The Prince Charles Cinema

Sort By Name Sort By Date
Chungking Express
1994 101mins Hong Kong (12) Romance/Drama
Directed by Wong Kar Wai Starring Brigitte Lin, Faye Wong, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Tony Leung, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Valerie Chow

Every day, Cop 223 (Takeshi Kaneshiro) buys a can of pineapple with an expiration date of May 1, symbolizing the day he'll get over his lost love. He's also got his eye on a mysterious woman in a blond wig (Brigitte Lin), oblivious of the fact she's a drug dealer. Cop 663 (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) is distraught with heartbreak over a breakup. But when his ex drops a spare set of his keys at a local cafe, a waitress (Faye Wong) lets herself into his apartment and spruces up his life.

Army of Shadows [L'armée des ombres]
1969 144mins France, Italy (12A) Crime
Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville Starring Jean-Pierre Cassel, Lino Ventura, Paul Meurisse

This adaptation of the book by Joseph Kessel paints an understated, unglamorous portrait of the French Resistance during World World II. Betrayed by an informant, Philippe Gerbier (Lino Ventura) finds himself trapped in a torturous Nazi prison camp. Though Gerbier escapes to rejoin the Resistance in occupied Marseilles, France, and exacts his revenge on the informant, he must continue a quiet, seemingly endless battle against the Nazis in an atmosphere of tension, paranoia and distrust.

Mon Oncle
1958 116mins France, Italy (U) Comedy
Directed by Jacques Tati Starring Jacques Tati, Jean-Pierre Zola, Adrienne Servantie

Monsieur Hulot visits the technology-driven world of his sister, brother-in-law, and nephew, but he can't quite fit into the surroundings. 1959 Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film.

Benny's Video
1992 110mins Austria, Switzerland (18) Horror / Crime
Directed by Michael Haneke Starring Arno Frisch, Angela Winkler, Ulrich Mühe

Acclaimed filmmaker Michael Haneke's disturbing film portrays the alienation of a young boy, whose experience of the world is refracted through the lens of his video camera and his television screen. Arno Frisch, plays the 14 year-old Benny, who brings a girl home to his parents' empty apartment where he commits a shocking act of casual violence. As with his later ‘Funny Games', Haneke poses provocative and challenging questions about voyeurism and violence - both actual and imagined.

Cinema Paradiso [Nuovo Cinema Paradiso]
1988 124mins Italy (12A) Drama
Directed by Giuseppe Tornatore Starring Antonella Attili, Enzo Cannavale, Philippe Noiret

A winner of awards across the world including Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, 5 BAFTA Awards including Best Actor, Original Screenplay and Score, the Grand Prize of the Jury at the Cannes Film Festival and many more.

Giuseppe Tornatore's loving homage to the cinema tells the story of Salvatore, a successful film director, returning home for the funeral of Alfredo, his old friend who was the projectionist at the local cinema throughout his childhood. Soon memories of his first love affair with the beautiful Elena and all the highs and lows that shaped his life come flooding back, as Salvatore reconnects with the community he left 30 years earlier.

Le Samourai
1967 105mins France, Italy (PG) Crime
Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville Starring Alain Delon, Caty Rosier, François Périer, Jacques Leroy, Michel Boisrond, Nathalie Delon

After professional hitman Jef Costello is seen by witnesses his efforts to provide himself an alibi drive him further into a corner.

Summer Wars
2009 114mins Japan (12A) Anime
Directed by Mamoru Hosoda Starring Ryunosuke Kamiki, Hitomi Miyauchi, Mitsuki Tanimura

Kenji is a shy part-time moderator for OZ, the virtual reality world that powers everyday life, until pretty and popular Natsuki recruits him to be her fake boyfriend. While posing as an affluent suitor to Natsuki's family, a rogue A.I. program steals his online identity, and Kenji is accused of hacking OZ and causing real world catastrophes. As the destruction in OZ throws Natsuki's family into disarray, Kenji must unite his newfound connections to overcome an impending cyber apocalypse.

Against a backdrop of stunning countryside vistas and virtual spaces bursting with color, SUMMER WARS is a timeless epic that explores life in the digital age from Academy Award-nominated director Mamoru Hosoda (BELLE).

Memories of Murder [Salinui chueok]
2003 132mins South Korea (15) Crime / Thriller
Directed by Bong Joon Ho Starring Kang-ho Song, Roe-ha Kim, Sang-kyung Kim

In 1986, Park (Song Kang-ho) and Cho (Kim Roi-ha) are two simple-minded detectives assigned to a double murder investigation in a South Korean province. But when the murderer strikes several more times with the same pattern, the detectives realize that they are chasing the country's first documented serial killer. Relying on only their basic skills and tools, Park and Jo attempt to piece together the clues and solve the case in this thriller based on true events.

In The Mood For Love - 25th Anniversary
2000 98mins Hong Kong (PG) Romance
Directed by Wong Kar Wai Starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Maggie Cheung, Rebecca Pan, Tony Leung, Lai Chen, Paulyn Sun

Please Note: This version of the film marked 'w/Short' in the programme will play with the 9min short IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE 2001. This will screen immediately following the main feature credits. Please stay in your seat if you would like to watch the short film. 

IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (2000) - Hong Kong, 1962: Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) and Su Li-zhen (Maggie Cheung Man-yuk) move into neighboring apartments on the same day. Their encounters are formal and polite—until a discovery about their spouses creates an intimate bond between them. At once delicately mannered and visually extravagant, Wong Kar-wai’s In the Mood for Love is a masterful evocation of romantic longing and fleeting moments. With its aching musical soundtrack and exquisitely abstract cinematography by Christopher Doyle and Mark Lee Ping-bin, this film has been a major stylistic influence on the past 25 years of cinema.

IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE 2001 (2001) (9 min Short) - Initially conceived as one third of a triptych about food, In the Mood for Love was expanded into a stand-alone feature that won immediate recognition as a modern-day classic. Another third—intended as the “dessert,” as Wong Kar-wai has put it—was, until now, only screened during his masterclass at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. Now available in wide release for the first time, In the Mood for Love 2001 demonstrates the director’s masterful ability to generate palpable atmosphere and striking characterizations on a miniature canvas—with In the Mood for Love stars Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Maggie Cheung Man Yuk once again providing the sizzling chemistry— evoking the mystery of transient, unexpected connections in the modern city through his inimitable romantic touch.

Plays as part of IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE 25th Anniversary Edition. In theatres only!
 

Spirited Away
2001 125mins English, Japan (PG) Fantasy
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki Starring Mari Natsuki, Miyu Irino, Rumi Hiiragi

In this animated feature by noted Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki, 10-year-old Chihiro (Rumi Hiiragi) and her parents (Takashi Naitô, Yasuko Sawaguchi) stumble upon a seemingly abandoned amusement park. After her mother and father are turned into giant pigs, Chihiro meets the mysterious Haku (Miyu Irino), who explains that the park is a resort for supernatural beings who need a break from their time spent in the earthly realm, and that she must work there to free herself and her parents.

Cure
1997 111mins Japan (15) Horror
Directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa Starring Kôji Yakusho, Masato Hagiwara, Tsuyoshi Ujiki

A detective starts spiraling out of control when a wave of gruesome murders with seemingly similar bizarre circumstances are sweeping Tokyo.

Andrei Rublev
1966 183mins Soviet Union (15) Biography
Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky Starring Anatoliy Solonitsyn, Ivan Lapikov, Nikolay Grinko

Tracing the life of a renowned icon painter, the second feature by Andrei Tarkovsky vividly conjures the murky world of medieval Russia. This dreamlike and remarkably tactile film follows Andrei Rublev as he passes through a series of poetically linked scenes—snow falls inside an unfinished church, naked pagans stream through a thicket during a torchlit ritual, a boy oversees the clearing away of muddy earth for the forging of a gigantic bell—gradually emerging as a man struggling mightily to preserve his creative and religious integrity. Appearing here in the director's preferred 183-minute cut as well as the version that was originally suppressed by Soviet authorities, the masterwork Andrei Rublev is one of Tarkovsky's most revered films, an arresting meditation on art, faith, and endurance.

Apur Sansar [The World of Apu]
1959 105mins India (U) Drama
Directed by Satyajit Ray Starring Soumitra Chatterjee, Sharmila Tagore, Alok Chakravarty

By the time Apur Sansar was released, Satyajit Ray had directed not only the first two Apu films but also the masterpiece The Music Room, and was well on his way to becoming a legend. This extraordinary final chapter brings our protagonist’s journey full circle. Apu is now in his early twenties, out of college, and hoping to live as a writer. Alongside his professional ambitions, the film charts his romantic awakening, which occurs as the result of a most unlikely turn of events, and his eventual, fraught fatherhood. Featuring soon-to-be Ray regulars Soumitra Chatterjee and Sharmila Tagore in star-making performances, and demonstrating Ray’s ever more impressive skills as a crafter of pure cinematic imagery, Apur Sansar is a moving conclusion to this monumental trilogy.

Funny Games
1997 109mins Austria (18) Psychological Thriller
Directed by Michael Haneke Starring Susanne Lothar, Ulrich Mühe, Arno Frisch

Two violent young men take a mother, father, and son hostage in their vacation cabin and force them to play sadistic "games" with one another for their own amusement.

Full Moon in Paris [Les nuits de la pleine lune]
1984 101mins France (15) Romance/Comedy
Directed by Éric Rohmer Starring Fabrice Luchini, Pascale Ogier, Tchéky Karyo

After Louise (Pascale Ogier) completes her art school studies, she begins to work as an interior designer in Paris, but her burgeoning career soon takes a back seat to her personal life. Although Louise lives with her lover Remi (Tcheky Karyo), an architect, his desire to settle down and experience marital bliss conflicts with her late-night lifestyle. Also complicating matters is Octave (Fabrice Luchini), a charming, married writer who is smitten with Louise.

Le Cercle Rouge
1970 140mins France, Italy (PG) Crime
Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville Starring Bourvil, Alain Delon, Gian Maria Volontè

After leaving prison, master thief Corey crosses paths with a notorious escapee and an alcoholic former policeman. The trio proceed to plot an elaborate heist.

Goodbye, Dragon Inn
2003 83mins Taiwan (PG) Comedy / Drama
Directed by Ming-liang Tsai Starring Chen Shiang-chyi, Kiyonobu Mitamura, Lee Kang-sheng

On a dark, wet night a historic and regal Chinese cinema sees its final film. Together with a small handful of souls they bid "Goodbye, Dragon Inn".

Solaris (1972)
1972 167mins Soviet Union (12A) Science Fiction
Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky Starring Donatas Banionis, Jüri Järvet, Natalya Bondarchuk

A psychologist is sent to a station orbiting a distant planet in order to discover what has caused the crew to go insane.

The Worst Person in the World
2022 128mins Denmark, France, Norway, Sweden (15) Romance/Comedy
Directed by Joachim Trier Starring Anders Danielsen Lie, Herbert Nordrum, Renate Reinsve

On the verge of turning thirty, Julie is faced with a series of choices that force her to pursue new perspectives on her life in contemporary Oslo. Over the course of four years, she navigates love affairs and existential uncertainty as she starts deciding who she wants to become.

Wolf Children
2012 117mins Japan (PG) Anime
Directed by Mamoru Hosoda Starring Haru Kuroki, Yukito Nishii, Aoi Miyazaki

College student Hana falls in love with a “wolf man” and together they have two half-human, half-wolf children, Ame and Yuki. The young family’s happy but humble life comes to an abrupt end when the father is tragically killed during a hunt. After struggling to raise her children in the busy city, Hana boldly decides to move to a dilapidated house in the countryside, in hopes that her children may one day decide their own path to happiness – whether “human” or “wolf.”

This heart-wrenching modern fairy tale is a staggering work of beauty and emotion from Academy Award®-nominated director Mamoru Hosoda. Rich with gorgeous animation and set to a poignant musical score, Wolf Children is a sweeping tale about self-discovery and the bonds of family.

