Welcome to this special edition of our newsletter with some exciting news on the future of kinokulture
We know it has been a long time since we mentioned that we would be stepping back from running kinokulture and that many of you have been concerned that Oswestry audiences would no longer have the opportunity to see a diverse range of films and NT Live: productions on the big screen.
Over the past year we have been consulting with our colleagues at the Independent Cinema Office and our regional BFI Film Audience Network - Film Hub Midlands alongside our volunteers and other interested parties to find a way forward to hand the business over to Community ownership.
The good news is that we now have a steering group in place to help push this forward over the next few months and we will be working closely with them to support and enable a 'hopefully' smooth transition.
We are training up two of our young volunteers to run projection and are also working closely with our 'New Programmers Group' who will be taking over the programming of our mid week films from January - March ... things may look a little different but rest assured they are fired up and excited to bring you a wonderful selection of independent British & World Cinema new releases as well as the Borderlines Film Festival.
We are hopeful for the future and hope you will continue to support kinokulture through this transition period.
Please find a message from the new steering group below:
Kinokulture cinema set to build on success The popularity of Oswestry's unique independent cinema, KinoKulture, is turning into a powerful community initiative with a concrete plan for the future. As owners Ian Garland and Ruth Carter plan for retirement in Spring 2024, a wave of public enthusiasm is helping ensure that the venture can continue to serve the people of Oswestry with its eclectic programme, from Hollywood blockbusters to British and international independent films. From a larger group of supporters, a small steering group has been formed which will tackle all the practical issues involved in establishing the right way to run the venue in the future. "We want to ensure Kinokulture continues to flourish, as it has done under the outstanding stewardship of Ruth and Ian" said Martin Anderson, one of the steering group members. The steering group is currently working hard including discussing options with supporters and other organisations in Oswestry about how best to proceed in order to ensure the successful continuation of the cinema. If you would like to be kept up to date about developments, please email SGKinoKulture@gmail.com – but please bear in mind that work is being undertaken by volunteers so there may be a short delay in responding. | | Vive le cinéma! We are very pleased to once again be a partner venue for the French Film Festival UK who bring a diverse and exciting array of French-speaking cinema (with English sub-titles, bien sûr) to venues across the UK from Shetland to Plymouth!
From 30th November - 14th December we will be taking you on a journey to explore the richness and diversity of francophone cinema with five brilliant films.
This coming week we have the stunning African fable 'Mami Wata' and the impeccably acted, affecting and human drama 'Our River... Our Sky'. The film's cast deservedly scooped the Best Ensemble award at last year's BIFAs, and its easy to see why.
On our website you can view trailers and information on each film by clicking on the image or film title. If you already know which film & date you want to book just click on the
Book Now button.
View Our Website Here
Our doors and cafe/licensed bar selling a range of hot & cold drinks and pre packaged snacks open 30 minutes before the screening time.
Please scroll down for more information on what's coming to our screen over the next few weeks
We look forward to seeing you over the coming weeks
Thank you! | | |  | Africa In Focus : Mami Wata (12A)
Wednesday 22nd November 7:30pm When the harmony in a village is threatened by outside elements, two sisters must fight to save their people and restore the glory of a mermaid goddess to the land. Filmgoers outside of Africa may never have heard of Mami Wata, the titular supernatural being in CJ Obasi's new movie. Mami Wata hasn't quite attained the status of, say, Norse or Greek gods, whose pantheons were perpetuated first by patriarchy and more recently by the blockbuster industry. Thankfully, Obasi, who also wrote this film's screenplay, has made it so that no introduction to Mami Wata is necessary to grasp and enjoy this film, the first feature from a homegrown Nigerian filmmaker to screen at Sundance. In this telling, Mami Wata is the de facto ruler of the fictional coastal West African village of Iyi. Her intermediary, Mama Efe (Rita Edochie), channels her will to the people, who accept this system until the death of a child upsets the balance of things. Mama Efe's headstrong daughter Zinwe is displeased by her mother's inability and/or refusal to bring the child back to life. Despite the pleas of adopted sibling Prisca (Evelyne Ily Juhen), Zinwe expresses her anger openly. But she will not be the only one demanding change. A cohort led by the noisy, reckless Jabi (Kelechi Udegbe) is on its way. The film's dialogue is a version of West African pidgin that has been stylised, which perhaps explains its stilted nature in parts. It is Udegbe's entry into the film that brings the Nigerian variation of the language to the picture, restoring that language's lilt to ears familiar with it.
