SEPTEMBER 2008: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly7.30 pm 4th and 5th September 2008
This inspiring film tells the true story of Jean-Dominique Bauby who, at the age of 43, suffered a devastating stroke. Using only his left eyelid to communicate, Bauby composed letter-by-letter his life struggle. He eloquently describes the aspects of his interior world, from the psychological torment of being trapped inside his body to his imagined stories from lands he’d only visited in his mind.
France 2007 (Subtitled) Certificate 12A, 112 mins |
Average bean score: 3.53 out of 4
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OCTOBER 2008: True North7.30pm 2nd and 3rd October 2008
A crew of fishermen facing bankruptcy decide to smuggle Chinese immigrants into Scotland with tragic consequences. Writer/director Steve Hudson creates a complex portrait of what essentially decent people will do in desperate circumstances. With one of Scotland’s most talented actors, Peter Mullan, in the main role, True North has been hailed as one of the best Scottish films in recent years.
UK Scotland 2006 Certificate 15, 96 mins |
Average bean score: 2.60 out of 4
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NOVEMBER 2008: Caramel7.30pm 2nd and 3rd October 2008
The action in Caramel revolves around a beauty salon and the daily lives of five Lebanese women involved with it. Each woman has her own problems to deal with and as the film unfolds and the relationships between the five women develop, we see how they support one another and find a way through their problems.
Lebanon/France 2007 (Subtitled) Certificate PG, 95 mins |
Average bean score: 2.59 out of 4
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DECEMBER 2008: We are together7.30pm 4th and 5th December 2008
This film tells the moving and inspiring story of 12-year-old Slindile and her remarkable friends at the Agape orphanage in South Africa. Filmed over three years, with unforgettable kids, soaring music and a plot full of surprises, We Are Together arrives as a stirring and uplifting theatrical documentary.
(Note: Instead of the usual raffle, we will be having a collection on the night towards an appropriate charity.) South Africa 2006 Certificate PG, 83 mins |
Average bean score: 3.42 out of 4
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JANUARY 2009: Not one less7.30pm 8th and 9th January 2009
In a remote mountain village, the local teacher must leave for a month and the mayor can find only a 13-year old girl, Wei Minzhi, to substitute. Within days, poverty forces the class troublemaker, Zhang Huike, to leave for the city to work. Minzhi enlists the twenty six remaining pupils in earning money for her to go to the city to search for the boy. Minzhi’s stubbornness may be Huike's and the village school's salvation.
China 1999 (Subtitled) Certificate U, 106 mins |
Average bean score: 3.30 out of 4
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FEBRUARY 2009: Fitzcarraldo7.30pm 5th and 6th February 2009
This film was a real labour of love for Werner Herzog. It tells the story of an entrepreneur (Klaus Kinski) who is obsessed with the idea of building a Grand Opera House in the Peruvian jungle. To get the money to do this however, he has to set off on a long and dangerous journey. The most famous image in the film is the hauling of a large steam-boat up the side of a mountain. Visually, the film is spectacular and Kinski is superb as the crazed adventurer.
Peru/Germany 1982 (Subtitled) Certificate PG, 158 mins |
Average bean score: 3.35 out of 4
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MARCH 2009: Happy Go Lucky7.30pm 5th and 6th March 2009
Poppy is a thirty-year old Primary School teacher in contemporary North London. She has great friends, a job she loves and a full life. The movie watches her confront the harsh realities of life and deal with them head-on, never losing her sense of humour. Humour, and sometimes benign derision, are Poppy’s ways of keeping sulkiness out of her life. But, as everyone with a heart should feel, that is a gift, not a deficit. Director Mike Leigh produces his usual social commentary mixed with strong familial ties built into a lovingly crafted leisurely journey.
UK 2008 Certificate 15, 118 mins |
Number of beans: 36
Average bean score: 2.17 out of 4 |
APRIL 2009: Fresa y Chocolate7.30pm 2nd and 3rd April 2009
This acclaimed, Oscar-nominated film set in Cuba follows the unlikely friendship between David, an uptight macho communist student, and Diego, an extravagant gay artist with an irreverent attitude to the Castro regime. The title refers to David’s comment that he knew immediately that Diego was gay when he chose strawberry ice cream even though chocolate was available. Combining drama with a bit of humour, this film provides a light but realistic look at the Cuban Revolution, government persecution of marginalized groups, and the tendency of human kindness to overcome hardship.
Cuba/Spain 1994 (Subtitled) Certificate 18, 110 mins |
Number of beans: 49
Average bean score: 2.71 out of 4 |
MAY 2009: Juno7.30pm 7th and 8th May 2009
One of the brightest, funniest comedies of 2007, Juno’s smart script and direction are matched by assured performances in a coming of age story with a 21st century twist. When Juno discovers she’s pregnant, she is forced to grow up fast as she tries to find adoptive parents for her quickly growing child. Juno has many strengths but it’s the screenwriting debut of writer Cody Diablo that makes this such a winning film for all ages.
USA/Canada 2007 Certificate 15, 96 mins |
Number of beans: 41
Average bean score: 3.59 out of 4 |