Come and See
1985 141mins Russia (15) War / Horror
Directed by Elem Klimov Starring Aleksei Kravchenko, Olga Mironova

This widely acclaimed film from Soviet director Elem Klimov is a stunning, senses-shattering plunge into the dehumanizing horrors of war. As Nazi forces encroach on his small village in present-day Belarus, teenage Flyora (Aleksei Kravchenko, in one of the screen’s most searing depictions of anguish since Renée Falconetti’s Joan of Arc) eagerly joins the Soviet resistance. Rather than the adventure and glory he envisioned, what he finds is a waking nightmare of unimaginable carnage and cruelty—rendered with a feverish, otherworldly intensity by Klimov’s subjective camerawork and expressionistic sound design. Nearly suppressed by Soviet censors who took eight years to approve its script, Come and See is perhaps the most visceral, impossible-to-forget antiwar film ever made.

Le Bonheur
1965 81mins France (15) Drama
Directed by Agnès Varda Starring Jean-Claude Drouot, Marcelle Faure-Bertin, Marie-France Boyer

In suburban Paris, young François (Jean-Claude Drouot) appears to live a happy, contented existence with his wife, Therese (Claire Drouot), and their two small children. Despite his apparent satisfaction, François takes a mistress named Emilie (Marie-France Boyer), and, remarkably, doesn't feel the least bit of remorse for his philandering. While he is able to justify loving both women, François' infidelity results in tragic real-life consequences for both him and his family.

The Colour of Pomegranates [Sayat Nova]
1969 80mins Soviet Union (PG) Drama
Directed by Sergei Parajanov Starring Melkon Alekyan, Sofiko Chiaureli, Vilen Galstyan

Sergei Parajanov's celebrated masterpiece paints an astonishing portrait of the 18th century Armenian poet Sayat Nova, the 'King of Song'. Parajanov's aim was not a conventional biography but a cinematic expression of his work, resulting in an extraordinary visual poem. Key moments in his subject's life are illustrated through a series of exquisitely orchestrated tableaux filled with rich colour and stunning iconography, each scene a celluloid painting alive with stylised movement.

Dreams
1990 120mins Japan, USA (PG) Fantasy
Directed by Akira Kurosawa Starring Toshi, Akira Terao, Mitsuko Baishô, Toshie Negishi

This imaginative Japanese production presents a series of short films by lauded director Akira Kurosawa. In one chapter, a young boy spies on foxes that are holding a wedding ceremony; the following installment features another youth, who witnesses a magical moment in an orchard. In the segment "Crows," an aspiring artist enters the world of a painting and encounters Vincent van Gogh (Martin Scorsese). Many of the films in this inventive movie are tied together by an environmental theme.

A Cop [Un flic]
1972 100mins France, Italy (15) Crime
Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville Starring Alain Delon, Richard Crenna, Catherine Deneuve

A Parisian police chief has an affair, but unbeknownst to him, the boyfriend of the woman he's having an affair with is a bank robber planning a heist.

Code Unknown
2000 118mins France, Germany, Romania (15) Drama
Directed by Michael Haneke Starring Juliette Binoche, Thierry Neuvic, Josef Bierbichler

A series of events unfold like a chain reaction, all stemming from a minor event that brings the film's five characters together. Set in Paris, France, Anne is an actress whose boyfriend Georges photographs the war in Kosovo. Georges' brother, Jean, is looking for the entry code to Georges' apartment. These characters' lives interconnect with a Romanian immigrant and a deaf teacher.

Trafic
1971 96mins France, Italy (PG) Comedy
Directed by Jacques Tati Starring Honoré Bostel, Jacques Tati, Marcel Fraval

Mr. Hulot (Jacques Tati) is the head designer of the Altra Automotive Co. His latest invention is a newfangled camper car loaded with outrageous extra features. Along with the company's manager (Honoré Bostel) and publicity model (Maria Kimberly), Hulot sets out from Paris with the intention of debuting the car at the annual auto show in Amsterdam. The going isn't easy, however, and the group encounters an increasingly bizarre series of hurdles and setbacks en route.
 

Mr. Hulot's Holiday [Les vacances de Monsieur Hulot]
1953 95mins France (U) Comedy
Directed by Jacques Tati Starring Jacques Tati, Nathalie Pascaud, Micheline Rolla

When the ever-hapless Monsieur Hulot (Jacques Tati) decides to vacation at a beautiful seaside resort, rest and relaxation don't last long, given the gangly gent's penchant for ridiculous antics. While simply out to enjoy himself, the well-meaning Hulot inevitably stumbles into numerous misadventures, including an utterly disastrous attempt at playing tennis, as he encounters fellow French vacationers from various social classes, as well as foreign tourists.

La Pointe Courte
1955 81mins France (PG) Drama
Directed by Agnès Varda Starring Philippe Noiret, Silvia Monfort

A young man (Philippe Noiret) who is a native of the seaside village of La Pointe Courte, France is having a hard time understanding why his bored, Paris-born wife (Sylvia Montfort) of four years is unhappy with their marriage. The couple visit La Pointe Courte as they try to resolve their problems. Meanwhile, the locals of the rural community grapple with the hardships and tragedies of their daily lives: A young child dies, a government official hassles fishermen and a marriage is arranged.

Stalker
1979 161mins Soviet Union (PG) Science Fiction
Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky Starring Aleksandr Kaydanovskiy, Alisa Freyndlikh, Anatoliy Solonitsyn

In an unnamed country at an unspecified time, there is a fiercely protected post-apocalyptic wasteland known as The Zone. An illegal guide (Aleksandr Kajdanovsky), whose mutant child suggests unspeakable horrors within The Zone, leads a writer (Anatoliy Solonitsyn) and a scientist (Nikolay Grinko) into the heart of the devastation in search of a mythical place known only as The Room. Anyone who enters The Room will supposedly have any of his earthly desires immediately fulfilled.