"The first homegrown Nigerian feature film to screen at Sundance, this chronicle of the trials and tribulations of the goddess Mami Wata is an audacious, ambitious thrill." Sight And Sound
"The film casts a spell, and the spell persists to the end." ****. Roger Ebert
English/Fon with English subtitles Run time: 1 hour 47 mins BOOK TICKETS HERE
| |  | Our River...Our Sky (12A)
Thursday 23rd November 7:30pm Sara is a single mother and a novelist. As her daughter Reema sleeps fitfully against the not-so-distant noise of mortars and gunfire, she's unable to write. Surrounded by trauma and devastation, she scours the internet for news of the city's death toll, trying to keep track of the attacks. When her closest friend and neighbour, Sabiha, a former actress and a Christian, is forced into exile, Sara begins to fight back and recover a sense of defiance. But as the random killing escalates and gets closer to home, she begins to look for a way out for herself and her daughter…
Sara and her neighbours invite us into their everyday lives as their world fragments and they attempt to renew a fragile sense of hope for a better future. Through the chaos and destruction, the residents never let their ambitions and desires for the future fade. Yet, they can't help but contemplate leaving Iraq, and are forced to ask a painful question – who does Baghdad really belong to? An impeccably acted, affecting and human drama, the film's cast deservedly scooped the Best Ensemble award at last year's BIFAs, and its easy to see why.
"This is the exact opposite of most modern Hollywood films, which are a celebration of death. "Our River . . . Our Sky"'s focus is on life, in all its imperfect, painful, hysterical, messy, complicated, upsetting glory." Critics Notebook
Arabic with English subtitles Run time: 1 hour 57 mins BOOK TICKETS HERE | |  | Nobody Has To Know (12A)
Friday 24th & Saturday 25th November 7:30pm Sunday 26th November. 2:00pm (Subtitled for the Hard Of Hearing) Shot entirely at locations across the Isle of Lewis, this heartfelt new romantic drama is written and directed by renowned César Award nominated Belgian actor and filmmaker Bouli Lanners (The Night of the 12th) and co-directed by BAFTA nominee Tim Mielants (The Responder).
Memories tell us the story of who we are. If those memories vanish, whose stories will take their place? Phil (Bouli Lanners) is a middle-aged farmhand working on a remote part of the Isle of Lewis. Affably refusing to talk about his past life back in Belgium to the tight-knit local community, he finds his people amongst those propping up the local bar rather than in the devout congregation of the Calvinist free church.
When he suffers amnesia following a stroke, a lonely local woman, Millie (Game of Thrones' Michelle Fairley) helps him acclimatise back to his life and claims they were once in a secret relationship before his accident. This is a fragile lie that Millie must protect to keep their burgeoning romance alive, but at what cost? "Lanners confidently navigates a tale of guilty secrets, regrets and longing to deliver a quietly touching, unabashed weepie." Screen International Run time: 1 hour 39 mins BOOK TICKETS FOR FRIDAY & SATURDAY HERE BOOK TICKETS FOR SUNDAY HERE | |  | Made In Wales: A Year In A Field (12A)
Wednesday 29th November 7:30pm BAFTA-winning documentarian Christopher Morris reflects upon human existence, its relationship to the environment and the urgent need for compassion and transformation.
Weathering the elements in the centre of a field in West Cornwall is the Longstone, a natural relic that has quietly witnessed 4,000 years of tumultuous history. Morris' elegiac, meditative, yet profoundly important film is the record of a year in the life of the monolith, beginning on Winter Solstice 2020, as the order of the natural world began unravelling around the globe and the threat of extreme climate change became a reality. Beautifully shot, with a richly layered sound design, the film meditates on the passage of time through its appreciation of nature, highlighting the subtle changes of the seasons, but also the need to act in order to battle man-made changes that will forever change our planet. UK 2023
English/Cornish
Partial English subtitles Run time: 1 hour 26 mins BOOK TICKETS HERE | |  | Promises (15)
Thursday 30th November 7:30pm Clémence, the fearless mayor of a town near Paris, is completing the final term of her political career. With her faithful right-hand man Yazid, she has long fought for this town plagued by poverty, unemployment and slumlords. However, when Clémence is approached to become Minister, her ambition arises, questioning her devotion and commitment to her citizens.
Will her political integrity and election promises survive her newly found ambition?
