The screening on 7 February will be introduced by UAL Stanley Kubrick Archivist Georgina Orgill.

Stanley Kubrick's controversial film triggered copycat violence on its initial release and as a result the director withdrew the film from circulation in Britain, keeping it suppressed right up to his death in 1999. The film follows sadistic punk Alex (Malcolm McDowell) as he takes his gang on a rape and murder spree, showing absolutely no mercy to any of his victims. When he is eventually captured, the authorities subject him to a series of experiments designed to rid him of his violent tendencies.

Our screening on 16 January will be introduced by writer and filmmaker Adam Scovell, and will be followed by a post-film discussion in the cinema bar.

Based on Ronald Blythe’s much-loved oral history book, Akenfield traces three generations of one Suffolk family and their lives in the farming industry, with director Peter Hall – known for his theatre direction - using to great effect a cast non-professional actors drawn from the communities of several Suffolk villages.

With all three generations grandfather, father and son performed by the same actor (local farmer Garrow Shand), the film paints a compelling picture of a traditional way of life facing a period of great change, brought about by the industrialisation of the twentieth century. A profoundly romantic work of sublime poetic realism, Akenfield boasts a sweeping, rhapsodic orchestral score composed by Michael Tippett (Fantasia Concertante on a theme by Corelli) that resonates with the film’s beautiful Impressionistic cinematography, which captures seasonal changes as the film was shot on weekends only across nine months.

In the city, thoughtful Nurse Prabha’s routine is upset when she receives an unexpected gift from her estranged husband. Her younger, flightier and rebellious roommate, Anu, tries in vain to find a spot in the city to be intimate with her secret boyfriend. Their colleague Parvaty fights to stay in her home without any requisite paperwork left by her late husband. A trip to a beach town allows them each to find a space for their desires to manifest.

The Garden Cinema View:

Payal Kapadia’s hugely acclaimed fiction debut was the first Indian film to be selected in Official Competition at Cannes in three decades, where it received an eight minute standing ovation and was awarded the Grand Prix.

All We Imagine as Light is an excellent character study of three women from different generations facing distinct challenges. The gradual unfolding of their friendship bond is masterfully depicted. Equally prominent is the city of Mumbai, in all its chaotic and sensual energy. Though the film explores the city's class inequalities and aggressive gentrification, it never falls into kitchen-sink drama clichés, and retains a dreamlike, poetic quality. The excellent soundtrack by R&B Kolkata artist Topshe also amplifies the city's seductive atmosphere.

All We Imagine as Light is cinema at its best. Rather than heavily relying on one cinematic element, Kapadia skilfully combines image, sound, and performance to convey meaning beyond words. In this sense, this is the closest film to visual poetry we have seen recently.

A high-powered CEO puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much-younger intern.

Our screening on 20 February will be introduced by novelist and publisher Nicholas Royle, and will be followed by a post-film discussion in the cinema bar.

Bad Timing bookended a decade of extraordinary creativity for Nicolas Roeg that includes Performance, Walkabout, Don’t Look Now, and The Man Who Fell to Earth. In these films, Roeg experimented with montage and sound to explore aspects of identity, memory, trauma, sex and time. Bad Timing represents, perhaps, the purest exhibition of Roeg’s unique style, and thematic concerns.

The film is structured around two intercut timelines. The first unfolds in the present, and concerns the suicide attempt of a young women named Milena (Theresa Russell) and the subsequent investigation into her psychology teaching ex-boyfriend Alex (Art Garfunkel) by police Inspector Netusil (Harvey Keitel). The second timeline presents a series of roughly chronological scenes depicting the meeting between Milena and Alex, and the subsequent rise and fall of their relationship.

Decried (accurately) as 'a sick film made by sick people for sick people' by its own distributor, Rank, Bad Timing is an abrasive and pessimistic examination of sexuality; an erotic film that is curiously unsensual - in part due to Garfunkel's anti-charismatic performance. It is also, nonetheless, a stylistic tour de force, full of rich symbolic detail and playful combinations of sound/music and imagery.  

Content warning: contains a scene of graphic rape.

Join brave, independent Belle on the adventure of a lifetime as she sets out to rescue her father---and discovers the enchanted castle of a mysterious beast. Enjoy this timeless tale overflowing with unforgettable characters and music you'll never forget, universally acclaimed as one of Walt Disney Animation Studios' finest features.

