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Le Herisson
Adapted from Muriel Barbery’s international bestseller, The Elegance of the Hedgehog, writer-director Mona Achache’s first film follows three main characters, an 11 year old girl and two eccentric characters in her building. Paloma (le Guillermic), a serious, articulate but deeply bored pre-teen has decided to kill herself on her 12th birthday, disgusted by the futility
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Benda Bilili
Benda Bilili means See Beyond in English and is the name of a Congolese band of homeless disabled and able bodied musicians. This uplifting and moving film documents their daily struggle to survive on the streets of the Congo capital, Kinshasa, through to achieving global recognition as artists, with some riveting twists and turns along
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The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
Newly restored for its fortieth anniversary, this influential Oscar-winning classic constitutes one of the finest achievements of one of cinema’s greatest directors, working in his intensely creative late period. This comedy of manners centres on a group of vividly drawn and outwardly respectable upper middle-class friends, who are continually thwarted in their attempt to have
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Holy Motors
Surrealist comedy delivering a visual feast populated with gripping performances. A day-in-the-life tale of a shadowy character called M. Oscar results in a concoction tailor-made for cinephiles. Makes other films look staid. The spark for the film came from Carax’s observation that stretch limousines were being increasingly used for weddings. He was interested in their
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Nostalgia for the Light
Breathtaking documentary that compares 2 groups of people searching for understanding of the past in the dry clear conditions of Chile’s Atacama Desert: astronomers study the universe and relatives search for remains of the Disappeared of Pinochet’s regime. A stunning, sad film with an end note of hope. Guzmán focuses on the similarities between astronomers
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Polisse
A critically acclaimed French film, winner of the Cannes Jury Prize 2011 and 13 Cesar Awards also earning international praise. Yet some critics found it manipulative and likened it to TVs The Wire when a film splits critics like this its usually well worth the watch. The Paris Police Departments Juvenile Protection Unit has a
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The Kid With a Bike
A lean, direct narrative and a superb central performance provide emotional impact in this excellent drama. A boy, abandoned by his father, is put into care. The kindness of a stranger offers him a measure of hope, but can he accept it? Written and directed by the Belgian brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, the film
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Thérèse Desqueyroux
In the south-west of France, in the late 1920s, Thérèse Laroque agrees to a marriage of convenience between wealthy families by marrying Bernard Desqueyroux, a bourgeois landowner. They then settle on his family’s property, located in a vast area stretching over acres of pine forests. Bernard is a local man with a passion for hunting
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Blancanieves
Based on the 1812 fairy tale Snow White by the Brothers Grimm, the story is set in a romantic vision of 1920s Andalusia. However, the film approaches storytelling through the integration of Spanish culture from characters’ names to traditions they follow. Additionally, it alludes to other fairy tales including Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood.
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In The House
A pupil writes increasingly evocative and erotic stories that engage his middle-aged teacher- events start to spiral out of control.