One Sings, the Other Doesn't [L'une chante l'autre pas]
1977 120mins France (12A) Drama
Directed by Agnès Varda Starring Robert Dadiès, Thérèse Liotard, Valérie Mairesse

In the early 1960s in Paris, two young women become friends. Pomme is an aspiring singer. Suzanne is a pregnant country girl unable to support a third child. Pomme lends Suzanne the money for an illegal abortion, but a sudden tragedy soon separates them. Ten years later, they reunite at a demonstration and pledge to keep in touch via postcard, as each of their lives is irrevocably changed by the women's liberation movement. A buoyant hymn to sisterly solidarity rooted in the hard-won victories of a generation of women, One Sings, the Other Doesn't is one of Agnès Varda's warmest and most politically trenchant films, a feminist musical for the ages.

Mirror
1975 107mins Soviet Union (U) Drama
Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky Starring Filipp Yankovskiy, Ignat Daniltsev, Margarita Terekhova

Using a nonlinear structure interlaced with dreams and flashbacks, director Andrei Tarkovsky creates a stream-of-consciousness meditation on war, memory and time that draws heavily on events from his own life.

Funeral Parade presents "La Cage aux Folles"
1978 92mins France, Italy (15) Comedy
Directed by Édouard Molinaro Starring Ugo Tognazzi, Michel Serrault, Claire Maurier

Funeral Parade is proud to present La Cage Aux Folles, Édouard Molinaro’s flamboyant farce about drag, dinner parties, and family, found or otherwise.

Prim and prissy Albin is the star attraction at La Cage Aux Folles, a popular drag nightclub on the French Riviera, while his comparatively macho boyfriend Renato is the club’s owner. Together they live in domestic (almost) bliss, a status quo which is threatened when Renato’s son Laurent brings his charming fiancée Andrea to visit – along with her ultra-conservative parents! Based on the 1973 play which would later be adapted into both a hit Broadway musical and a Hollywood remake, this first film version was a watershed moment in on-screen LGBT representation and remains a riotously funny social satire. 

Four Adventures of Reinette and Mirabelle
1987 99mins France (PG) Comedy / Drama
Directed by Éric Rohmer Starring Jessica Forde, Joëlle Miquel, Mr. Housseau

Two young girls meet, Reinette from the countryside and Mirabelle from Paris, and decide to take a flat together in Paris where they attend University. Four successive stories about their daily lives illustrate the very different views, characters and relation to the world of these two friends.

Cleo from 5 to 7 [Cléo de 5 à 7]
1962 89mins France, Italy (PG) Drama
Directed by Agnès Varda Starring Antoine Bourseiller, Corinne Marchand, Dominique Davray

Selfish pop singer Cléo (Corinne Marchand) has two hours to wait until the results of her biopsy come back. After an ominous tarot card reading, she visits her friends, all of whom fail to give her the emotional support she needs. Wandering around Paris, she finally finds comfort talking with a soldier in a park. On leave from the Algerian War, his troubles put hers in perspective. As they talk and walk, Cléo comes to terms with her selfishness, finding peace before the results come back.

Paris, Texas
1984 145mins France, Germany, UK, USA, West Germany (12A) Drama
Directed by Wim Wenders Starring Dean Stockwell, Harry Dean Stanton, Nastassja Kinski

A disheveled man who wanders out of the desert, Travis Henderson (Harry Dean Stanton) seems to have no idea who he is. When a stranger manages to contact his brother, Walt (Dean Stockwell), Travis is awkwardly reunited with his sibling. Travis has been missing for years, and his presence unsettles Walt and his family, which also includes Travis's own son, Hunter (Hunter Carson). Soon Travis must confront his wife, Jane (Nastassja Kinski), and try to put his life back together.

Harakiri
1962 133mins Japan (15) Drama
Directed by Masaki Kobayashi Starring Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Ishihama, Shima Iwashita

Down-on-his-luck veteran Tsugumo Hanshirō enters the courtyard of the prosperous House of Iyi. Unemployed, and with no family, he hopes to find a place to commit seppuku—and a worthy second to deliver the coup de grâce in his suicide ritual. The senior counselor for the Iyi clan questions the ronin's resolve and integrity, suspecting Hanshirō of seeking charity rather than an honorable end. What follows is a pair of interlocking stories which lay bare the difference between honor and respect, and promises to examine the legendary foundations of the Samurai code.

Yi Yi
2000 173mins Taiwan (15) Drama
Directed by Edward Yang Starring Wu Nien-jen, Elaine Jin, Issey Ogata, Kelly Lee, Jonathan Chang, Hsi-Sheng Chen, Su-Yun Ko, Lawrence Ko

The extraordinary, internationally embraced Yi Yi (A One and a Two . . .), directed by the late Taiwanese master Edward Yang, follows a middle-class family in Taipei over the course of one year, beginning with a wedding and ending with a funeral. Whether chronicling middle-age father NJ’s tentative flirtations with an old flame or precocious young son Yang-Yang’s attempts at capturing reality with his beloved camera, the filmmaker deftly imbues every gorgeous frame with a compassionate clarity. Warm, sprawling, and dazzling, this intimate epic is one of the undisputed masterworks of the new century.

4K digital restoration carried out by Pony Canyon Inc., with analog and digital processes provided by Imagica Entertainment Media Services, Inc.

La Haine
1995 98mins France (15) Crime
Directed by Mathieu Kassovitz Starring Hubert Koundé, Saïd Taghmaoui, Vincent Cassel

Hatred breeds hatred...

24 hours in the lives of three young men in the French suburbs the day after a violent riot.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire
2020 122mins France (15) Romance/Drama
Directed by Céline Sciamma Starring Adèle Haenel, Luàna Bajrami, Noémie Merlant

On an isolated island in Brittany at the end of the eighteenth century, a female painter is obliged to paint a wedding portrait of a young woman.

