Laurel and Hardy, the world's most famous comedy duo, attempt to reignite their film careers as they embark on what becomes their swan song - a grueling theatre tour of post-war Britain.

The beloved comedy team of Stan Laurel (Steve Coogan) and Oliver Hardy (John C. Reilly) made more than 100 films together from 1921-1951, before abandoning the screen for the stage. They embark on one last variety hall tour in Great Britain in 1953, but are surprised by the modesty of the bookings and cramped little guesthouses. They struggle for audiences and their booking agent seems disinterested. But a series of TV guest spots and celebrity appearances soon rekindle the country’s interest in their genius and the buzz grows as they head towards a big London finale. As the attention builds, so do their struggles with health issues, the changing times and the stress of the road, all threatening to overshadow their creative partnership.

The world premiere of the film recently closed the 62nd London Film Festival.

USA 2018 Jon S. Baird

The epic story of Henri "Papillon" Charrière (Charlie Hunnam), a safecracker from the Parisian underworld who is framed for murder and condemned to life in the notorious penal colony on Devil's Island.

Determined to regain his freedom, Papillon forms an unlikely alliance with quirky convicted counterfeiter Louis Dega (Rami Malek), who in exchange for protection, agrees to finance Papillon's escape. The two struggle through many episodes, and in the end, Papillon and Dega’s care for each other will emerge as a celebration of humanity in adversity. This 2018 version of the story is visually richer and narratively tighter than the 1973 original, with the two new leads doing an impressive job to even be compared to Steve MacQueen and Dustin Hoffman.

USA 2018 Michael Noer 133m

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

La Bayadère is one of the greatest works classical ballet history – a story of love, death and vengeful judgement set in India.

The temple dancer Nikiya and the warrior Solor fall deeply in love, giving way to heated passions, and murderous intrigues when the Rajah and his daughter Gamzatti discover their forbidden love. Dazzling sets, costumes, and one of the most iconic scenes in ballet, the “Kingdom of the Shades,” illuminate the tragic tale of the temple dancer Nikiya’s doomed love for the warrior Solor, and their ulimate redemption. A must-see! And  chance to see this  Bolshoi production from the earlier Royal Ballet’s version in November. 200m approx including 2 intervals

Tickets £17.50 (Friends/Students £15)

Tchaikovsky - Royal Opera House LIVE

Tchaikovsy’s 'The Queen of Spades' is based on a short story by Pushkin, and comes to the Royal Opera House in a new rare production that has already garnered fivestar reviews in Amsterdam. An Opera in 3 Acts sung in Russian wth English subtitles.

In Tchaikovsky’s intense opera of obsession and the supernatural, Gherman is caught between the woman he loves and a destructive fixation. The production is set in 1890, the year of the opera’s premiere. In his study, Tchaikovsky imagines the opera into life as his own story, its characters giving voice to his unfulfilled desires. Aleksandrs Antonenko (Gherman) and Eva-Maria Westbroek (Liza) head the cast and Royal Opera Chorus, conducted by Antonio Pappano, Music Director of The Royal Opera. This is  an engrossing portrayal of a tortured creative artist and a gripping piece of gothic storytelling. The cast also includes Vladimir Stoyanov (Prince Yeletsky) and Felicity Palmer (Countess).

210m approx with interval.

Tickets £17.50 (Friends/Students £15)

Tues 22 Jan 18:45 LIVE

Sun 27 Jan 16:30 Encore    

This is on the moving true story of a blue-collar father and his teenage son, who became an undercover police informant and later a drug dealer, before he was abandoned by his handlers and sentenced to life in prison.

Set in 1980s Detroit at the height of the crack epidemic and the War on Drugs, Ricky Wershe Jr. (Richie Merritt) is a baby-faced rock-cocaine seller who dabbled in snitching and who successfully interloped in Detroit’s African-American urban decay. His father (the scene-stealing Matthew McConaughey) is a small-time gun-runner with a heart of gold, barely holding his family together with streetwise advice. Their entanglements with the law lead to informing, more dealing, and resolutions that do not seem fair. This is a vivid, darkly funny, punchy new feature from Yann Demange’s, his follow-up to his intense Belfast thriller ‘71’.

USA 2018 Yann Demange 110m

Den 12. Mann

This breath-taking WW2 action adventures tells an incredible true-life story of heroism and a man's unbreakable will to live.

Norway, 1943: after a failed anti-Nazi sabotage mission leaves his eleven comrades dead, Norwegian resistance fighter Jan Baalsrud (Thomas Gullestad) finds himself on the run from the Gestapo through the snowbound Arctic reaches of Scandinavia. Over the course of a few months, Baalsrud survives the harshest weather of the Arctic Circle as he flees a cruel and relentless German soldier, Kurt Stage (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), with nothing but the clothes on his back. But the true beauty of this film - and its moments of genuine levity - comes from the supporting cast of Norwegians who risk everything to get Baalsrud across the border into neutral Sweden. (Some subtitles)

Norway 2018 Harald Zwart 135m

A likable loser takes cold calling to a new level in Boots Riley’s gleefully anarchic directorial debut that tackles race and class with the flair of peak Woody Allen.

In an alternate present-day version of Oakland, black telemarketer Cassius Green (Lakeith Stanfield) discovers a magical key to professional success – he begins to talk like a white man. As he starts to make sale upon sale, Cassius falls under the spell of his company's cocaine-snorting CEO Steve Lift (Armie Hammer), who offers him a salary beyond his wildest dreams. Pinballing frenetically between amusement, absurdity and anger, this is an unruly piece which takes pointed pot-shots at coercive capitalism before galloping toward an impressively unhinged third act. This is a unique comedy that critics are calling a modern masterpiece, and even the saviour of the struggling comedy genre.

USA 2018 Boots Riley 111m

Mujeres al Borde de un Ataque de Nervios

A television actress encounters a variety of eccentric characters after embarking on a journey to discover why her lover abruptly left her. This is the film that brought Pedro Almodóvar to the cinema world.

Though the kinky characters and aberrant social behaviour common to the works of Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar are very evident in his 'Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown', the film is at heart a door-slamming farce in the grand tradition.

The tiny apartment of pregnant actress Carmen Maura is the "Grand Central Station" set-piece for this dizzying tale. Distraught over her recent breakup with her lover, Carmen prepares to overdose on sleeping pills, which she blends into a gazpacho so they'll go down easier. She is diverted from her suicide by her best friend Maria Barranco, a fugitive from justice (her boy friend is a Shi'Ite terrorist) who needs a place to stay.

Later, when Carmen's apartment is empty, her ex-lover's grown son (Antonio Banderas) comes to the apartment with his fiance (Rossy de Palma) in answer to Carmen's "room to let" newspaper ad. The wife inadvertently ingests Carmen's "pill sauce," and as she blissfully snoozes, the husband inaugurates an affair with Carmen's friend Barranco.

The film's colour scheme is like a makeup counter display, and the narrative has the same sort of spirit, with dabs of humor that gloss over or disrupt the heroine's grief.

Live recording

With one of the finest scores ever written by Rodgers & Hammersmith including; Whistle a Happy Tune, Getting to Know You and Shall We Dance. Winner of 4 Tony Awards, including Best Musical Revival.