Visually lavish and musically exuberant, the fairy-tale adaptation was one of the first Disney features to incorporate elements of computer-generated imagery with hand-drawn animation. An instant classic, it became the first animated film to garner an Oscar nomination for best picture, winning awards for best score and original song.

On Sunday mornings our Family Screenings are followed by a free activity for Children.

The screening is Pay What You Can, which means you’re free to pay as much or as little as you can afford. By paying for a ticket, you will enable us to keep offering Pay What You Can screenings to families struggling with the cost of living. Thank you

Caramel is a Middle Eastern rom-com that challenges binding cultural traditions whilst celebrating female friendship.

In Beirut, five women meet up at a beauty salon, a highly colourful and sensual microcosm. Layale loves Rabih, but he is married man. Nisrine is a Muslim and she has a problem with her coming wedding: She’s no longer a virgin. Rima is tormented by her attraction to women. Jamale is refusing to grow old. Rose has sacrificed herself to look after her older sister. At the salon, men, sex and motherhood are the subjects at the heart of their intimate and liberated conversations.

Conclave follows one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events - selecting the new Pope. Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is tasked with running this covert process after the unexpected death of the beloved Pope. Once the Catholic Church’s most powerful leaders have gathered from around the world and are locked together in the Vatican halls, Lawrence uncovers a trail of deep secrets left in the dead Pope’s wake, secrets which could shake the foundations of the Church.

The Garden Cinema View:

This cinematic offering serves up the dependable acting talents of Fiennes, Tucci, Rossellini, and Lithgow. Additionally, the muscular direction of Edward Berger, and tension ratcheting score from All Quiet on the Western Front composer Volker Bertelmann, help this tale of Vatican intrigue (adapted from a pulpy Robert Harris thriller) resonate with a multitude of recent high stakes elections around the globe. This is as slick as filmmaking gets in the year of our lord 2024, with twists and betrayals rattling along on well-oiled rails. Whether the political allegories, or the attempts at a transcendent ending, elevate Conclave is an ecumenical matter. Maybe, however, being a very satisfying thriller is ultimately the holiest of outcomes.

From Golden Bear winner Radu Jude, Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World takes a fierce and darkly comic swipe at modern day life. Overworked and underpaid production assistant Angela (Ilinca Manolache) is assigned to film a workplace safety video for a multinational corporation in Bucharest. When one of the interviewees makes a statement that ignites a scandal, Angela has to re-invent the story. Featuring appearances from Nina Hoss, Uwe Boll, and Angela's TikTok alter-ego Bobiță, Jude's anarchic satire is a wild and unforgettable ride through the vulgar indignities of the 21st century.

The Garden Cinema View:

Radu Jude, (Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn, winner of the Berlinale’s Golden Bear 2023), strikes back with a cut-throat satire, a post-modern Modern Times, filled to the brim with anarchic Balkan sensibility.

Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World transcends conventional cinema through its collage of contemporary curiosities, such as literary and philosophical quotes, references to the war in Ukraine and Viktor Orbán, and - not least - guest TIK TOK appearances from ‘Andrew Tate’. And similarly to Modernist artists’ use of collage, it is a highly political act.

The film follows Angela, who despite her employee's involvement in an accident, is tasked by them with creating videos featuring disabled workers promoting the importance of protective equipment. The narrative is frequently interrupted by the Ceaușescu-era film Angela on The Move, which follows a policewoman's romantic entanglement. It is through this juxtaposition that Radu critiques both capitalism and communism's deadlocks, as well as their unexpected similarities in terms of exploitation and patriarchy.

Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World has a frivolous personality but grapples with important issues of our outrageous contemporary reality. Formally experimental, wildly entertaining, and often veering into politically incorrect territory, Jude's film takes bold risks that pay off handsomely.

The first-ever feature documentary on acclaimed London-born artist Chris Gollon (1953 - 2017), Life in Paint explores his pioneering use of music to create new imagery; from lyrics by Bob Dylan, Neil Young or Talk Talk, to direct collaborations with musicians such as Yi Yao, Eleanor McEvoy and Thurston Moore, who has hailed Gollon’s “creative and modest genius”.