"This concise and stirring drama manages to dissect a host of philosophical questions about integrity and public office without losing sight of the quieter, more specific constituent stories that make answering them urgent." - Hollywood Reporter Director Thomas Kruithof
Cast Isabelle huppert, reda Kateb, naidra Ayadi
2021 France
French with English subtitles Run time: 1 hour 38 mins BOOK TICKETS HERE | |  | The Rose Maker (12A)
Wednesday 6th December 7:30pm
The legendary Catherine Frot stars in this engaging comedy as Eve Vernet, the greatest rose grower in France. A once booming business, Eve's farm is now on the verge of bankruptcy and in danger of being bought by a powerful competitor.
Her secretary Véra (Olivia Côte) believes she has found a solution and hires three new employees... none of whom have any gardening experience.
A colourful and fragrant delight.
"The Rose Maker is a breath of cinematic fresh air." ******** Film Threat Director: Pierre Pinaud
Cast: Catherine Frot, Olivia Côte, Melan Omerta, Fatsah Bouyahmed Director
2020 France
French with English subtitles Run time: 1 hour 34 mins BOOK TICKETS HERE | |  | Anatomy Of A Fall (15)
Thursday 7th December 7:30pm When her husband Samuel is mysteriously found dead in the snow below their secluded chalet, Sandra becomes the main suspect when the police begin to question whether he fell or was pushed.
The trial soon becomes not just an investigation, but a gripping psychological journey into the depths of Sandra and Samuel's complicated marriage. With conflicting evidence and inconsistent testimony, words are wielded like weapons and shocking truths come to light in this thrilling Palme d'Or winner.
"Continually takes your breath away" ????? The Telegraph
"A captivating and emotionally searing Alpine murder-mystery" ???? Time Out
Director: Justin Triet
Cast: Sandra Hüller, Swann Arlaud, Jehnny Beth, Antoine Reinartz, Samuel Theis, Saadia Bentaïeb, Milo Machado Graner
France 2023
French/English with English subtitles Film run time 2 hours 32 mins ? BOOK TICKETS HERE | |  | Driving Madeleine (15)
Wednesday 13th December 7:30pm When taxi driver Charles (Dany Boon) takes a booking to drive a passenger across Paris he discovers his passenger is 92-year-old Madeliene travelling to a retirement home where she will spend the rest of her days. Charles, impatient with her requests to drive through parts of the city significant in her life is at first distracted and preoccupied with his own problems but as her story unfolds he discovers her life has been anything but ordinary.
Madeleine had lived through one of the darkest wartime periods of human history and survived violent abuse at the hands of her husband Ray Haguenot (Jérémie Laheurte). Yet she is neither bitter nor gloomy, having chosen instead to overcome life's often unjust vicissitudes, to fight against them, and to embrace joy wherever she may find it. A mutual respect and friendship that neither will forget develop as they share their stories in this heart-warming drama.
Director: Christian Carion
Cast: Line Renaud, Dany Boon, Alice Isaaz, Jérémie Laheurte, Gwendoline Hamon
2022 France
French with English subtitles Run time: 1 hour 31 mins BOOK TICKETS HERE | |  | The Taste Of Things (12A) Thursday 14th December 7:30pm Our closing film for the festival is this mouthwatering and sensual exercise in haute cuisine and late-flowering romance set in 1885 and almost totally within the confines of a rustic kitchen in a chateau.
Tr?n Anh Hùng, the Vietnamese director, now living in France, of The Scent of the Green Papaya based the film on the book The Life and Passion of Dodin-Bouffant, Gourmet by Marcel Rouff.
Peerless cook Eugénie (Juliette Binoche) has worked for the famous gourmet Dodin (Benoît Magimel) for the last 20 years. As time went by, the practice of gastronomy and mutual admiration turned into a romantic relationship. He realises, however, that while he schmoozes the rich and famous in the dining room, she remains in the kitchen but is clearly hugely responsible for his august reputation. There is talk of marriage but Eugénie values her independence too much in a relationship that she considers should be of equal parts.
Both Binoche and Magimel who were together in life for a considerable time, exude an effortless rapport. Chosen as France's Oscar contender.
Director Tr?n Anh Hùng
Cast Juliette Binoche, Benoît Magimel, Emmanuel Salinger, Patrick D'Assumçao
2023 France / Belgium
French with English subtitles
Run time: 2 hours 4 mins BOOK TICKETS HERE | | |