Featuring a company of over 50 world-class performers, The King and I is a testament to the lavish heritage of gloriously romantic musical theatre made famous by the Hollywood classic of 1956 starring Yul Brynner. Making their West End debuts are the original Broadway stars; reprising her Tony Award-winning performance as ‘Broadway musical’s undisputed Queen’ (The Sunday Times), Kelli O’Hara (Anna), Tony and Oscar nominee Ken Watanabe (The King).

Set in 1860's Bangkok, the musical tells the story of the unconventional and tempestuous relationship that develops between the King of Siam and Anna, a British schoolteacher whom the modernist King, in an imperialistic world, brings to Siam to teach his many wives and children.

180m approx including interval

Ticjets £17.50 (Friends/Students £15)

The 27th January is Holocaust Memorial Day and we are screening films on this year’s theme ‘Torn from Home’.

‘The Danish Solution’ is a documentary account of how the Jews of Denmark were evacuated in one night, an evacuation involving the whole Danish nation and inspired by the King himself. We are very privileged to have the first non-festival screening of ‘The Forgotten Soldier’ - winner of the Audience Award at London’s Jewish Film Festival 2018 - which shows how a Consul in Lyon France issued passport’s and ID’s to Jews, even those in camps, thus securing their lives. We are honoured to have at the screening Lady Irene Hatter, the daughter of that heroic Dutch Consul, Sal Loach, whose actions saved so many. Please join us for refreshments in the bar area following ‘The Danish Solution’. There will be a retiring collection at the end of the day. All proceeds will go to Chichester Marks Holocaust Memorial Day (CMHMD) to help pay for future commemorations and events. Please give generously. 240m.

Sun 27 Jan 12:00 – 16:00

There is no charge for this event, but entrance is by ticket only, available on a first come basis from the box office.

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

Verdi - Royal Opera House LIVE

Richard Eyre’s splendid production for The Royal Opera has lavish period sets and costumes enhancing the reality of a moving story based on true life.and includes Placido Domingo.

From the thrill of unexpected romance to a heartbreaking reconciliation that comes too late – Verdi’s 'La Traviata' is one of the most popular of all operas. Alfredo falls in love in with the courtesan Violetta in glamorous Paris society, but underneath the surface run darker undercurrents, leading to a tragic ending. The opera’s wealth of melodies includes the famous Brindisi and the exuberant ‘Sempre libera’ – both showing the lyricism of Italian opera at its most immediately appealing. Richard Eyre’s production for The Royal Opera brings out all the emotional colour, from the giddy discovery of love, through painful confrontation to the inevitable conclusion. Lavish period sets and costumes enhance the reality of a moving story based on true life. This will make an interesting comparison with new Met production earlier in December. The cast includes Ermonela Jaho (Violetta Valéry), Charles Castronovo (Alfredo Germont), Plácido Domingo (Giorgio Germont).

215m approx including 2 intervals

Wed 30 Jan 18:45 (LIVE) & Sat 2 Feb (Encore) 14:00  

Tickets £17.50 (Friends/Students £15)

NT Live:

An explosive new play by David Hare, premiering at the National Theatre.

Pauline Gibson has spent her life as a doctor, the inspiring leader of a local health campaign. When she crosses paths with her old boyfriend, a stalwart loyalist in Labour Party politics, she’s faced with an agonising decision. What’s involved in sacrificing your private life and your piece of mind for something more than a single issue? Does she dare?

Hare was recently described by The Washington Post as ‘the premiere political dramatist writing in English’.

Tickets £17.50 (Friends/Students £15)

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

Based on the hit 2011 French film ‘The Intouchables’, this is a heartfelt comedy about a recently paroled ex-convict (Kevin Hart) who strikes up an unlikely friendship with a paralyzed millionaire (Bryan Cranston).

Phil (Cranston) needs to hire a new caretaker to help with his day to day needs. His assistant Yvonne (Nicole Kidman) sets up interviews with a range of possibilities, and he eventually goes with Dell (Hart), a reckless divorced dad newly released from prison who just wants an easy gig to keep his parole officer at bay. Cranston and Hart bounce off one another with such ease and their chemistry is spot-on. While Cranston fit the role of Phillip from the original French film very well, Kevin Hart was a strange choice to fill the shoes of the scene-stealing Omar Sy. But he succeeds, and shows a side of him as yet not scene on the big screen.

USA 2017 Neil Burger 118m

Un Amour Impossible

Set over several decades, this account of a passionate romance and the profoundly dysfunctional family relationships it trails in its wake is based on a 2015 novel by French writer Christine Angot.

At the end of the 1950s, Rachel (Virginie Efira), a young office clerk living in a provincial town, meets Philippe (Niels Schneider), a well-educated man from a wealthy family. They share an intense but short-lived romance, from which a daughter is born – Chantal (played by four actresses over four stages of her life). Over the next 50 years, their lives will be shaped by the unconditional love between a mother and her daughter, overshadowed by the impossible love of a woman for a man that rejects her, and of a daughter for an absent father. Belgian actress Efira (‘Victoria’, ‘Elle’) is a stand-out, and ably supported by Schneider. (Subtitles)

France 2018 Catherine Corsini 135m

Mezzo-soprano Clémentine Margaine reprises her remarkable portrayal of opera’s ultimate seductress, a triumph in her 2017 debut performances, with impassioned tenors Yonghoon Lee and Roberto Alagna as her lover, Don José.

Omer Meir Wellber and Louis Langrée share conducting duties for Sir Richard Eyre’s powerful production, a Met favorite since its 2009 premiere.

221m inc Interval

Tickets £20 (Friends/Students £17.50)

Exhibition on Screen

Pablo Picasso is one of the greatest artists of all time – and right up until his death in 1973 he was the most prolific of artists. Many films have dealt with these later years – the art, the affairs and the wide circle of friends. But where did this all begin? What made Picasso in the first place?

Too long ignored, it is time to look at the early years of Picasso; the upbringing and the learning that led to his extraordinary achievements. Three cities play a key role: Malaga, Barcelona and Paris. Young Picasso visits each and explores their influence on Picasso, focusing on specific artworks from these early years.

The film thus explains how this young artist acquired his craft. Looking carefully at two key early periods – the so-called Blue Period and Rose Period – the film takes us all the way to 1907 and the creation of a critical painting in the history of art – Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. It was a painting that shocked the art world but changed it irrevocably. Picasso was only 25 years old. Working closely with all three Picasso Museums in Malaga, Barcelona and Paris this film explains how he rose to great heights. 85m.

Tickets £12.50 (Friends/Students £10)

Ruby Tuesdays:

1980: 2nd year of the programme at the Chichester College of Technology.

In our first year of the Film Society founded on the 20th September 1979, I programmed Woody Allen’s ‘Love and Death’ on 16mm, which we are celebrating with a screening and a party on Friday 20 September 2019. In the 2nd year of our Film society, we opened with another newly released Woody Allen classic Manhattan (1979). – Roger Gibson.

Nominated for two Academy Awards, and considered one of Allen’s most enduring accomplishments, ‘Manhattan’ is a wry, touching and finely rendered portrait of modern relationships set against the backdrop of urban alienation. Sumptuously photographed in black and white and cinemascope (Allen’s first film in that format) and accompanied by a magnificent Gershwin score. Starring Diana Keaton, Mariel Hemingway and Meryl Streep. Originally shown on 16mm in 1980 now presented digitally with superior sound and picture.  