Dragon Inn
1967 111mins Taiwan (12) Drama
Directed by King Hu Starring Chien Tsao, Chun Shih, Lingfeng Shangguan, Ying Bai

A quintessential entryway into the highly stylized, tightly choreographed wuxia genre of martial arts cinema, Dragon Inn was a global breakthrough for the form’s greatest practitioner, King Hu. Its influence remains incalculable, from its annihilation of traditional expectations of what kind of role an actress should inhabit (also chipped away at by Hu’s previous masterpiece Come Drink with Me), to the formation of many of the genre’s archetypes – such as the Eunuch, the Swordswoman, and the Family of Murdered Loyal Officials – that are still recognizable in the martial arts films of today.

It’s the middle of the Ming Dynasty. The powerful eunuch Cao (Pai Ying) has killed the Loyal Minister Yu, and Yu’s children are exiled to the border, whereupon Cao undertakes efforts to massacre the remnants of the family. As Yu’s children take refuge in the Dragon Gate Inn, Xiao the righteous swordsman (Shih Jun) and the surviving loyalists of Minister Yu engage in a series of battles to the death against the forces of the blood thirsty eunuch.

Ran
1985 160mins Japan (12A) War
Directed by Akira Kurosawa Starring Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu

At the age of seventy, after years of consolidating his empire, the Great Lord Hidetora Ichimonji (Tatsuya Nakadai) decides to abdicate and divide his domain amongst his three sons. Taro (Akira Terao), the eldest, will rule. Jiro (Jinpachi Nezu), his second son, and Saburo (Daisuke Ryu) will take command of the Second and Third Castles but are expected to obey and support their elder brother. Saburo defies the pledge of obedience and is banished.

Werckmeister Harmonies
2000 146mins Hungary (12A) Drama
Directed by Ágnes Hranitzky|Béla Tarr Starring Hanna Schygulla, Lars Rudolph, Peter Fitz

A naive young man witnesses an escalation of violence in his small hometown following the arrival of a mysterious circus attraction.

Seven Samurai [Shichinin no samurai]
1954 207mins Japan (PG) Western
Directed by Akira Kurosawa Starring Toshi, Keiko Tsushima, Takashi Shimura, Toshirô Mifune

Farmers from a village exploited by bandits hire a veteran samurai for protection, who gathers six other samurai to join him.

Time of the Wolf
2003 113mins Austria, France (15) Horror / Drama
Directed by Michael Haneke Starring Isabelle Huppert, Patrice Chéreau, Brigitte Roüan

The time preceding the apocalypse is known in Germanic mythology as the time of the wolves. Fleeing a disaster, a middle-class family travel to their countryside holiday home, believing themselves to be escaping the consequences of the general state of chaos, but they find it occupied by strangers.

Police Story
1985 100mins Hong Kong (15) Action / Crime
Directed by Jackie Chan Starring Brigitte Lin, Charlie Cho, Chor Yuen, Jackie Chan, Maggie Cheung

An honest Hong Kong cop protecting a Triad boss's girlfriend-turned-informer, finds himself framed for the murder of a dirty cop and going on the run. The movie mixes slapstick with wild stunts and features some painful outtakes during the final credits.

Antichrist
2009 108mins Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Sweden (18) Horror / Mystery
Directed by Lars von Trier Starring Charlotte Gainsbourg, Storm Acheche Sahlstrøm, Willem Dafoe

While a married couple (Willem Dafoe, Charlotte Gainsbourg) is having sex, their infant son in a nearby room falls out a window to his death. She becomes distraught and is hospitalized, but her husband, who is a psychiatrist, attempts to treat her. Deciding that she needs to face her fears, he takes her to a cabin in the woods where she spent a previous summer with the boy. Once they are there, she becomes more unhinged and starts perpetrating sexual violence on her husband and herself.

Vagabond [Sans toit ni loi]
1985 106mins France (15) Drama
Directed by Agnès Varda Starring Macha Méril, Sandrine Bonnaire, Stéphane Freiss

A young woman's body is found frozen in a ditch. Through flashbacks and interviews, we see the events that led to her inevitable death.

Playtime
1967 123mins France, Italy (PG) Comedy Genius
Directed by Jacques Tati Starring Barbara Dennek, Jacques Tati, Rita Maiden

Clumsy Monsieur Hulot (Jacques Tati) finds himself perplexed by the intimidating complexity of a gadget-filled Paris. He attempts to meet with a business contact but soon becomes lost. His roundabout journey parallels that of an American tourist (Barbara Dennek), and as they weave through the inventive urban environment, they intermittently meet, developing an interest in one another. They eventually get together at a chaotic restaurant, along with several other quirky characters.

Taste of Cherry
1997 99mins Iran (PG) Comedy / Drama
Directed by Abbas Kiarostami Starring Homayoun Ershadi, Abdolrahman Bagheri, Safar Ali Moradi

Winner of the Palme d’Or at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival, Iranian auteur Abbas Kiarostami’s _Taste of Cherry_ is an emotionally complex meditation on life and death. Middle-aged Mr. Badii (Homayoun Ershadi) drives through the hilly outskirts of Tehran—searching for someone to rescue or bury him.

Memories
1995 115mins Japan (12) Anime
Directed by Cannon Fodder)|Katsuhiro Ôtomo|Katsuhiro Otomo (Chief|Koji Morimoto|Koji Morimoto (Magnetic Rose)|Tensai Okamura|Tensai Okamura (Stink Bomb)

Three back-to-back anime films by three different directors make up this sci-fi trilogy three years in the making. In the chilling "Magnetic Rose," engineers on a spacecraft board an abandoned space station and encounter disturbing paranormal forces. A young lab worker accidentally swallows a chemical weapon and becomes a walking killing machine in "Stink Bomb." In "Cannon Fodder," a young boy and his father fight for survival in a city functioning on paranoia.

Drive My Car
2021 180mins Japan (15) Drama
Directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi Starring Misaki Kawamura, Osamu Kubota, Sachio Matsushita, Tsuyoshi Gorô, Yoshito Nakabe

Adapted from Haruki Murakami’s short story, Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Drive My Car is a haunting road movie travelling a path of love, loss, acceptance, and peace.

