the embittered policemen descend into the criminal underworld and find more than they wanted waiting in the shadows. If you are familiar with Zahler’s previous films, ‘Bone Tomahawk’ for example, you will know that this film will be brutal in parts, but will keep you on the edge of your seat for its duration. Premiered with critical success on the opening night of the 2018 Venice Film Festival.

Canada/USA 2018 S. Craig Zahler 159m

Director Josephine Decker takes a conventional coming-of-age tale and does something remarkably fresh and unique, and introduces us to a wonderful new leading lady.

Madeline (newcomer Helena Howard) has become an integral part of a prestigious physical theatre troupe. When the workshop's ambitious director (Molly Parker) pushes the teenager to weave her rich interior world and troubled history with her mother (Miranda July) into their collective art, the lines between performance and reality begin to blur. The resulting battle between imagination and appropriation rips out of the rehearsal space and through all three women's lives. This American indie is a treat, with a final 20 minutes that are among the most electrifying filmmaking of 2018. You may be thinking about the film’s final shot for days.

USA 2018 Josephine Decker 93m

A musical fantasy about the uncensored human story of Elton John's (Taron Egerton) breakthrough years.

Named after Elton John’s 1972 song, the film follows the early years of the chart-topping singer's career, and his rise to fame, with his music as the backdrop. From his early days as Reginald Dwight, a young prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music, right up to his partnership with lyricist Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell).

Its cast also includes ‘Bodyguard’ star Richard Madden as the singer's manager John Reid and Bryce Dallas Howard as his mother Sheila Eileen. Elton John himself is a huge driving force behind the production of this film and was blown away when he first heard Egerton’s singing voice. Unlike the film ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, this is less a bio-pic, and more of a musical film using Elton John’s songs to express important beats in his life.

UK 2019 Dexter Fletcher

Kona Fer í Stríð

Halla, a woman in her forties, declares war on the local aluminium industry to prevent it from disfiguring her country.

In a literal power struggle between capitalism vs environmentalism, director Benedikt Erlingsson’s lyrical drama combines the beauty of Iceland with the strength of a woman. The backdrop is modern-day Iceland where our unlikely protagonist and self-appointed soldier is set to take on the country’s aluminium industry. Halla (Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir) is an unsuspecting middle-aged woman who, when not moonlighting as a covert environmental activist, is a single, well-respected choir teacher. A strong lead performance grounds the film’s fairy-tale quality in reality, as our heroine sets out to right the world’s wrongs with nothing more than a bow & arrow. This film’s impact will linger long after the closing credits roll. (Subtitles)

Iceland/France 2018 Benedikt Erlingsson 101m

A man stranded in the Arctic after an airplane crash must decide whether to remain in the relative safety of his makeshift camp or to embark on a deadly trek through the unknown.

Overgård (Mads Mikkelsen), a cargo pilot whose small plane has crashed somewhere in the Arctic before the film’s story begins, has figured out how to survive - fishing through the ice, sheltering in the remains of his plane, waiting patiently for a passing plane to spot him. But when one does, his problems aren’t solved, if anything, they are increased. When a failed rescue attempt strands a member of the rescue party (Maria Thelma Smaradottir), Overgård finds a purpose beyond himself, as he struggles to keep the injured woman alive. ‘Arctic’ proves that a good survival thriller doesn't need much in the way of dialogue to get by - especially when Mads Mikkelsen is the one doing the surviving.

Iceland 2018 Joe Penna 98m

This is a sumptuous cinematic adaptation of Penelope Fitzgerald's celebrated 1978 novel, which tells the story of Florence Green's ultimately doomed attempt to re-energise an out of touch rural townsfolk through the dissemination of some of the most stirring literature of the day.

Florence (Emily Mortimer) decides, against polite but ruthless local opposition, to open a bookshop, a decision which becomes a political minefield. Leaving grief and a dead husband in the past, she takes life into her own hands by opening a bookshop in Hardborough, a quiet Anglian town, and one sheltered from the social and sexual revolutions taking place in the far away urban centres. Through works of fiction such as Nabokov's ‘Lolita’ and Ray Bradbury's ‘Fahrenheit 451’, she stirs long buried feelings in the townsfolk and in particular in the reclusive Mr Brundish (Bill Nighy) with whom she subsequently strikes up a deep bond. But her actions bring the wrath of the controlling, vengeful Violet Gamart (Patricia Clarkson), a local social doyenne who is jealously affronted by the changes our heroine has affected.

Spain/UK 2018 Isabel Coixet 113m

Exhibition on Screen

“I envy the Japanese” Van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo. In the exhibition on which this film is based – Van Gogh & Japan at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam – one can see why.