USA 1979 Woody Allen 95m   

In this new take on the tragic love story, Bradley Cooper plays seasoned musician Jackson Maine, who discovers - and falls in love with - struggling artist Ally (Lady Gaga).

She has just about given up on her dream to make it big as a singer… until Jack coaxes her into the spotlight. But even as Ally's career takes off, the personal side of their relationship is breaking down, as Jack fights an ongoing battle with his own internal demons. US singer Lady Gaga has composed new songs for the film, written alongside Cooper and other artists including Mark Ronson. Bradley Cooper, as well as playing the lead, also directs this remake of the 1976 Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson film - itself a remake of two earlier versions, from 1954 and 1937.

USA 2018 Bradley Cooper 135m

This historical epic explores the turbulent life of the charismatic Mary Stuart (Saoirse Ronan). Queen of France at 16 and widowed at 18, she returns to her native Scotland to reclaim her rightful throne.

But Scotland and England fall under the rule of the compelling Elizabeth I (Margot Robbie). Each young Queen beholds her "sister" in fear and fascination. Determined to rule as much more than a figurehead, Mary asserts her claim to the English throne, threatening Elizabeth's sovereignty. Betrayal, rebellion, and conspiracies within each court imperil both thrones.

We also see the romantic disaster of Mary’s seduction by the slyly drunken and decadent Lord Darnley (Jack Lowden), as desperate for a crown as Mary is for an heir to cement her claims. Pinballing between plotters, husbands, and her civil-warring half-brother Moray (James McArdle), Ronan’s quick-tempered, much-betrayed queen feels at the mercy of the men around her.

In addition to providing ripe roles for the two lead actresses, the new film serves as the big-screen directorial debut for Rourke, the artistic director of London's renowned Donmar Warehouse Theatre Company.

UK 2018 Josie Rourke 124m

Decades after her original visit, the magical nanny returns to help the Banks siblings and Michael's children through a difficult time in their lives.

In 1930s depression-era London, Michael (Ben Whishaw) and Jane (Emily Mortimer) are now grown up, with Michael, his three children (Pixie Davies, Nathanael Saleh and Joel Dawson) and their housekeeper, Ellen (Julie Walters), living on Cherry Tree Lane. After Michael suffers a personal loss, the enigmatic nanny Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) re-enters the lives of the Banks family, and, along with the optimistic street lamplighter Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda), uses her unique magical skills to help the family rediscover the joy and wonder missing in their lives. Mary Poppins also introduces the children to a new assortment of colourful and whimsical characters, including her eccentric cousin, Topsy (Meryl Streep). The amazing cast also includes Angela Lansbury and Dick Van Dyke.

USA 2018 Rob Marshall 130m

Broadcast live from the National Theatre, Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo play Shakespeare’s famous fated couple in his great tragedy of politics, passion and power.

Caesar and his assassins are dead. General Mark Antony now rules alongside his fellow defenders of Rome. But at the fringes of a war-torn empire the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra and Mark Antony have fallen fiercely in love. In a tragic fight between devotion and duty, obsession becomes a catalyst for war.

Director Simon Godwin returns to National Theatre Live screens with this hotly anticipated production, following broadcasts of Twelfth Night, Man and Superman and The Beaux’ Stratagem.

220m Inc Interval

Tickets £17.50 (Friends/Students £15)

Clint Eastwood directs and stars in this film about a  90-year-old horticulturist and WWII veteran, who is caught transporting $3 million worth of cocaine through Michigan for a Mexican drug cartel.

Earl Stone (Eastwood), a man in his 80s who is broke, alone, and facing foreclosure of his business when he is offered a job that simply requires him to drive. Easy enough, but, unbeknownst to Earl, he's just signed on as a drug courier for a Mexican cartel. He does well - so well, in fact, that his cargo increases exponentially, and Earl is assigned a handler (Michael Peña). But he isn't the only one keeping tabs on Earl; the mysterious new drug mule has also hit the radar of DEA agent Colin Bates (Bradley Cooper). And even as his money problems become a thing of the past, Earl's past mistakes start to weigh heavily on him, and it's uncertain if he'll have time to right those wrongs before law enforcement, or the cartel's enforcers, catch up to him.

USA 2018 Clint Eastwood 116m

A victim of an attack finds a unique and beautiful therapeutic outlet to help him through his recovery process.

When a devastating attack shatters Mark Hogancamp (Steve Carell) and wipes away all memories, no one expected recovery. Putting together pieces from his old and new life, and using 1:6 scale action figures and Barbie dolls, he builds the alternate reality of Marwencol, a fictional Belgian village during the Second World War. Mark meticulously creates a wondrous town where he can heal and be heroic. As he builds the astonishing art installation - a testament to the most powerful women he knows - through his fantasy world, he draws strength to triumph in the real one. This unique film incorporates motion capture filming to tell the amazing story of this real-life artist.

USA 2018 Robert Zemeckis 116m

Ruby Tuesdays:

1985: British Film Year

1985 was the year that UK film admissions were at their lowest, and David Puttman instigated a British Film Year. Our 1985 programme reflected a strong British programme of over 26 films, new and old, including Terry Gilliam’s startling original ‘Brazil’ (1985). In 1982/3 we changed to Chichester City Film society and received the first of many Film society Awards. – Roger Gibson.

In the future, a clerk (Jonathan Pryce) at the all-powerful Ministry of Information sticks to his ideals and ends up crushed by the system in this half comedy, half horror story from former 'Monty Python' animator Terry Gilliam. Like Orwell's novel '1984', which it echoes, the future is seen from a 1940's perspective. Jonathan Pryce stars, with Robert De Niro making a cameo appearance as an excessively diligent sewage inspector! Controversial and misunderstood on its initial 1985 release and visually stunning, this Kafkaesque film is an underrated classic partly written by Tom Stoppard, and is now ripe for revaluation. The large supporting cast includes Ian Holm, Bob Hoskins, Katherine Helmond, Michael Palin, Jim Broadbent and Ian Richardson.

UK 1985 Terry Gilliam 137m  

A fresh vision of a different Spider-Man universe, with a ground-breaking visual style that's the first of its kind.

Teen Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) becomes the Spider-Man of his reality, crossing his path with five counterparts from other dimensions to stop a threat for all realities. The confusion that comes from keeping track of Peter Parker’s adventures in so many other versions of this tale, is all part of the charm in a wildly imaginative adventure that uses dimensional physics to lighten the baggage currently weighing down the rest of the superhero genre.

USA 2018 Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey 117m

Kenneth Branagh directs and stars in this look at the final days in the life of renown playwright William Shakespeare.

Branagh plays Shakespeare, with Judi Dench as his wife Anne and Ian McKellen as the Earl of Southampton. The story is set in 1613, with Shakespeare acknowledged as the greatest writer of the age. But his renowned Globe Theatre burns to the ground, and Shakespeare returns to Stratford, where he must face a troubled past and a neglected family. Haunted by the death of his only son Hamnet, he struggles to mend the broken relationships with his wife and daughters and is forced to examine his own failings as husband and father. His very personal search for the truth uncovers secrets and lies within a family at war.