Two years after his wife’s unexpected death, a renowned stage actor and director receives an offer to direct a production of Uncle Vanya at a theatre festival in Hiroshima. There, an introverted young woman is assigned by the festival to chauffeur him in his own beloved red Saab 900. Together, they confront painful truths raised from the past and find new ways to move forward.

Cannes Film Festival nominee for the Palme d'Or and winner of the Best Screenplay Award; 4x Academy Award® Nominations and Academy Award® winner for Best International Feature Film; 3x BAFTA nominations and BAFTA winner for Best Film Not In The English Langauge; Golden Globe winner for Best International Feature; Independent Spirit and 4 UK Critics Circle Awards. 

The Gleaners and I
2000 82mins France (PG) Documentary
Directed by Agnès Varda Starring Agnès Varda, Bodan Litnanski, François Wertheimer

An 1867 painting by Jean-Francois Millet inspired septuagenarian documentarian Agnes Varda to cross the French countryside to videotape people who scavenge. Taking everything from surplus in the fields, to rubbish in trashcans, to oysters washed up after a storm, the "gleaners" range from those sadly in need to those hoping to recreate the community activity of centuries past, and still others who use whatever they find to cobble together a rough art. Highlighted by Varda's amusing narration.

Fallen Angels
1995 99mins Hong Kong (15) Thriller / Romance
Directed by Wong Kar Wai Starring Karen Mok, Leon Lai, Michele Reis, Takeshi Kaneshiro

An assassin goes through obstacles as he attempts to escape his violent lifestyle despite the opposition of his partner, who is secretly attracted to him.

Perfect Days
2023 125mins Germany, Japan (PG) Drama
Directed by Wim Wenders Starring Aoi Yamada, Arisa Nakano, Kôji Yakusho, Min Tanaka, Tokio Emoto, Yumi Aso

Hirayama is content with his life as a toilet cleaner in Tokyo. Outside of his structured routine, he cherishes music on cassette tapes, books, and taking photos of trees. Through unexpected encounters, he reflects on finding beauty in the world.

The Holy Mountain
1973 115mins Mexico (18) Mind F**k
Directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky Starring Alejandro Jodorowsky, Horacio Salinas, Zamira Saunders

In a corrupt, greed-fueled world, a powerful alchemist leads a messianic character and seven materialistic figures to the Holy Mountain, where they hope to achieve enlightenment.

Nobody Knows [Dare mo shiranai]
2004 141mins Japan (12A) Drama
Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda Starring Ayu Kitaura, Hiei Kimura, Yûya Yagira

Four children are left to fend for themselves in a Tokyo apartment by their scatterbrained and selfish mother. Their well-being and survival depends on the oldest son, 12-year-old Akira.

Filmed over the course of a year, Koreeda’s heartbreaking study of childhood destroyed by neglect and societal indifference boasts superb naturalistic performances. Lead actor Yuya Yagira became the youngest-ever winner of the Best Actor award at Cannes.

Caché
2005 117mins Austria, France, Germany, Italy (15) Psychological Thriller
Directed by Michael Haneke Starring Daniel Auteuil, Juliette Binoche, Annie Girardot

Michael Haneke was awarded the Best Director prize at Cannes for his stunning exploration of a past that haunts the present.

This utterly compelling psychological thriller from Michael Haneke (Happy End, The White Ribbon) - one of cinema’s most daring, original and controversial directors - stars Daniel Auteuil as Georges, a TV presenter who begins to receive mysterious and alarming packages containing covertly filmed videos of himself and his family.

To the mounting consternation of Georges and his wife (Juliette Binoche), the footage on the tapes – which arrive wrapped in drawings of disturbingly violent images – becomes increasingly personal, and sinister anonymous phone calls are made. Convinced he knows the identity of the person responsible, Georges embarks on a rash and impulsive course of action that throws up some unpleasant facts about his past and leads to shockingly unexpected consequences.

Millennium Actress
2001 87mins Japan (PG) Anime
Directed by Satoshi Kon Starring Fumiko Orikasa, Mami Koyama, Miyoko Shôji, Shôzô Îzuka

Filmmaker Genya Tachibana begins work on a documentary about famed Japanese actress Chiyoko Fujiwara. Now well into old age, Chiyoko has become reclusive and shy about any publicity, but she eventually warms up to Tachibana and starts to relate her life story. As the decades pass, Chiyoko is transformed from a teen with big dreams into a full-blown celebrity, while her cinematic characters span various eras, from ancient Japan to the distant future.

Enter The Void
2009 161mins France (18) Mind F**k
Directed by Gaspar Noé Starring Cyril Roy, Nathaniel Brown, Paz de la Huerta

An American drug dealer living in Tokyo is betrayed by his best friend and killed in a drug deal. His soul, observing the repercussions of his death, seeks resurrection.

The Handmaiden [Theatrical Cut]
145mins (18) Thriller / Romance
Directed by Park Chan-Wook Starring Kim Min-hee, Kim Tae-ri, Ha Jung-woo

In 1930s Korea, a swindler and a young woman pose as a Japanese count and a handmaiden to seduce a Japanese heiress and steal her fortune.

Paprika
2006 90mins Japan (15) Adventure / Drama
Directed by Toshi|Satoshi Kon Starring Katsunosuke Hori, Megumi Hayashibara, Tôru Emori

When a machine that allows therapists to enter their patients' dreams is stolen, all hell breaks loose. Only a young female therapist, Paprika, can stop it.

Ali : Fear Eats the Soul [Angst essen Seele auf]
1974 92mins Germany (12A) Romance/Drama
Directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder Starring Barbara Valentin, Brigitte Mira, El Hedi ben Salem

Emmi Kurowski (Brigitte Mira), a cleaning lady, is lonely in her old age. Her husband died years ago, and her grown children offer little companionship. One night she goes to a bar frequented by Arab immigrants and strikes up a friendship with middle-aged mechanic Ali (El Hedi ben Salem). Their relationship soon develops into something more, and Emmi's family and neighbors criticize their spontaneous marriage. Soon Emmi and Ali are forced to confront their own insecurities about their future.