A sensitive and innovative painter of women, Gollon also expressed a powerful common humanity via his androgynous figures, and there has been a surge of interest in his work since his untimely death just seven years ago. Via found footage and BBC clips, the film shows Gollon disarmingly revealing his creative process and innovative techniques. Moving montages of Gollon’s images, combined with music by artists including The Skids, Gavin Bryars, Sleaford Mods, Yi Yao and Eleanor McEvoy, provide insights into how Gollon fused the two art forms, and how each energised and changed the other.

The film will be followed by a Q&A with the film's director Mark Calderbank.

Don't Look Now screens in our British Cinema, 1971-1980 season as it was originally exhibited in 1973, as part of a double bill with The Wicker Man. With an introduction from Iain Smith (KCL). 

Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie mesmerise as a British married couple on an extended trip to Venice following a family tragedy. While in that elegantly decaying city, they have a series of inexplicable, terrifying, and increasingly dangerous experiences. A masterpiece from Nicolas Roeg, Don’t Look Now, adapted from a story by Daphne du Maurier, is a brilliantly disturbing tale of the supernatural, as renowned for its innovative editing and haunting cinematography as for its naturalistic eroticism and its unforgettable climax and denouement.

Tickets for Don't Look Now and The Wicker Man may be purchased separately. Alternatively, a £5 discount applies for those wishing to get the full 1970s double-programme experience. Add tickets for both screenings and proceed to checkout where the discount will be automatically applied.  

Cinema Mentiré present a selection of shorts from the BOMBA  Animada Collective in Bolivia. The shorts are in Spanish with English subtitles.

A collection of shorts by BOMBA Animada, a Bolivian animation studio showcasing female animators’ work. Created in 2023 to make their work visible, BOMBA seeks to develop alliances inside and outside Bolivia to strengthen the voices of both individuals and as part of a united group. Their diverse techniques range from stop motion and drawing to pixelling and digital animation. Their films often reflect their cultural identity, folk stories, and imaginative storytelling. Their members organise workshops, talks, and screenings, also offering fundraising guidance and financial support. They share their experience to inspire and demonstrate to Bolivian women that making a career in animation in the country is possible.

This screening is part of Cinema Mentiré's season of recent Bolivian films in partnership with The Garden Cinema - Echoes and Horizons: Contemporary Bolivian Cinema.

On Sunday mornings our Family Screenings are followed by a free activity for Children.

The screening is Pay What You Can, which means you’re free to pay as much or as little as you can afford. By paying for a ticket, you will enable us to keep offering Pay What You Can screenings to families struggling with the cost of living. Thank you

Films:

AJLLA UMILLA, dir. Alexandra Ramirez, 2min.

DUBICEL, dir. Yashira Jordán, 12min.

THE JIPIJAPA WEAVERS | LAS TEJEDORAS DE JIPIJAPA, dir. Clara Chacón, 4min.

GRAVITY | GRAVEDAD, dir. Matisse Gonzalez, 10min.

CHILLINA, dir. Andy Garnica, 2min.

PASKAY, dir. Andrea Estéfany Caballero, 14min.

THE TUNNEL AND THE COB | EL TÚNEL Y LA MAZORCA, dir. Alexandra Ramirez, 2min.

WATERSHED TALES | CUENTOS DE LA CUENCA, dir. Andy Garnica, 7min.

Cinema Mentiré presents the UK premiere of Chaco.

Set in 1934, during the Chaco War fought between Bolivia and Paraguay, this spare historical drama follows a small regiment made up of Aymara and Quechua Indigenous soldiers commanded by a retired, gruff German officer fighting for the Bolivian Army. The troop is in a limbo, looking fruitlessly for the enemy, and wandering through the hostile, semi-arid lowlands in extreme weather. Isolation, despair and hunger grow with every day, every hellish march and hastily erected camp. Pitched somewhere between the bone-dry absurdism of Lucrecia Martel’s Zama and the minimalist drone of Lisandro Alonso’s Los muertos, and inspired by the experiences of his grandfather, director Diego Mondaca’s debut feature is a powerful meditation on the futility and absurdity of war.

The screening will be introduced by the Cinema Mentiré team.

This film is part of Cinema Mentiré's season of recent Bolivian films in partnership with The Garden Cinema - Echoes and Horizons: Contemporary Bolivian Cinema.

Cinema Mentiré presents the UK premiere of Puerto Escondido.