UK 2019 Kenneth Branagh 101m

Beoning

This story of three individuals and a mysterious incident they experience, is an absorbing portrait of love, obsession and jealousy - a fascinating film.

Wannabe writer Jong-su (Ah-In Yoo) bumps into an old friend Hae-mi (Jong-seo Jeon), who asks him to take care of her cat while she leaves on a trip to Africa. When she returns, Hae-mi introduces Jong-su to the mysterious nouveau riche Ben (Steven Yeun), who soon reveals some secret interests. As Jong-su is drawn into a new world, there are traces of Scorsese’s ‘Taxi Driver’ and Hitchcock’s ‘Vertigo’ as he loses grip of reality. With a riveting performance by Yoo, which goes from smouldering to raging with subtle mastery, director Chang-dong Lee serves up a psychological thriller that is deliciously dark and packs a wallop in the final chapter. Winner of the Film Critics’ award at Cannes, nominated for the Palme D’Or, and one of the highlights of this season. (Subtitles)

South Korea 2018 Chang-dong Lee 148m

The epic story about how a bureaucratic Washington insider quietly became the most powerful man in the world as Vice-President to George W. Bush, reshaping the country and the globe in ways that we still feel today.

Gov. George W. Bush (Sam Rockwell) of Texas picks Dick Cheney (Christian Bale), the CEO of Halliburton Co., to be his Republican running mate in the 2000 presidential election. No stranger to politics, Cheney's impressive résumé includes stints as White House chief of staff, House Minority Whip and defence secretary. When Bush wins by a narrow margin, Cheney begins to use his newfound power to help reshape the country and the world. Bale is astonishingly transformed (once again) in yet another Oscar-worthy performance, and is joined by Amy Adams as Lynne Cheney, and Steve Carell as Donald Rumsfeld.

USA 2018 Adam McKay 132m

The relatively unknown story of the Polish fliers who found themselves fighting for the freedom of their own country in foreign skies. Learn more by purchasing a joint ticket and visit the Tangmere Military Aviation Museum (Sat 23 Feb 10am) to see a Hurricane aircraft and the Polish and Czech Pilot Exhibition.

Seen through the eyes of Jan Zumbach (Iwan Rheon), fighter ace and adventurer, we see how the Poles, driven across Europe by the German war machine, finally made their last stand. Flying Hurricanes for the RAF over Britain, they became a key component in the legend of 'The Few'. Up against the might of the Luftwaffe they hoped that, by saving Great Britain from Nazi invasion, they were keeping the dream of a free Poland alive. Prior to the Saturday screening, the Tangmere Museum’s Deputy Director, David Coxon, will introduce the film.

UK/Poland 2017 David Blair 107m

Royal Ballet Encore

Carlos Acosta’s production of Don Quixote is a ballet as full of uplifting emotion as it is of astonishing ballet technique.

Cervantes’s story of the bumbling knight Don Quixote has inspired countless artistic interpretations. Marius Petipa choreographed this sparkling ballet about the encounters of the man from La Mancha and his faithful squire Sancho Panza. At its heart are virtuoso roles for the lovers Basilio and Kitri.

Carlos Acosta chose this joyful classic for his first production for The Royal Ballet. His vibrant staging brings together the whole Company in such roles as exuberant villagers, passionate gypsies and even fantasy flowers. The story follows Don Quixote’s picaresque journey to do deeds in honour of his imaginary noble lady, Dulcinea. Sunny, charming, funny and touching – Don Quixote is a ballet as full of uplifting emotion as it is of astonishing ballet technique.                                        

165m approx including interval

Tickets £17.50 (Friends/Students £15)

Bergman - Ett År, Ett Liv

Journeying through 1957, the year Ingmar Bergman released two of his most acclaimed features (‘The Seventh Seal’ and ‘Wild Strawberries’), made a TV film and directed four plays for theatre.

Bergman had an insane lust for life, stories he needed to tell, at a moment in the 20th century when a great many people got hooked on movies. During this time, he was ‘seeing’ a whole lot of different women, marrying three and fathering a pack of kids, none of whom he had much to do with. Director Magnusson does not shy away from Berman’s dark side, but goes in deep, talking to the kids, ex-partners, actors (including Barbara Streisand and Liv Ullmann), and professional rivals who both loved and feared the man. All presented alongside a fantastic selection of clips from his vast body of work.

Sweden 2018 Jane Magnusson 117m

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

American Senator Gary Hart's (Hugh Jackman) presidential campaign in 1988 is derailed when he's caught in a scandalous love affair.

The whip-smart and funny film, we follow the rise and fall of Senator Hart, who captured the imagination of young voters and was considered the overwhelming front runner for the 1988 Democratic presidential nomination when his campaign was side-lined by the story of an extramarital relationship with Donna Rice (Sara Paxton). As tabloid journalism and political journalism merged for the first time, Senator Hart was forced to drop out of the race - events that left a profound and lasting impact on American politics and the world stage. Alfred Molina co-stars as Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee, and J.K. Simmons is Hart’s campaign manager Bill Dixon.

USA 2018 Jason Reitman 113m

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 2 Mar 10:00 – 15:30

The exceptional life and career of 84-year-old U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who has developed a breath-taking legal legacy while becoming an unexpected pop culture icon.

Without a definitive Ginsburg biography, the unique personal journey of this diminutive, quiet warrior's rise to the nation's highest court has been largely unknown, even to some of her biggest fans. What emerges is an intriguing portrait of a woman described as shy and retiring but with “a quiet magnetism,” a work horse and a master legal strategist. The film gives due credit to her late husband, Marty, a successful tax lawyer who supported her at every turn. ‘RBG’ is a revelatory documentary exploring Ginsburg 's exceptional life and career. It is a homage by two women filmmakers that flies perilously close to idolatry, but when you watch this you will see why Bader Ginsburg deserves the star treatment.

USA 2018 Julie Cohen, Betsy West 98m

N.b. We will also be screening ‘On the Basis of Sex’, the film of Ginsburg’s life.

Tenor Javier Camarena and soprano Pretty Yende team up for a feast of bel canto vocal fireworks—including the show-stopping tenor aria “Ah! Mes amis,” with its nine high Cs.

Alessandro Corbelli and Maurizio Muraro trade off as the comic Sergeant Sulpice, with mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe as the outlandish Marquise of Berkenfield. Enrique Mazzola conducts.

175m inc Interval

Tickets £20 (Friends/Students £17.50)

Ruby Tuesdays:

1987: The Film Society moved to its present home at New Park in 1987.

The following year a 2nd hand 35mm projector was installed, and one of the first 35mm prints screened was Tony Palmer’s epic ‘Testimony’ (1987). We hope to screen an original 35mm print (wait for the breakdown!) provided by director Tony Palmer, whom we hope to welcome to introduce his film. – Roger Gibson.

Tony Palmer's remarkable film portrait of composer Dmitri Shostakovich, stars Ben Kingsley in the title role. Music (generously) is performed by The London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Rudolf Barshai. Palmer's prowess as an editor, skilfully interweaves archive footage and Soviet cinematic portrayals of Stalin with his own film, which is mostly in black and white reflecting the nature of the times in which Shostakovich lived. The starting point is Shostakovich’s funeral, where the composer himself is commenting sardonically in a voiceover on the guests. The dread figure of Stalin looms over the film, and Shostakovich’s terror becomes emblematic of the Terror itself. Based on the now-equivocally-considered memoirs of Shostakovich, written down by Solomon Volkov, this film is an overwhelming experience. Rare 35mm print.

