September 19
IO CAPITANO*. Italy/Belgium/France, 2023 (drama, 121 min.) Dir.: Matteo Garrone. With: Seydou Sarr, Moustapha Fall. A Homeric fairy tale of the adventurous journey of two young boys, Seydou and Moussa, who leave Dakar to reach Europe. Nominee, Best International Feature Film Oscar, 2024.
+ FALLEN LEAVES/KUOLLEET LEHDET*. Finland/Germany, 2023 (comedy-drama, 81 min.) Dir.: Aki Kaurismaki. With: Alma Poysti, Jussi Vatanen. In modern-day Helsinki, two lonely souls meet by chance in a karaoke bar. However, their path to happiness is beset by obstacles - from lost phone numbers to mistaken addresses, alcoholism, and a charming stray dog. Winner, Jury Prize, Cannes Film Festival, 2023.
October 10
THE PROMISED LAND/BASTARDEN*. Denmark/Germany, 2023 (bio-drama, 127 min.) Dir.: Nikolaj Arcel. With: Mads Mikkelsen, Amanda Collin, Simon Bennebjerg. True story of Ludvig Kahlen, a man determined to build a settlement in the Danish wilderness in order to attain wealth and honour. Nominee, Golden Lion for Best Film, Venice Film Festival, 2023. Warning: Contains violence.
November 14
ONE LIFE. UK, 2023 (bio-war drama, 109 min.) Dir.: James Hawes. With: Anthony Hopkins, Helena Bonham-Carter, Johnny Flynn. In the months leading up to World War II, Sir Nicholas 'Nicky' Winton, a young London broker, rescued over 600 children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia, including Joe Schlesinger, who became a famous CBC foreign correspondent. Winner, Cinema for Peace Awards 2024.
December 12
THE OLD OAK. UK/France/Belgium, 2023 (drama, 113 min.) Dir.: Ken Loach. With: Dave Turner, Ebla Mari. The future of the last remaining pub in a previously thriving mining town in Northeast England is uncertain as people leave. Meanwhile, tensions rise in the town when Syrian refugees are domiciled in empty houses within the community. Nominee, Outstanding British Film of the Year, BAFTA Film Awards, 2024.
January 9
PERFECT DAYS*. Japan, 2024 (drama, 125 min.) Dir.: Wim Wenders. With: Koji Yokusho, Tokio Emoto, Arisa Nakano. Hirayama cleans public toilets in Tokyo, living his life in simplicity and daily tranquility. When his teenage niece shows up at his door, we get a hint of familial unease which leads him to reflect on his life. Nominee, Best International Feature Film Oscar 2024. Winner, Ecumenical Jury Prize, Cannes Film Festival, 2023.
February 6
WICKED LITTLE LETTERS. British, 2023 (black comedy, crime drama, 100 min.) Dir.: Thea Sharrock. With: Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Anjana Vasan, Timothy Spall. Based on a 1920s scandal that made national headlines, residents of an English seaside town receive anonymous and obscene letters filled with profanities. Rose, a rowdy Irish migrant, is arrested but the town’s only female police officer believes she is innocent. Premier TIFF 2023. Nominee, Best Feature Film, Cleveland International Film Festival 2024.
March 6
RU*. Canada, 2023 (drama, 120 min.) Dir.: Charles-Oliver Michaud. With: Chloe Djandji, Chantal Thúy, Karine Vanesse, Patrice Robitaille. An adaptation of the 2009 Governor General’s award winning novel by Kim Thúy, Ru tells the story of the arduous journey of a wealthy family escaping Vietnam and adjusting to life in Quebec as refugees from the Vietnam War. Premier TIFF 2023. Eight nominations and Winner, Best Supporting Performance in a Drama Film, Canadian Screen Awards 2024.
April 3
BONES OF CROWS*. Canada, 2022 (drama,124 min.) Dir.: Marie Clements. With: Grace Dove, Phillip Lewitski, Rémy Girard, Karine Vanesse. After surviving the Indian residential school system, a Cree woman becomes a code talker for the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War Two. Winner, Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress, American Indian Film Festival 2023. Winner, Best Original Song, Canadian Screen Music Awards, 2023.
+ A LITTLE SOMETHING EXTRA/UN P’TIT TRUC EN PLUS*. France, 2024 (drama, 99 min.) Dir.: Artus. With: Artus, Clovis Cornillac, Alice Belaïdi. To escape the police, a son and father pose as a resident and his educator in a summer camp for young adults with disabilities, a surprising human experience that will change them forever.
May 1
ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT*. India/France/Luxembourg/Netherlands/Italy, 2024 (ensemble drama, 110 min.) Dir.: Payal Kapadia. With: Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam, Hridhu Haroon. Prabha and Anu, Malayali nurses living in Mumbai, are troubled by their relationships. Prabha’s routine is disturbed when she receives an unexpected gift from her estranged husband while Anu, a Hindu, tries in vain to find a spot in the city to be intimate with her Muslim boyfriend. Winner, Grand Jury Prize, Cannes Film Festival, 2024. (Film to be confirmed).