In 1879, Bolivia lost its access to the sea in a war. When the director Gabriela Paz was a child, she did not understand how Bolivia had lost the sea – she thought the Chileans had taken it in buckets, but at the end of the day, they felt lazy and left a piece, which is nowadays Lake Titicaca. Puerto Escondido is a travel itinerary towards interior landscapes, myths, characters and contradictions in a country that every day remembers this loss. It is also a kind of letter to a sibling country, offering a current perspective on the aftermath of the Pacific War and how it was experienced in private and public spaces, mixing family archives and official sources. In this film, many extraordinary, peculiar stories will not go unnoticed and reflect Bolivia’s insatiable thirst for the sea.

The screening will be introduced by film researcher Laís Lorenço (University of Campinas - UNICAMP, Brazil & University College London - UCL, UK).

This film is part of Cinema Mentiré's season of recent Bolivian films in partnership with The Garden Cinema - Echoes and Horizons: Contemporary Bolivian Cinema.

Echoes and Horizons: Contemporary Bolivian Cinema will open with The Visitor.

After recently being released from prison, Humberto makes a modest living by singing at wakes. His greatest desire is to rebuild his relationship with his estranged daughter and provide her with a decent life, but the child’s grandparents – wealthy Evangelical pastors – are not willing to give up custody of their only granddaughter. Bullied into a corner financially and ideologically, Humberto is forced to face his own demons while simultaneously fighting a powerful ecclesiastical institution to which he once belonged. Set in the central Bolivian city of Cochabamba, The Visitor is a sombre meditation on class, family relationships, and the increasing power of Evangelism in Latin America, reflecting on the region’s persisting legacies of colonialism and the new forms of ideological dependence guiding Bolivian society.

This film is part of Cinema Mentiré's season of recent Bolivian films in partnership with The Garden Cinema. The screening will be introduced by the Cinema Mentiré team.

One Christmas Eve a long time ago, a baby crawled into Santa's bag of toys... Raised as an elf, Buddy (Will Ferrell) grows into an adult three times larger than the biggest elf--and realizes that he will never truly fit in at the North Pole. This holiday season, Buddy goes looking for his true place in the world--in New York City. Buddy finds his workaholic father (James Caan)--who's on Santa's "naughty" list, a new mother (Mary Steenburgen) and a 10-year-old brother who doesn't believe in Santa Claus or elves. Here, now, Buddy discovers his destiny--to save Christmas for New York and the world!​

On Sunday mornings our Family Screenings are followed by a free activity for Children.

The screening is Pay What You Can, which means you’re free to pay as much or as little as you can afford. By paying for a ticket, you will enable us to keep offering Pay What You Can screenings to families struggling with the cost of living. Thank you

Elf was suggested by our member Christine Tait because it's 'Just good silly fun for all.'

Takumi and his daughter Hana live in Mizubiki Village, close to Tokyo. Like generations before them, they live a modest life according to the cycles and order of nature. When the residents are informed of a development plan to erect a glamping site in their area, they realise the effects of the misguided project will endanger the ecological balance of the plateau and their way of life.

The Garden Cinema View:

Sitting somewhere between his ‘epics’, Drive My Car and Happy Hour, and the brief encounters of Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, Evil Does Not Exist is another immensely rewarding work. The frost covered woods, frozen lake, and clear skies create an instant sense of Winter stillness. Hamaguchi’s lowkey visual style and unhurried screenplay match this setting, adding an aura of calm and clarity. Scenes can be lengthy, and Hamaguchi makes use of both long shots and long takes to give a sense of each character’s place within the environment. Whilst this provides a harmonious resonance with the theme of human-nature coexistence that runs through the film, several subtle and strange camera movements hint at some of the more unexplainable moments toward the climax.

Featuring a stand out score from Eiko Ishibashi working, as with Drive My Car, with her partner Jim O’Rourke, and staking a claim as the best film composer of the moment. Likewise, Hamaguchi himself should now be considered a major filmmaker of this age. There are certainly not many directors who could place a twenty minute town hall consultation meeting as the dramatic centre of their film.    

The Fashion Film Club in collaboration with Doc'n Roll Film Festival are delighted to present a screening of Pauline Black: A 2 Tone Story, followed by a Q&A with Pauline and director Jane Mingay.