UK/Netherlands/Denmark 1987 Tony Palmer 157m

A look at the life of the astronaut, Neil Armstrong, and the legendary space mission that led him to become the first man to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969.

On the heels of their six-time Academy Award winning smash, ‘La La Land’, Oscar winning director Damien Chazelle and star Ryan Gosling reteam for  ‘First Man’, the riveting story of NASA's mission to land a man on the moon, focusing on Neil Armstrong (Gosling) and the years 1961-1969. A visceral, first-person account, based on the book by James R. Hansen, the movie will explore the sacrifices and the cost on Armstrong and on the nation of one of the most dangerous missions in history. In this early Oscar contender, Claire Foy plays Janet Shearon, Armstrong’s first wife, Corey Stoll plays Buzz Aldrin, Kyle Chander is Deke Slayton, and Jason Clarke plays Ed White.

USA 2018 Damien Chazelle 138m

Based on the best-selling pair of memoirs from father and son David and Nic Sheff, ‘Beautiful Boy’ chronicles the heart-breaking and inspiring experience of survival, relapse, and recovery in a family coping with addiction over many years.

Steve Carell plays New York Times and Rolling Stone journalist David Sheff (author of the eponymous memoir), and Timothée Chalamet (‘Call Me By Your Name’) is his gifted teenage son, Nic Sheff, a sensitive lad whose initially casual drug use morphs into a toxic cycle of lies, guilt, recrimination, and lawlessness. The leads are superb, especially Chalamet who is electric and screen-grabbing, but stunningly vulnerable and real. They are buoyed by Amy Ryan as Nic's mom, Maura Tierney as his stepmother, and Lisa Gay Hamilton in a moving cameo as a parent whose unconditional love couldn't save her child.

USA 2018 Felix van Groeningen 120m

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

After World War II, a British colonel and his wife are assigned to live in Hamburg during the post-war reconstruction, but tensions arise with the German who previously owned the house.

1946. Rachael Morgan (Keira Knightley) arrives in the ruins of Hamburg in the bitter winter, to be reunited with her husband Lewis (Jason Clarke), a British colonel charged with rebuilding the shattered city. But as they set off for their new home, Rachael is stunned to discover that Lewis has made an unexpected decision: they will be sharing the grand house with its previous owners, a German widower (Alexander Skarsgård) and his troubled daughter. In this charged atmosphere, enmity and grief give way to passion and betrayal.

UK/USA/Germany 2019 James Kent

In Kubrick’s own adaptation of William Makepeace Thackeray’s novel about the exploits of an 18th century Irish adventurer, Ryan O’Neal stars as Redmond Barry (later Barry Lyndon) and Marisa Berenson is Lady Lyndon. Among the great supporting cast are Patrick Magee, Hardy Krüger, Diana Koerner, Leon Vitali, Steven Berkoff, Murray Melvin and Leonard Rossiter. Only a cinema screen can do justice to the stunning visuals of ‘Barry Lyndon’. Inspired by painters such as Thomas Gainsborough and William Hogarth, the film has a beautiful, painterly look, enhanced by filming in natural or historically accurate light sources, some lit only by candlelight. The film also won Oscars for Art Direction/Set Decoration, Music and Costume Design.
UK 1979 Stanley Kubrick 184m

Bolshoi Ballet:
Tchaikovsky’s resplendent fairytale ballet performed by the Bolshoi, with Choreography by Yuri Grigorovich and Libretto after Ivan Vsevolojski and Marius Petipa.

The Princess Aurora falls under the curse of the Evil Fairy Carabosse on her sixtenth birthday, falling into a deep slumber of one hundred years. Only the kiss of a prince could break the spell. 'The Sleeping Beauty' features scores of magical characters including fairies, the Little Red Riding Hood, Puss in Boots, and a beautiful young Princess Aurora performed by Olga Smirnova, a “truly extraordinary talent” (The Telegraph). This is classical ballet at its finest. The other dancers include Semyon Chudin (Prince Désiré), Alexei Loparevich (The Evil Fairy Carabosse), Yulia Stepanova (The Lilac Fairy), Vitaly Biktimirov (Catalabutte), Artemy Belyakov (Bluebird) and Anastasia Denisova (Princess Florine). Captured live on Jan. 22, 2017.

170m approx including 2 intervals.

Sun 10 Mar 15:00 - 17:50 approx

Tickets £17.50 (Friends/Students £15)

Five years ago, Nadia Murad was a teenager living in a Yazidi farm community in Iraq when ISIS took over the town, murdered 600 people, and captured the women and girls as slaves. She escaped three months later and has spent most of the time since speaking out on what happened to her and her people. In October 2018, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. This award-winning documentary tells her story.

Nadia's life is a dizzying array of exhausting undertakings - from giving testimony before the U.N. to visiting refugee camps to soul-bearing media interviews and one-on-one meetings with top government officials. Filmmaker Alexandria Bombach’s direction and editing are exceptional; she captures images that are both subtle and formidable, with deep compassion and a formal precision and elegance that matches Nadia's calm and steely demeanour.

USA 2017 Alexandria Bombach 95m

1944. Douglas, a broken, solitary, Spitfire Ace, must overcome his past to lead a Lancaster bomber crew in the pivotal aerial war over Berlin.

Determined to take the war to the skies of Berlin, Douglas Miller (Jeffrey Mundell) must take the place of an experienced crew’s cherished and respected Skipper. With the entire crew against him, Douglas must gain their trust and overcome his past to become the leader the Lancaster and her crew desperately need. Shot on a micro budget in Lincolnshire, this is a loving homage to the classic British war films of the 1940’s and 50’s.

UK 2019 Callum Barn 98m

From the creative mind of Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders) comes this daringly original, stylized thriller.

Baker Dill (Matthew McConaughey) is a fishing boat captain leading tours off a tranquil, tropical enclave called Plymouth Island. His quiet life is shattered, however, when his ex-wife Karen (Anne Hathaway) tracks him down with a desperate plea for help. She begs Dill to save her - and their young son - from her new, violent husband (Jason Clarke) by taking him out to sea on a fishing excursion, only to throw him to the sharks and leave him for dead. Karen's appearance thrusts Dill back into a life he'd tried to forget, and as he struggles between right and wrong, his world is plunged into a new reality that may not be all that it seems.

USA 2018 Steven Knight 106m

The son of a Baptist preacher is forced to participate in a church-supported gay conversion program after being forcibly outed to his parents.

The true story of Jared Eamons (Lucas Hedges), the son of a Baptist pastor in a small American town, who is outed to his parents (Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe) at age 19. Jared is faced with an ultimatum: attend a conversion therapy program - or be permanently exiled and shunned by his family, friends, and faith. Joel Edgerton, in only his second role as director after a successful acting career, proves an incisive filmmaker. Every beat has weight. Every close-up registers. He values silence - he trusts you to feel things along with his characters, and never falls into the trap of portraying the parents as backward-thinking caricatures.