A Brighter Summer Day
1991 237mins Taiwan (15) Drama
Directed by Edward Yang Starring Chang Chen, Chang Han, Chang Kuo-Chu, Elaine Jin, Lisa Yang, Wang Chuan

Among the most praised and sought-after titles in all contemporary film, this singular masterpiece of Taiwanese cinema, directed by Edward Yang is finally available for US audiences. Set in the early sixties in Taiwan, A Brighter Summer Day is based on the true story of a crime that rocked the nation. A film of both sprawling scope and tender intimacy, this novelistic, patiently observed epic centers on the gradual, inexorable fall of a young teenager (Chen Chang, in his first role) from innocence to juvenile delinquency, and is set against a simmering backdrop of restless youth, rock and roll, and political turmoil.

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg [Les parapluies de Cherbourg]
1964 91mins France, Germany, West Germany (PG) Musical / Romance
Directed by Jacques Demy Starring Anne Vernon, Catherine Deneuve, Nino Castelnuovo

An angelically beautiful Catherine Deneuve was launched to stardom by this dazzling musical heart-tugger from Jacques Demy. She plays an umbrella-shop owner’s delicate daughter, glowing with first love for a handsome garage mechanic, played by Nino Castelnuovo. When the boy is shipped off to fight in Algeria, the two lovers must grow up quickly. Exquisitely designed in a kaleidoscope of colors, and told entirely through the lilting songs of the great composer Michel Legrand, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is one of the most revered and unorthodox movie musicals of all time.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo)
1966 180mins Italy, Spain, USA, West Germany (18) Western
Directed by Sergio Leone Starring Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef

While the Civil War rages on between the Union and the Confederacy, three men – a quiet loner, a ruthless hitman, and a Mexican bandit – comb the American Southwest in search of a strongbox containing $200,000 in stolen gold.

The White Ribbon
2009 144mins Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Italy (15) Psychological Drama
Directed by Michael Haneke Starring Christian Friedel, Ernst Jacobi, Leonie Benesch

Themes of guilt and denial haunt this riveting Palme d’Or-winning masterpiece by Funny Games and Amour director Michael Haneke

In a village in Protestant northern Germany on the eve of World War I, a series of unsettling and distressing incidents take place. Taken together, they assume the character of a ritual in which punishment and torture dominate. But the identity of the perpetrators remains a mystery. A schoolteacher who has observed the unfolding incidents investigates and, little by little, discovers the disturbing truth. Are we being asked to consider whether these events heralded something that would explode years later with the rise of Nazi Germany? Did these events contain the germs of the tragedies that followed? Haneke has never been one to give us answers, often leaving us with more questions at the end of his film.

★★★★★ “A tightly-wound, fully-fleshed and thoroughly mesmerising drama” - Sukhdev Sandhu, The Telegraph

House [Hausu]
1977 87mins Japan (15) Horror / Comedy
Directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi Starring Ai Matubara, Kimiko Ikegami, Kumiko Oba, Miki Jinbo

An unforgettable mixture of bubblegum teen melodrama and grisly phantasmagoria, Obayashi’s deranged fairy tale House is one of Japanese cinema’s wildest supernatural ventures and a truly startling debut feature.

Distressed by her widowed father’s plans to remarry, Angel sets off with six of her schoolgirl friends in tow for a summer getaway in her aunt’s isolated mansion. But all is not well – in this house of dormant secrets, long-held emotional traumas have terrifyingly physical embodiments and the girls will have to use all their individual talents if any are to survive.

A rollercoaster ride without brakes, House is by turns sinister, hilarious and curiously touching, with ceaseless cinematic invention and a satirical, full-blooded approach to the horror genre.

Onibaba
1964 103mins Japan (15) Horror / Fantasy
Directed by Kaneto Shindō Starring Nobuko Otowa, Jitsuko Yoshimura, Kei Satō

While her son, Kichi, is away at war, a woman and her daughter-in-law survive by killing samurai who stray into their swamp, then selling whatever valuables they find. Both are devastated when they learn that Kichi has died, but his wife soon begins an affair with a neighbor who survived the war, Hachi. The mother disapproves and, when she can't steal Hachi for herself, tries to scare her daughter-in-law with a mysterious mask from a dead samurai.

Perfect Blue
1997 81mins Japan (18) Anime
Directed by Toshi|Satoshi Kon Starring Junko Iwao, Rica Matsumoto, Shinpachi Tsuji

"THE COLOUR OF ILLUSION IS PERFECT BLUE"

A young Japanese singer is encouraged by her agent to quit singing and pursue an acting career, beginning with a role in a murder mystery TV show.

Possession
1981 124mins USA (18) Horror
Directed by Andrzej Zulawski Starring Sam Neill, Isabelle Adjani, Margit Carstensen, Sam Neil

After Anna (Isabelle Adjani) reveals to her husband, Mark (Sam Neill), that she is having an affair, she leaves him and their son. Mark is devastated, and seeks out Heinrich (Heinz Bennent), the man who cuckolded him, only to receive a beating. After a series of violent confrontations between Mark and Anna, Mark hires a private investigator to follow her. Anna descends into madness, and it's soon clear that she is hiding a much bigger secret -- one that is both inexplicable and shocking.

Trouble Every Day
2001 102mins France, Germany, Japan (18) Horror / Erotic
Directed by Claire Denis Starring Vincent Gallo, Alex Descas, Beatrice Dalle, Tricia Vessey

Scientist Shane Brown (Vincent Gallo) neglects his new bride (Tricia Vessey), instead spending their honeymoon searching for an old colleague who disappeared after a research paper he had written was discredited by the medical community. It turns out that Dr. Semeneau is living in obscurity in order to protect his wife (Béatrice Dalle), whom he keeps prisoner in a room with boards nailed across the doorway. The narrative unfolds the dark secret that drives each party.

Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion
1972 88mins Japan (18) Crime / Thriller
Directed by Shunya Ito Starring Meiko Kaji, Rie Yokoyama, Yayoi Watanabe

When young Nami is framed and falsely imprisoned, she must find a way to escape and exact revenge upon the man who betrayed her. Meiko Kaji (LADY SNOWBLOOD) leads the 1st ferocious film in director Shun'ya Itô's stylish must-see FEMALE PRISONER SCORPION saga. Contains strong language, violence and gore.