Pauline Black, lead singer of 2-Tone hit band The Selecter, tells her extraordinary life story in the same frank manner that helped shape her as an iconic, era-defining female musician. Pauline had a difficult upbringing and joining the 2-Tone music movement in 1979 was the perfect catalyst; enabling her to explore and express all sides of herself.

Looking back at her own ground-breaking experience in this feature documentary, Pauline traces how her legacy came about and how it is relevant to the world today, especially where society pushes the boundaries of gender, politics, race and identity.

Pauline, of mixed Nigerian and Jewish heritage, was adopted into a white family in Essex in the 50’s. Her upbringing was defined by casual racism from within her own family. Pauline went on to find her own identity in the Coventry 2-Tone music scene and The Selecter was a reflection of working-class life in Thatcher's Britain, their music as social reportage and with an ethos of anti-racism and anti-sexism.

This is a cinematic and visceral documentary mixing intimate actuality, archive and interviews and a storming soundtrack. Contributors include Arthur ‘Gaps’ Hendrickson, Don Letts, Skin, Damon Albarn, Rhoda Dakar, Lynval Golding, Mykaell Riley, Sonia Boyce and Jools Holland.

Goodbye Juila was the first Sudanese film ever to screen in Cannes official selection. It went on to win the festival’s Freedom Prize and was later Sudan’s official submission to the Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film.

From executive producer Lupita Nyong’o, Goodbye Julia tells the story of Mona (Eiman Yousif) and her maid Julia (Siran Rick). As political tensions mount in Khartoum, Julia finds herself torn between the truth of what happened to her missing husband, the possibility of new love with activist Majier and how she can care for her son.  

Set around South Sudan’s succession from Sudan in 2011, Goodbye Julia tells a neglected but crucial historical story in exceptionally personal terms. Poignant, tender and beautifully shot, it is part of a wave of excellent films from Sudan including Talking About Trees and You Will Die at Twenty.

Proceeds from this screening will be shared with Hadhreen, a grassroots charity in Sudan offering community kitchens to Sudan's displaced people, facing humanitarian crisis.

A thematic counterpart to acclaimed writer-director Shao Yihui's 2021 hit B for Busy, Her Story continues her thought-provoking style, offering a fresh lens on modern womanhood through the intertwined lives of three characters: two adult women and a precocious schoolgirl.

Single mother Wang Tiemei relocates with her young daughter, Molly, seeking a fresh start. In her new neighborhood, she forms an unexpected bond with Xiao Ye, a hopeless romantic with a contrasting worldview. Despite their differences, the two women discover comfort and strength in their friendship, helping each other heal from past wounds and navigate present challenges.

A local blockbuster, Thailand's Oscar submission set attendance records across Southeast Asia and claimed the audience award at New York’s Asian Film Festival.

‘M’, driven by the desire for a multimillion-dollar inheritance, puts aside his dreams as a gamer to care for his terminally ill grandmother. However, winning Grandma's favor is no easy feat. She proves to be a tough nut to crack - demanding, exacting, and exceedingly difficult to please. To add to the drama, he's not the only one gunning for the inheritance. M finds himself embroiled in a gripping competition, where he must go to great lengths to become the apple of Grandma's eye before time runs out, all in pursuit of a life-changing, multimillion-dollar inheritance.

The Garden Cinema View:

A surprising mega hit in East and South East Asia, How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies is a lowkey family drama with rather sentimental flourishes that nonetheless achieves a wrenching emotional state (for your humble Garden Cinema programmer at least). The quiet, suburban Bangkok setting of trains, cemeteries, and cluttered houses lend a peaceful backdrop that recalls something of Hirokazu Koreeda’s work. The intergenerational relationship is authentically played, and might be compared to the likes of Sweet Bean or The Farewell, and there’s enough sharpness in the dialogue to avoid excessive syrup. Just be sure not to leave your own elders with too many leftovers in their fridge after Christmas.  

Tickets to our fundraiser screening on 21 December are available here.

Beset with personal and professional problems, George Bailey (James Stewart) finds his previously happy life falling apart around him on Christmas Eve. Seeing no way out, George considers suicide from the edge of a bridge - but Clarence (Henry Travers), his guardian angel, intervenes and shows George what his beloved hometown of Bedford Falls would be like without him.

Shocked by what he sees and at the unforeseen circumstances of his absence, George reconsiders and begs Clarence to return him to the problems of the present and the loving community he has fostered throughout his life.