USA/Australia 2018 Joel Edgerton 155m

Set in early-1970s Harlem, this is a timeless and moving love story of both a couple's unbreakable bond and the African-American family's empowering embrace, as told through the eyes of 19-year-old Tish Rivers.

A daughter and wife-to-be, Tish (KiKi Layne) vividly recalls the passion, respect and trust that have connected her and her artist fiancé Alonzo Hunt (Stephan James), who goes by the nickname Fonny. Friends since childhood, the devoted couple dream of a future together but their plans are derailed when Fonny is arrested for a crime he did not commit. Barry Jenkins’ (‘Moonlight’) new film is an ode to young love, a tragedy about injustice and social mores, a poetic depiction of the loss of innocence and naïveté inherent with maturation, and much more. A highly accomplished piece of film-making.

USA 2018 Barry Jenkins 119m

Based on the extraordinary life of Marie Colvin, this is a pulse-pounding narrative feature debut from documentary film maker Matthew Heineman.

In a world where journalism is under attack, Marie Colvin (Rosamund Pike) is one of the most celebrated war correspondents of our time. Colvin is an utterly fearless and rebellious spirit, driven to the frontlines of conflicts across the globe to give voice to the voiceless. After being hit by a grenade in Sri Lanka, she wears a distinctive eye patch and is still as comfortable sipping martinis with London's elite as she is confronting dictators. Colvin sacrifices loving relationships, and over time, her personal life starts to unravel as the trauma she's witnessed takes its toll. Pike delivers a career best performance and is ably supported by Jamie Dornan and Tom Hollander.

UK/USA 2018 Matthew Heineman 110m

Our Annual Fund Raising Film Quiz!

One of the most entertaining nights in the Cinema calendar. A Film Quiz organized by the Cinema as a fundraiser, hosted by Walter Francisco (Cinema General Manager) and Richard Cupidi (U3A Film Tutor).

Sat 16 Mar 18:30

Doors Open 18:00

Minerva Bar & Grill, Minerva Theatre (Upstairs),

at the Chichester Festival Theatre

Tickets £24 each

Edith Tudor-Hart, a courageous woman with a mission. A film about a spy, a photographer and the discovery of a family secret.

Born Edith Suschitzky in 1908, in Vienna, the Jewish great aunt of director Peter Stephan Jungk was a communist, a Montessori kindergarten teacher, a Bauhaus student and a successful spy for the KGB. She arranged contact with the famous British double agent Kim Philby and helped establish the Cambridge Five, the Soviet Union's most successful Spy ring. At the same time, Edith Tudor-Hart was a photographer who portrayed the misery of the 1930s in Vienna and London, making her one of the most important protagonists of British social photography of the 1930s. Jungk attempts to unravel the riddles of her life, of which even people close to her knew nothing – in Austria, Great Britain and Russia. He speaks to military historians, photo archivists, ex-KGB agents and family members, portraying historical moments in short animated sequences, and above all, he wonders how Edith could remain a convinced Communist in spite of the known atrocities of the Stalinist regime. The film gives an impression of the extent to which espionage shaped the life of Edith Tudor-Hart, who died in 1973, and shows the stages of her double life. (Some subtitles)

Austria 2016 Peter Stephan Jungk 92m

We follow the moral and existential odyssey of LAPD detective Erin Bell (Nicole Kidman) who, as a young cop, was placed undercover with a gang in the California desert with tragic results.

When the leader of that gang re-emerges many years later, she must work her way back through the remaining members and into her own history with them to finally reckon with the demons that destroyed her past. This is a gripping, well-crafted crime drama with a female angle, opposing the almost always male-dominated one we are shown.

USA 2018 Karyn Kusama 123m

Ruby Tuesdays:

1990 & 96: Alec Guinness Visits

During the College years I had programmed an Alec Guinness retrospective, and after some considerable correspondence the reclusive actor kindly agreed in 1990 to introduce originally his ‘Horse’s Mouth’, but on arriving damaged, this was replaced by ‘Tunes of Glory’ (1960). Neither are available to license, so we are screening another Guinness classic from Ealing studios, ‘The Ladykillers’ (1955), to celebrate these special occasions. He graciously returned to introduce a favourite non-Guinness film in 1996 just before his death. – Roger Gibson.

Classic Ealing comedy in which a group of bank robbers struggle to silence the eccentric old lady who discovers their crime. Mrs Wilberforce (Katie Johnson) lives alone in King's Cross with her parrots. She has been led to believe that the group of men renting rooms from her, Professor Marcus (Alec Guinness), the Major (Cecil Parker), Louis (Herbert Lom), Harry (Peter Sellers) and One-Round (Danny Green), are classical musicians. The joint best (with ‘Kind Hearts and Coronets’), if not the best of the Ealing Comedies, this is darker than usual, a real black comedy (but unusually in colour), written by David Rose and directed by Alexander Mackendrick. With a superb performance by Alec Guinness obviously giving a nod to Alistair Sims. And that supporting cast!

UK 1955 Alexander Mackendrick 91m  

The story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, her struggles for equal rights and what she had to overcome in order to become a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

An inspiring and spirited true story that follows young lawyer Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Felicity Jones) as she teams with her husband Marty (Armie Hammer) to bring a ground-breaking case before the U.S. Court of Appeals and overturn a century of gender discrimination. Ginsburg first has to overcome gender bias throughout Harvard law school, settle for a career as a law professor because no firm would hire her, before eventually making a name for herself by championing the need for gender equality in United States’ Laws. The film premiered in 2018 in line with Justice Ginsburg's 25th anniversary on the Supreme Court.

USA 2018 Mimi Leder 120m

N.b. We will also be screening ‘RBG’, the Ginsburg documentary.

An impressive bottle of fine Scotch is in your hand. From barley to barrel, who made it and how did they do it?

The art of distilling Uisge Beatha, the Water of Life, has been perfected over many centuries in Scotland. The earliest documented record is from 1494, in the tax records of the day. And over the years, whisky became an intrinsic part of Scottish life - a reviver and stimulant during the long, cold winters, and a feature of social life, a welcome to be offered to guests upon their arrival. For over 100 years, Scotch whisky has been the premier international spirit of choice. This is a beautifully crafted film which honours the history and the art behind this most extraordinary product, to provide insight into the process and the fascinating people who create the golden elixir.

UK 2018 Andrew Peat 87m

Todos lo Saben

Iranian master director Asghar Farhadi (‘A Separation’, ‘About Elly’, ‘The Salesman’) transfers his talents to a European setting and Spanish-speaking cast, losing none of his remarkable ability to observe close relationships collapsing under stress

The film follows Laura (Penelope Cruz) on her travels from Argentina to her small home town in Spain for her sister's wedding, bringing her two children along for the occasion. Amid the joyful reunion and festivities, the eldest daughter is abducted. In the tense days that follow, various family and community tensions surface and deeply hidden secrets are revealed. The gossipy title, as the best film titles do, mutates in meaning over the course of the film. As usual, Farhadi pulls off a powerfully twisted ending - what this family has done to itself reverberates long after the lights come up. (Subtitles)

Spain/France/Italy 2018 Asghar Farhadi 132m

Capharnaüm

Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, Nadine Labaki's ‘Capernaum’ (Chaos) tells the story of Zain, a Lebanese boy who sues his parents for the "crime" of giving him life.

