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Winged Migration
Jacques Perrin, France, 2002, 86 min
Five film crews filmed a rich variety of bird migrations through 40 countries and 7 continents, using planes, gliders,
helicopters and balloons to fly alongside, above, below and in front of their subjects. The result is a film of staggering
beauty. On view are the world’s most gorgeous birds through areas as remote as the Arctic and the Amazon and as
populated as Paris and New York City. Academy Award for Best Documentary 2002.
Monday 5 June
Cyclo AF
Tran Anh-hung; France-Vietnam, 1995, 129 min
Tony Leung plays a taciturn gangster in Ho Chi Minh City who diverts an 18-year-old cyclo (pedal cabbie) into a life of
crime, and his sister into prostitution. In a remarkable about-face from the serene emotions of his debut feature The Scent
of Green Papaya, Tran’s admirably unsentimental film paints a compelling portrait of moral derailment and salvation
in a city in social and spiritual turmoil. Distinguished by dazzling camerawork, feverish energy and dark, visceral power,
this film will have you reeling.
Monday 12 June
Moolaadé
Ousmane Sembene; Senegal, 2004, 120 min
This acclaimed film from the legendary Ousmane Sembene, widely regarded as the father of African cinema, brilliantly tackles
his most controversial subject to date: female circumcision. In a small village in Burkina Faso, four young girls flee the
ritual of ‘purification’ and seek protection (mooladé) with Collé, a circumcised woman who had helped
her own daughter escape excision earlier. Collé grants the girls sanctuary and the stage is set for a tense confrontation
between opposing sets of values. A wonderfully realised, life-affirming film with the power to change the world, Moolaadé
celebrates the strength of women in modern Africa, to whom it is dedicated. ‘Powerful! A masterpiece of political
filmmaking’ (New York Times).
Monday 19 June
What's Eating Gilbert Grape
Lasse Hallström; US, 1993, 118 min
The funny, moody tale of Gilbert (Johnny Depp) who lives in a small town with his 500-pound mother (beautifully played
by non-professional Darlene Cates), his autistic brother Arnie (Leonardo DiCaprio, outstanding) and his sisters. Nothing much
happens: Arnie keeps getting stuck in a water tower, Gilbert is involved with a married woman (Mary Steenburgen), then meets
a new girl who’s closer to his age (Juliette Lewis). But that’s its attraction: not formulaic, it allows
you to get to know these characters and the possibilities for change for the better. Depp proves yet again that he’s
one of the most interesting and unpredictable actors in American movies, while DiCaprio received an Oscar nomination for his
standout performance.
Monday 26 June
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