It's a Wonderful Life was suggested by our members Freddie Fordham - 'It’s one of my favourite films of all time, I watch it every year with my family and it just reminds me what life is all about' - and Nina Loncar - 'It's a wonderful film!'

Our screening on 13 February is introduced by BFI artist's moving image Curator William Fowler, and will be followed by a post-film discussion group in the cinema bar.

When Queen Elizabeth I asks her court alchemist to show her England in the future, she’s transported 400 years to a post-apocalyptic wasteland of roving girl gangs, an all-powerful media mogul, fascistic police, scattered filth, and twisted sex. With Jubilee, legendary British filmmaker Derek Jarman channeled political dissent and artistic daring into a revolutionary blend of history and fantasy, musical and cinematic experimentation, satire and anger, fashion and philosophy. With its uninhibited punk petulance and sloganeering, Jubilee brings together many cultural and musical icons of the time, including Jordan, Toyah Willcox, Little Nell, Wayne County, Adam Ant, and Brian Eno (with his first original film score), to create a genuinely unique, unforgettable vision. Ahead of its time and often frighteningly accurate in its predictions, it is a fascinating historical document and a gorgeous work of film art.

A new digital restoration, presented by Cheng Cheng Films and Focus Hong Kong.

Widely regarded as one of the best works of modern Hong Kong cinema, the multiple award-winning July Rhapsody stars Anita Mui in her final role before her tragic death in 2003. Directed by Ann Hui, the film is a deeply affecting character-driven exploration of broken relationships, destructive yearning and lost dreams, drawing on Chinese poetry and with an impressive ensemble cast that also includes Jackie Cheung and Karena Lam.

The story revolves around high school teacher Lam Yiu-kwok (Cheung) and his wife Chan Man-ching ( Mui), who initially seem to be living the perfect family life. However, tensions lurk in the shadows, and when a student (Karena Lam) falls in love with Yiu-kwok and a figure from Man-ching’s past reappears, the cracks in their relationship start to show, throwing them into emotional turmoil.

“You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing.” – E.B White, Charlotte’s Web

Friends can come in many forms; both real and imaginary. Some are there to help us in a moment of need, some live alongside us, some are very small, and some are there to simply bring us a can of soda.

Whimsical hand-drawn animation, stop-motion, live-action and magical adventures await in our now-annual selection of short films for younger film fans. A loyal pet, an inquisitive creature in the forest, and a very large frog are all here to make your acquaintance in a programme that explores the different ways that we find and make friends; in the park, sharing a packed lunch, or as part of an experimental study into new and inventive ways to communicate with one another.

Suitable for children aged 7+ and their parents/guardians.

Films

Rice Ball, dir. Kristina Pringle, UK 2023, 1min

Wider Than The Sky, dir. Philip Taylor, UK 2023, 11min

Lose voice toolkit, dir. Adele Dipasquale, Netherlands 2024, 19min

Finding Play, dir. Dan Castro, UK 2024, 3min

Amy and Frog, dir. Paul Williams, China 2023, 11min

The Night Boots, dir. Pierre-Luc Granjon, France 2024, 12min

Cold Soda, dir. Huayi Yu, USA 2024, 3min

tenderfold, dir. Jun Chen, UK 2023, 3min

Mû, dir. Malin Neumann, Germany 2023, 6min

Image credit: Lose voice toolkit, dir. Adele Dipasquale

London pulses with stories of connection found in unexpected places. A programme exploring the lives of those who brush past each other daily: two neighbours, close yet unaware of each other's private struggles; a man recalling his last night with a friend lost to hardship; a young boy weaving through the city’s high-energy streets with a backpack of cash; a British-Filipino discovering the cultural depth of Ube.

From Albanian workers finding camaraderie by a London canal to a girl connecting to her Yoruba roots through music, these films reveal the human resilience and hidden bonds within London’s mosaic.

This event has descriptive subtitles and BSL interpretation.