Female Prisoner Scorpion: Jailhouse 41
1972 90mins Japan (18) Crime / Thriller
Directed by Shunya Ito Starring Meiko Kaji, Fumio Watanabe, Kayoko Shiraishi

After being used and betrayed by the detective she had fallen in love with, young Matsu is sent to a female prison full of sadistic guards and disobedient prisoners.

Female Prisoner Scorpion: Beast Stable
1973 87mins Japan (18) Crime / Thriller
Directed by Shunya Ito Starring Meiko Kaji, Mikio Narita, Reisen Ri

Following her successful prison break, Scorpion begins this third episode in the series hiding out in a brothel. Her prostitute friend tries to keep her identity secret, but the brothel's madam discovers that Scorpion is the ex-girlfriend of the vice officer who killed her lover.

Amour
2012 127mins Austria, France, Germany (12) Drama
Directed by Michael Haneke Starring Jean-Louis Trintignant, Emmanuelle Riva, Isabelle Huppert

Michael Haneke's 2013 Oscar- and Palme d'Or-winning drama ‘Amour' follows an elderly couple facing their greatest challenge yet. A police unit breaks into a Paris apartment and discover the body of an elderly woman (Emmanuelle Riva). Her husband (Jean-Louis Trintignant) is nowhere to be found. We then jump back in time to one of their last outings together before Anne becomes incapacitated as a result of an illness. What we witness is the cost of love – not the romance of cinema, but the day-to- day activity of caring for another person, no matter the physical or emotional cost.Michael Haneke's most sensitive film refuses to pull any punches in his depiction of the ageing process, but avoids sensation in favour of empathy. This is deeply humane, profoundly moving cinema.

Female Prisoner Scorpion: #701's Grudge Song
1973 89mins Japan (18) Crime / Thriller
Directed by Yasuharu Hasebe Starring Meiko Kaji, Masakazu Tamura, Yumi Kanei

Nami is once again on the run from the law but is saved by an old classmate who works at a strip club. Through a subsequent conversation they discover they both have a score to settle with a particular crooked cop. However, Nami has doubts about ever trusting a man.

Audition
1999 115mins Japan (18) Horror
Directed by Takashi Miike Starring Eihi Shiina, Ryo Ishibashi, Tetsu Sawaki

This disturbing Japanese thriller follows Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi), a widower who decides to start dating again. Aided by a film-producer friend (Miyuki Matsuda), Aoyama uses auditions for a fake production to function as a dating service. When Aoyama becomes intrigued by the withdrawn, gorgeous Asami (Eihi Shiina), they begin a relationship. However, he begins to realise that Asami isn't as reserved as she appears to be, leading to gradually increased tension and a harrowing climax.

Tetsuo : The Iron Man
1989 64mins Japan (18) Horror / Sci-Fi / Thriller
Directed by Shinya Tsukamoto Starring Shinya Tsukamoto, Tomorowo Taguchi, Kei Fujiwara, Nobu Kanaoka, Naomasa Musaka, Renji Ishibashi

One of the most influential cyberpunk films of all time, Tetsuo The Iron Man chronicles a salaryman's (Tomorowo Taguchi) transformation from man to metal after himself and his girlfriend (Kei Fujiwara) accidentally run down a metal fetishist (Shin’ya Tsukamoto) with their car. Soundtracked by pulsating punk, Tetsuo The Iron Man remains one of the most explosive films.

Tetsuo The Iron Man opens the season Tetsuo And Beyond, presented with the National Film and Television School’s Film Studies, Programming and Curation MA.

Ringu
1998 96mins Japan (15) Horror
Directed by Hideo Nakata Starring Nanako Matsushima, Miki Nakatani, Yûko Takeuchi

Ju-on: The Grudge
2002 92mins Japan (15) Supernatural / Horror
Directed by Takashi Shimizu Starring Megumi Okina, Misa Uehara, Yoji Tanaka

When social worker Rika is sent to check on a traumatized old lady whose family have moved in at the site of the notorious Saeki family murder case, she unwittingly unleashes a cycle of terror that is transmitted via its victims further and further from its original source.

Kwaidan
1964 183mins Japan (PG) Horror
Directed by Masaki Kobayashi Starring Michiyo Aratama, Misako Watanabe, Rentaro Mikuni

Taking its title from an archaic Japanese word meaning "ghost story," this anthology adapts four folk tales. A penniless samurai marries for money with tragic results. A man stranded in a blizzard is saved by Yuki the Snow Maiden, but his rescue comes at a cost. Blind musician Hoichi is forced to perform for an audience of ghosts. An author relates the story of a samurai who sees another warrior's reflection in his teacup.

Titane
2021 108mins Belgium, France (18) Horror / Sci-Fi / Thriller
Directed by Julia Ducournau Starring Garance Marillier, Agathe Rousselle, Vincent Lindon, Laïs Salameh

This provocative Palme D’or winner is equal parts horrifying and hilarious. Titane follows one person (Agathe Rousselle) along a journey seeking love and acceptance. As a child they were in a horrific car accident, and as a result have a metal plate in the side of their head alongside a lifelong obsession with vehicles. This obsession mutates in increasingly grisly ways, as their life starts to unravel around them.

Titane is playing as part of the Tetsuo And Beyond season presented with the National Film and Television School’s Film Studies, Programming and Curation MA.

City on Fire
105mins (18) Action / Crime
Directed by Ringo Lam Ling-Tung Starring Chow Yun-Fat, Danny Lee Sau-Yin, Sun Yueh

Ko Chow is an undercover cop who is under pressure from all sides. His boss, Inspector Lau, wants him to infiltrate a gang of ruthless jewel thieves; his girlfriend wants him to commit to marriage or she will leave Hong Kong with another lover; and he is being pursued by other cops who are unaware that he is a colleague. Chow would rather quit the force, feeling guilty about betraying gang members who have become his friends.