Zain (Zain al Rafeea) is a gutsy streetwise child who flees his negligent parents, survives through his wits on the streets, takes care of Ethiopian refugee Rahil (Yordanos Shiferaw) and her baby son, Yonas (Boluwatife Treasure Bankole), is jailed, and finally, seeks justice in a courtroom. The film was made with non-professionals playing characters whose lives closely parallel their own. Following her script, Labaki placed her performers in scenes and asked them to react spontaneously with their own words and gestures. When their instincts diverged from the written script, Labaki adapted the screenplay to follow them. Her closing masterstroke is to subtly shed light on the perspective of Zain’s parents, giving this slow-burner a finale with a powerful plea for justice and compassion. (Subtitles)

Lebanon 2018 Nadine Labaki 121m

A Gala Screening with Dan Snow on the 75th Anniversary

On the 75th anniversary of ‘The Great Escape’, historian and presenter Dan Snow hosts a commemorative evening featuring ‘The D-Day Darlings’ and special guests. The show will culminate with a gala screening of the re-released 1963 classic film.

Dan Snow will hear from veterans of the Second World War’s most daring escape and will explore the history and science behind the operation with renowned historian Paul Beaver and Dr Hugh Hunt of the University of Cambridge. Audiences will discover how Squadron Leader Roger ‘Big X’ Bushell’s ingenious plan inspired one of the most famous war films of all time. Even the famous Triumph TR6 motorcycle, ridden by Steve McQueen in the dramatic fence-jump scene, will make a rare appearance on stage. Running time 242m approximately (70m intro plus 172m film).

US 1963 John Sturges 172m

Tickets £12.50 (Friends/Students £10)

Bridget (Hilary Swank) returns home to Chicago at her brother Nick's (Michael Shannon) urging to deal with her ailing mother Ruth (Blythe Danner) and her father Burt's (Robert Forster) reluctance to let go of their life together.

After Ruth wanders off in the middle of the night, Bridget flies across the country to convince her father to get help on caring for his wife. But Burt wants to keep his life together with Ruth for as long as possible, thinking the changes of moving her to a “memory care” facility would do more harm than good. Director Chomko’s grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and she takes great effort to recreate that unique sense of pain, where the person’s memories are lost but they are standing in front of you. Most importantly, she never forgets to focus on the joyous moments of love between the generations.

USA 2018 Elizabeth Chomko 101m

A troubled family must face the facts when something goes terribly wrong at their son's desolate military post.

Michael (Lior Ashkenazi) and Daphna (Sarah Adler) experience gut-wrenching grief when army officials show up at their home to announce the death of their son Jonathan (Yonaton Shiray). Michael becomes increasingly frustrated by overzealous mourning relatives and well-meaning army bureaucrats. While his sedated wife rests, Michael spirals into a whirlwind of anger only to experience one of life's unfathomable twists - a twist that can only be rivalled by the surreal military experiences of his son. The film’s title is named after the dance, where you always end up in the same place no matter what you do in between. This hugely original black comedy is a thoughtful counterpoint to director Moaz’s 2009 ‘Lebanon’.

Israel 2017 Samuel Maoz 113m

Studio Talk presented by Ellen Cheshire & Rosemary Coxon

History is often written as “His Story”. Why should this be? In this talk, part of the cinema’s Women’s History Month, Ellen and Rosemary will showcase films with strong female roles-women who changed lives for themselves and others, not only for their own time but for the future.

Ellen has strong links to our cinema as she was the cinema manager before Walter Francisco. She is now a film writer and lecturer - her recent books include “Biopics: A Life in Pictures” and “In the Scene: Jane Campion”. She will discuss three films – ‘Silkwood’, ‘Norma Rae’ and ‘Made in Dagenham’, which show women’s courage in campaigning for better conditions in the workplace.

Rosemary is a former teacher and adviser to secondary schools and now is the cinema’s Education Officer. She has taught many courses at the cinema to adult and school audiences. She will look at three films which show women fighting for justice against seemingly impenetrable odds - films like ‘Suffragette’ and ‘Erin Brockovich’, which have outstanding performances of courage and conviction. Another film, ‘Hidden Figures’, portrays a group of black women who prove to be so gifted in Mathematics and Technology that they receive grudging praise , but eventually full recognition for their work from their male bosses .

Please join us to explore these insights into these ground-breaking ladies!

Tickets £6.50

Fri 29 Mar 13:30 – 15:30 (Studio)

Ralph Fiennes' ‘The White Crow’ was inspired by the book ‘Rudolf Nureyev: The Life by Julie Kavanaugh’. The drama charts the iconic dancer's famed defection from the Soviet Union to the West in 1961, despite KGB efforts to stop him.

Written by legendary playwright David Hare, the film is structured like a dance, stepping back and forth in time and moving in circles to tell the story of this Russian who was born on a train, and who, through self-confidence, commitment and desire, pushed himself to become the world’s greatest ballet dancer. Fiennes focuses on Nureyev’s relentless ambition, with the fabulous ballet sequences just the prelude to what is a tense Cold War ballet that centres around a thrilling final scene at Paris’ Le Bourget Airport in 1961: the first defection of a Soviet artist during the Cold War period. Ukrainian ballet dancer Oleg Ivenko plays the lead in his very first film role, and a demanding one at that, delivering lines in a mix of Russian and thickly accented English. He does a great job at portraying the fiery ego that Nureyev was famed for, aided by his intense blue eyes and heavy brow. Director Fiennes also steps to the other side of the camera, playing dance instructor Alexander Pushkin, delivering all his lines in Russian. Not for the first time as New Park regulars will recall, he did the same in ‘Two Women’, which he introduced personally at the 2015 Chichester Film Festival. (Some subtitles)

UK/France 2018 Ralph Fiennes 122m

The inspirational story of how Tracy Edwards, a 24-year-old cook on charter boats, became the skipper of the first ever all-female crew to enter the Whitbread Round the World Race in 1989.

Tracy's dream was opposed on all sides: her male competitors thought they would never make it, the chauvinistic yachting press took bets on her failure, and potential sponsors refused her, fearing that she would die at sea and generate bad publicity. But Tracy refused to give up: she re-mortgaged her own home and bought a second-hand boat, putting everything on the line to ensure the team made it to the start line. Along with self-belief, Tracy has doubt in equal measure and is only able to make it through because of her remarkable crew. Told through a combination of archival footage and present-day interviews, ‘Maiden’ places us right there with Edwards and her crew, from pre-start to post-finish, allowing us intimate access to problems mundane and frightening.

UK 2018 Alex Holmes 93m

Bite Size Ballet

Three little pigs set out into the world. One builds a house of straw. The second a house made of sticks. The third pig builds his house with bricks. Then along comes a very hungry wolf... Northern Ballet’s Three Little Pigs hits the big screen in this interactive ballet for children.

The story is read for the cinema audience by BBC’s Anita Rani and includes dance move demos for kids to try, by the professional ballet dancers. This bite sized ballet provides the perfect way to introduce young children to the artistic beauty of ballet in a comfortable, affordable, local family friendly setting. With playful characters and spellbinding music, this adorable ballet is sure to have your little ones dancing all the way home with excitement! 65m.