Though Vincent van Gogh never visited Japan, it is the country that had the most profound influence on him and his art. One cannot understand Van Gogh without understanding how Japanese art arrived in Paris in the middle of the 19th century and the profound impact it had on artists like Monet, Degas and, above all, Van Gogh. Visiting the new galleries of Japanese art in Paris and then creating his own image of Japan – through in-depth research, print collecting and detailed discussions with other artists – Van Gogh’s encounter with Japanese artworks gave his work a new and exciting direction. After leaving Paris for the south of France – to what he thought of as near to a kind of Japan as he could find – the productive and yet troubled years that followed must all be seen in the context of Van Gogh bending Japanese influences to his will and defining himself as a modern artist with clear Asian precursors. In this overlooked story of Van Gogh’s art we see just how important his study of Japan was. The film travels not only to France and the Netherlands but also to Japan to further explore the remarkable heritage that so affected Van Gogh and made him the artist we know of today.

UK 2019 Phil Grabsky 85m

RSC Live

Live from the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford comes this Shakespearean favourite, where in a reimagined 1590, England is a matriarchy.

Fortune-hunting Hortensia, rich old Gremia and newly-arrived-in-town Lucentia all wish to court the handsome Bianco, but his mother Baptista decrees he cannot marry before his older brother, the sharp-tongued and quick-tempered Katherine. The bachelorette Petruchia steps up to the challenge and vows to woo Katherine, both for Katherine's dowry and for the challenge of overcoming his fearsome reputation.Cue an explosive battle of the sexes in this electrically charged love story. Justin Audibert (‘Snow in Midsummer’, ‘The Jew of Malta’) turns Shakespeare’s fierce, energetic comedy of gender and materialism on its head to offer a fresh perspective on its portrayal of hierarchy and power. Running time tbc includes interval.

Tickets £17.50 (Friends/Students £15)

Wed 5 Jun 19:00 (Live)

Studio Talk by Rosemary Coxon (Education Officer)

A different take on ‘The Deep Blue Sea’ at Chichester Festival Theatre and other Rattigan’s plays, this talk examines Rattigan’s works which became successful films.

As well as ‘The Deep Blue Sea’ we will look at ‘The Winslow Boy’ and several other of his plays. A deeply troubled man in many ways, we will examine how the inner turmoil of his life is evidenced in his writing and films.

‘The Deep Blue Sea’ (Rachel Weitz, Tom Hiddlestone) will be screened at New Park in June (date tbc) with an introduction by Rosemary Coxon. 120m

Fri 7 Jun 13:30 (Studio)

Tickets £6.50

Royal Ballet Live:

Kenneth MacMillan’s choreography for 'Romeo and Juliet' has become a modern ballet classic and with Sergei Prokofiev’s overwhelming  dramatic music, this is the most popular ballet score.

Shakespeare’s enduring love story is known the world over. Since its 1965 premiere with The Royal Ballet, Kenneth MacMillan’s 'Romeo and Juliet' has become a modern ballet classic. The choreography captures the emotions of the young couple as they fall in love, despite the barriers that finally bring about the story’s tragic end. Each revival gives opportunities for new dancers to interpret the doomed lovers. The whole Company brings the colour and action of Renaissance Verona, where a busy market all too quickly bursts into sword fighting, and a family feud leads to tragedy for both the Montagues and Capulets. Cast to be confirmed.

195m approx including 2 intervals.

Tue 11 Jun 19:15 Live

Sun 16 Jun 14:00 Encore

Tickets £17.50 (Friends/Students £15)

A four-part course looking at the spy film genre from the silent era to the present day.

This exciting event looks at the genre of spy films, either as fictional espionage - think Le Carré; a basis for fantasy - Bond, of course or as true stories, like ‘Carve her Name with Pride’ and ‘Odette’. We showcase firstly the silent era and the early 1900’s - a time of paranoia and invasion fears: followed by the exploits of real life and fictional Allied agents in the WW2 years. At its peak of popularity in The Cold War, the spy film chose on one hand the real-life gritty agents in ‘The Ipcress File’ and ‘The Spy who came on Out of the Cold’ and the unrealistic but oh so popular Bond films. Lastly, we will take you from 2000 right up to the present day with the like of ‘Spooks’ and ‘The Night Manager’. Do join us and enjoy being shaken and perhaps stirred. See you at the cinema!

Fri 14 Jun 18:30: 1900 to 1949

Fri 21 Jun 18:30: 1950 to 1969

Fri 28 Jun 18:30: 1970 to 1999

Fri 5 Jul 13:30: 2000 to present day

Presenters: Mike Jennings, Nick Smedley, Patrick Hargood and Rosemary Coxon.

Tickets £22 for all four talks (£6.50 each)

Double-meanings, disguises and dirty laundry abound as Sir John Falstaff sets about improving his financial situation by wooing Mistress Page and Mistress Ford. But the ‘Merry Wives’ quickly cotton on to his tricks and decide to have a bit of fun of their own at Falstaff’s expense…

The story goes that Elizabeth I was so taken with the character of Falstaff in Henry IV that she asked Shakespeare to write a comedy about the disreputable knight falling in love. The resultant play is the only comedy that Shakespeare set in his native land, and with its dexterous mingling of verbal and physical humour, The Merry Wives of Windsor inaugurated a tradition that reaches right down to the contemporary English sitcom.