Set in the 1980s, in the former Etruscian landscape of rural Italy, the film follows a vagabond-type character called Arthur (Josh O’Connor); an Englishman who embodies the spirit of the Romantics, he is searching for something he can’t quite grasp. As an archaeologist, he makes use of his unique skills to aid a ragtag group of tomboroli - local graverobbers - to find ancient tombs filled with artefacts to sell on the black market. To the locals these graves are sacred, believing curses follow those who enter. But Arthur, who is mourning the loss of his love Beniamina, is less concerned with the monetary value of the objects, using the digs to search for the door to the afterlife - of which myths speak - where he imagines reuniting with her. A cloud of mystery follows him as he walks the line between the living and the dead, between reality and trickery, between the past and the present. Bringing him into the present is Italia (Carol Duarte), a single mother who befriends him and opens his eyes to the world in new ways.

The Garden Cinema view:

It’s a Josh O’Connor spring, and here he plays a (somehow) even more rumpled and crumpled character than his washed up tennis pro in Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers. He is Arthur, a perpetually exhausted and sullen English archaeologist-cum-tomb raider, decked out in creased, and increasingly grubby, white linens. This feels like an instantly iconic role for O’Connor, and one which director Alice Rohrwacher places within a beautiful evocation of 1980s Italy. As in the wonderful Happy as Lazzaro, Rohrwacher captures Tuscany and Lazio on nostalgic 16mm Kodak film. Her scenes are full of humour and music, and the film as a whole beckons in dreams, ghosts, and creatures of myth. Filled with melancholia, but never sombre, La Chimera is grumpily romantic, very slightly fantastical, and always a delight.      

One of the John Boorman's least known and rarely screened works - and yet the title that secured him the Best Director Prize at Cannes in 1970 - Leo the Last is a cult film in waiting, a genuinely radical, anti-authoritarian counter-cultural satire of hierarchy, property, class, and gentrification avant la lettre. Marking the first English-language performance by Italian icon Marcello Mastroianni, and adapted from a play by George Tabori, it's a fabular tale of the deposed heir to an imaginary European throne, who returns to his late father's grand house among the then run down Notting Hill terraces. Deeply melancholic and reclusive, observing his poorer neighbours through a telescope, he is slowly but steadily drawn into solidarity with them, taking revolutionary action on behalf of their struggles. An almost Brechtian take on social relations allows Boorman to both critique and dramatically immerse himself in the richly entertaining and compelling developments. Shot by the great Peter Suschitzky and with a lively ensemble of British actors, this is also one of the great 'London' films. To this day never released in the UK on DVD, it's almost as lost as the streets it was filmed in, long since demolished, and close to Grenfell Tower, the fate of which the film points to with an unsettling prescience.

The film has been chosen and is introduced by Gareth Evans. It is followed by a conversation with writer Edward Platt (author of Leadville, a history of the A40) about the film and the social history of its locations, a subject explored in his new limited-edition publication: As Kingfishers Catch Fire (pub. Texte und Töne, NYC). It is hoped that several members of the cast and crew will also be in attendance.

Nickel Boys is based on the historic reform school in 1960s Florida called the Dozier School for Boys, which was notorious for abusive treatment of students. It explores the story of Elwood Curtis, a young African-American boy who is sent to the Nickel Academy, a fictional version of the Dozier School, after he is falsely accused of a crime. While there, he meets a boy named Turner, and the two form a close friendship as they try to survive the horrors of the school and its corrupt administrators.

The Garden Cinema View:

Colson Whitehead’s source novel The Nickel Boys is arguably his most orthodox narrative and, given the sobering material, we might expect a faithfully sombre adaptation. It’s to director RaMell Ross’ credit that the resulting film is one of the more formally interesting works to emerge from a major studio in recent years. Ross adheres to the impressionistic style that worked so effectively in his dazzling slice-of-life documentary, Hale County This Morning, This Evening (2018), deploying POV camera work, document and archival inserts, and changing film formats to create a striking mosaic. It's an undeniably immersive style (this is a period piece that doesn’t feel distanced by art direction), and a creative decision that shields us from the explicit horrors visited upon the bodies of the young black men by the abusive staff of the Nickel Academy reform school. As in the novel, the story is innately powerful, but Ross achieves what the best adaptations should do, and elevates it into a distinctly cinematic achievement.    

Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu is a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.

The Garden Cinema View:

The steady production of film and TV adaptations of Dracula have turned Bram Stoker’s novel into something of a gothic urtext. For this passion project, Robert Eggers credits the book along with Henrik Galeen’s screenplay for the 1922 version as sources, and visually references the Murnau and Herzog Nosferatus, along with Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula. This is an immense piece of cinematic world-building of its own however, with all aspects of production and art design, as well as the cinematography, contributing to an immersive and gripping viewing experience.