A forty-year old kindergarten teacher is terminally bored with her banal middle-class existence. When she becomes convinced that her five-year-old student is a budding poetic genius, she decides to nurture his talents in a reckless and questionable manner.

Married mother Lisa Spinelli (Maggie Gyllenhaal), teaches at a kindergarten in Manhattan, and aspires to be a poet. She studies poetry in an adult education class, but her instructor Simon (Gael Garcia Bernal) thinks her work is derivative. When one of her students Jimmy (Parker Sevak) starts reciting his own poetry, she writes it down, shows it to Simon - who likes it - and she becomes more and more interested in the boy. Adapted from a 2014 Israeli film by the same name, this is a haunting and sometimes uncomfortable dip into the mind and desires of a woman who feels stifled by the life she’s chosen.

USA 2018 Sara Colangelo 94m

In what is expected to be a Wagnerian event for the ages, soprano Christine Goerke plays Brünnhilde, Wotan’s willful warrior daughter, who loses her immortality in opera’s most famous act of filial defiance. Tenor Stuart Skelton and soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek play the incestuous twins Siegmund and Sieglinde. Greer Grimsley sings Wotan. Philippe Jordan conducts.

Die Walküre is set in mythological times, when gods, giants, dwarves, and humans all contended for power. While the first part of the cycle, Das Rheingold, moves between realms above and below the earth, Die Walküre takes place entirely in human territory, as the balance of power in the cosmic struggle tips ever so slowly toward humanity.

320m inc 2 intervals.

Tickets £20.00 (Friends/Students £17.50)

Ruby Tuesday:

1996: Film Society of the Year Awards

We were proud to receive several awards from the Federation of Film Societies, presented by Tony Curtis, Derek Malcolm and Mike Leigh, and are signifying this by screening one of Mike Leigh’s best films ‘Secrets and Lies’ (1996). Mike Leigh also made two personal appearances at New Park including introducing a retrospective of his films in 1990. The Cinema’s third name change became the present ‘Chichester Cinema at New Park’. – Roger Gibson.

This hilarious, bittersweet comedy from director Mike Leigh is an unmissable and moving slice of real life. Hortense (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) is a young, black optometrist whose adoptive parents have recently died. Cynthia (Brenda Blethyn) is a sad, unmarried mother who works in a factory and lives in a shabby terraced house with her confrontational daughter Roxanne (Claire Rushbrook). Cynthia's brother Maurice (Timothy Spall) is a successful photographer who lives comfortably in suburbia with his wife Monica (Phyllis Logan). In a misplaced effort to re-unite the family, Maurice and Monica throw a small barbecue party for Roxanne's 21st birthday. When Cynthia brings along her new friend Hortense, chaos ensues, and some painful truths are revealed. Probably Mike Leigh's biggest international success, after winning the grand prize at Cannes.

UK 1996 Mike Leigh 136m

Verdi - Royal Opera House LIVE

Jonas Kaufmann and Anna Netrebko star in Verdi’s epic La forza del destino, an opera which demands the very best of singers for its powerful music and the fullest theatrical treatment . An opera in 4 Acts sung in Italian with English subtitles.

Leonora falls in love with Don Alvaro, but when her father forbids their marriage, a fatal accident triggers a drama of obsession, vengeance and tragedy. Jonas Kaufmann and Anna Netrebko star in Verdi’s epic 'La forza del destino' (The Force of Destiny) an opera which demands the very best of singers for its powerful music and the fullest theatrical treatment for its story of bitter revenge pursued across miles and years. The production comes to The Royal Opera in a sensational staging from Amsterdam packed with colour and action. It is directed by Christof Loy and conducted by Antonio Pappano, Music Director of The Royal Opera. Cast includes Anna Netrebko (Donna Leonora), Jonas Kaufmann (Don Alvaro) and Ludovic Tézier (Don Carlo Di Vargas).

255m including 2 intervals.

Tickets £17.50 (Friends/Students £15)

Gräns

A customs officer who can smell fear develops an unusual attraction to a strange traveller while aiding a police investigation which will call into question her entire existence.

Customs officer Tina (Eva Melander) is known for her extraordinary sense of smell. It's almost as if she can sniff out the guilt on anyone hiding something. But when suspicious-looking Vore (Eero Milonoff) walks past her, her abilities are challenged. Tina can sense Vore is hiding something, but worse, she feels a strange attraction to him. The complex relationship that develops between the two, lies at the heart of a film that has the rare quality of feeling quite unlike anything else you might have seen. Director Abbasi successfully juggles disparate plot elements, smoothly bringing them together - you can never quite predict where the film is going.

(Subtitles)

Sweden 2018 Ali Abbasi 110m

Bolshoi Ballet:

A jazzy ballet with a tango inflected score by Shostakovitch set in the roaring 20’s.

In the 1920’s, The Golden Age cabaret is a favourite nightly haunt. The young fisherman Boris falls in love with Rita. He follows her to the cabaret and realizes that she is the beautiful dancer “Mademoiselle Margot,” but also the love interest of the local gangster Yashka… With its jazzy score by Shostakovich and its music-hall atmosphere featuring beautiful tangos, 'The Golden Age' is a refreshing and colorful dive into the roaring 20’s. A historic ballet that can be seen only at the Bolshoi! Music Dimitri Shostakovich; Choreography Yuri Grigorovich; Libretto Yuri Grigorovich and Isaak Glikman. Dancers Nina Kaptsova (Rita); Ruslan Skvortsov (Boris); Mikhail Lobukhin (Yashka0 and  Ekaterina Krysanova (Lyuska).

140m approx including interval

Sun 14 Apr 15:00- 17:20 approx    

Tickets £17.50 (Friends/Students £15)

Live from the Paris Opera

This devastating opera, originally banned by Stalin during the Soviet era, is presented in a rare live performance in UK cinemas from Paris Opera.

Of Shostakovich’s initial undertaking – a trilogy on the tragic destinies of Russian women through the ages – only one opera was ever written: the hard-hitting ‘Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk’. Although one of the mainsprings of the work, the Shakespearean parallel is here bitterly ironic: unlike Lady Macbeth, Katerina Ismaïlova who, in the remote reaches of rural 19th century Russia, falls in love with one of her husband’s employees and is finally forced to commit suicide, is less a manipulator than a victim of a violent and patriarchal society.

Krzysztof Warlikowski liberates all the subversive power of this scorching and scandalous work, which marked the early years of the Opéra Bastille. UK viewers may recognise the basic plot used also in the outstanding recent UK film ‘Lady Macbeth’ from the same Russian source. An Opera in 4 Acts and 9 scenes by Dimitri Shostakovich, sung in Russian with English subtitles. 160m approx inc one interval.

Music: Dimitri Shostakovich

Libretto: Alexandre Preis

Dimitri Shostakovich - After Nikolaï Leskov

Conductor: Ingo Metzmacher

Director: Krzysztof Warlikowski

Set design: Małgorzata Szczęśniak

Boris Timofeevich Ismailov: Dmitry Ulyanov

Zinovy Borisovich Ismailov: John Dasza

Katerina Lvovna Ismailova: Aušrinė Stundytė

Tickets £17.50 (Friends/Students £15)

Tue 16 Apr 18.30 (Live)

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)

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)

Royal Ballet Live:

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

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 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)      

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)

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)