180m inc Interval

Tickets £17.50 (Friends/Students £15)

'Napoleon' is pure cinema, and cinema was designed for sharing. There's something about the way it was shot that makes it like no other. I can't tell you how many people, having seen our restoration, have said: "That was the greatest experience I have ever had in a motion picture theatre." - Kevin Brownlow

Powered along by Carl Davis's invigorating orchestral score, this is a biopic that pairs the grandeur of its subject's work and vision with its own cinematic innovations. You will have read about the triptychs that close the movie but perhaps you've also heard about the flash cuts, superimpositions, multiple exposures and the cameras mounted on horseback. The first act of the film in this Kevin Brownlow restoration contains much of its experimentation and bravado. It follows Napoleon as an alienated schoolboy, and his disastrous return as a young man to his native Corsica. The snowball fight that opens the film, in which Bonaparte and nine friends strategize their way to a crucial victory over 40 of their peers, is a beauty - staged as if were the culmination of a bloody war.

The effect on the viewer of the final act is truly mesmerizing. At the centre of it all, Albert Dieudonné's graven face, beneath that famous hat, surveys his own triumph. It's a monument to patriotism of course, but the work of Gance, of Brownlow and of Davis, will rekindle devotion not to a country but to the cinematic arts.

We present this true epic of cinema (five-hours-forty-minutes which appears to go by in a flash) in two parts, allowing for a lunch break at either Woodies, or one of our many other local restaurants.
France 1927 Abel Gance / Kevin Brownlow 235m (plus lunch intervals)

11:00 Act1 (113m) - 15m Interval - Act2 (63m)
14:11 Lunch Interval
16:15 Act3 (107m) - 15m Interval - Act4 (49m) - Ends 19:06

Tickets: Film Only - £12.50 (Friends/Students £10)
Film & Food - £22.50 (Friends/Students £20) - Limited to 50 people.

Andrea Levy’s Orange Prize-winning novel 'Small Island' comes to life in an epic new theatre adaptation. Filmed live on stage as part of National Theatre Live’s 10th birthday.

'Small Island' embarks on a journey from Jamaica to Britain, through the Second World War to 1948 – the year the HMT Empire Windrush docked at Tilbury. The play follows three intricately connected stories. Hortense yearns for a new life away from rural Jamaica, Gilbert dreams of becoming a lawyer, and Queenie longs to escape her Lincolnshire roots. Hope and humanity meet stubborn reality as the play traces the tangled history of Jamaica and the UK. A company of 40 actors take to the stage of the National Theatre in this timely and moving story. Running time tba.

Tickets £17.50 (Friends/Students £15)

Thu 27 Jun 19:00 (Live)

By Stefano Massini, adapted by Ben Power

directed by Sam Mendes

The story of a family and a company that changed the world, told in three parts on a single evening.

Academy Award-winner Sam Mendes (Skyfall, The Ferryman) directs Simon Russell Beale, Adam Godley and Ben Miles who play the Lehman Brothers, their sons and grandsons.

On a cold September morning in 1844 a young man from Bavaria stands on a New York dockside. Dreaming of a new life in the new world. He is joined by his two brothers and an American epic begins.

163 years later, the firm they establish – Lehman Brothers – spectacularly collapses into bankruptcy, and triggers the largest financial crisis in history.

This critically acclaimed and five-time Olivier Award nominated play features stunning set design from Es Devlin (NT Live: Hamlet) and will be broadcast live from London’s West End as part of National Theatre Live’s 10th Birthday season.

240m inc 2 Intervals.

Tickets £17.50 (Friends/Students £15)

Live from the Royal Shakespeare Company

"To whom should I complain?"

When a young novice nun is compromised by a corrupt official, who offers to save her brother from execution in return for sex, she has no idea where to turn for help.

When she threatens to expose him, he tells her that no one would believe her. Shakespeare wrote this play in the early 1600s, yet it remains astonishingly resonant today.

RSC Artistic Director, Gregory Doran, directs this new production.

Running time tbc including interval

Tickets £17.50 (Friends/Students £15)

Featuring a Tony Award-winning performance from host of the The Late Late Show, James Corden, the hilarious West End and Broadway hit One Man, Two Guvnors returns to cinemas to mark National Theatre Live’s 10th birthday.

Fired from his skiffle band, Francis Henshall becomes minder to Roscoe Crabbe, a small time East End hood, now in Brighton to collect £6,000 from his fiancée’s dad. But Roscoe is really his sister Rachel posing as her own dead brother, who’s been killed by her boyfriend Stanley Stubbers.

Holed up at The Cricketers’ Arms, the permanently ravenous Francis spots the chance of an extra meal ticket and takes a second job with one Stanley Stubbers, who is hiding from the police and waiting to be re-united with Rachel. To prevent discovery, Francis must keep his two guvnors apart.  Simple.

200m approx inc Interval.

Tickets £17.50 (Friends/Students £15)