As with his previous films, Eggers draws upon a range of literary research to construct a juicy, strange, and very funny lexicon, spoken by relish by his actors. Amongst a cast including several of Eggers’ regular players, the standouts are two very physical performances. Bill Skarsgård plays Count Orlok like a black hole, sucking all light and even his own body within himself. Lily-Rose Depp conjures a furrowed brow (much like Winona Ryder’s take on Mina Harker), before throwing herself into an extraordinary sequence of fits and contortions supposedly inspired by the Japanese avant-garde ‘dance of utter darkness’, Butoh.  

Eggers’ über-Freudian displays of lust-in-abjection might feel a little old-fashioned, but also make for a refreshing turn away from the romantic vampires of the past 30 years, and perhaps call back to his previous take-down of puritan attitudes to female sexuality in The VVitch. A film that lingers in the imagination, in the long nights that follow the trip to the cinema.      

This screening will be introduced by John Wischmeyer (City Lit).

Nothing and nobody is spared from Lindsay Anderson and writer David Sherwin’s caustic gaze in their inexhaustibly inventive and sometimes horrifying satire, the second in their ‘state of the nation’ trilogy. Sparked by an idea proposed by star Malcolm McDowell, it follows the continuing adventures of the Mick Travis character, now an ambitious coffee salesman, as he travels around a Britain of Kafka-esque bureaucracy and absurdity, his exploits commented on throughout by Alan Price’s musical interludes.

Content warning: Contains scenes of blackface and racist stereotyping.

The new film from acclaimed, BAFTA-winning director Rungano Nyoni (I Am Not a Witch), On Becoming a Guinea Fowl is a compelling drama about community and sisterhood.

Driving home from a party one night, Shula seems unfazed by the sight of her uncle's dead body on the deserted road. While preparations are made for his funeral, she finds herself plunged into the hidden secrets of her family. As tensions rise, Shula and her cousin Nsansa join forces to reconcile the past for a more hopeful future.

A fierce and darkly funny portrait of one woman’s strength in the face of crisis, Nyoni’s award-winning second feature proves her to be a distinctive filmmaker blazing a unique trail.

Winner Best Director - Cannes Film Festival - Un Certain Regard 2024.

Our screening on Saturday 7 December was followed by a Q&A with director Rungano Nyoni and actors Susan Chardy and Elizabeth Chisela.

Winner Best Director and Breakthrough Performance at the British Independent Film Awards 2024.

The Garden Cinema View:

Rungano Nyoni’s (now very) long awaited follow-up to the marvellous I Am Not a Witch once again uses animal metaphor, uneasy humour, and strains of surrealism to critique patriarchal Zambian society. Starting extremely strongly with a beguiling and semi-unreal opening sequence, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl settles into a satire of bickering customs and manners during preparations for a funeral. But a swivel towards a deeply upsetting family history of sexual abuse drags us into a register of grief and troubling collective suppression.

As with her previous feature, narrative resolutions and meaning drift into realms of allegory and even magic. However, such flights of fantasy, dream, and memory remain grounded by cinematographer David Gallago’s (Embrace of the Serpent) studied framings, and the frequent flashes of humour that puncture the heavy atmosphere.

Paddington in Peru marks the delightful return of everyone’s favourite marmalade-loving bear in this highly anticipated third instalment of the Paddington film series. This time, Paddington and the Brown family are heading back to the Peruvian jungle to visit beloved Aunt Lucy, now a resident at the Home for Retired Bears. However, a mysterious disappearance plunges them into an unexpected journey from the Amazon rainforest to the mountain peaks of Peru.

The original cast, including Ben Whishaw and Julie Walters, are joined this time by Olivia Colman and Antonio Banderas.

On Sunday mornings our Family Screenings are followed by a free activity for Children.

The screening is Pay What You Can, which means you’re free to pay as much or as little as you can afford. By paying for a ticket, you will enable us to keep offering Pay What You Can screenings to families struggling with the cost of living. Thank you

This screening will be introduced by interdisciplinary artist, writer, and academic Evie Salmon, and is followed by a post-film discussion group in the cinema bar.

Screening 50 years after its pioneering first broadcast as part of BBC TV's hugely influential stand-alone drama series 'Play for Today', and directed by the fiercely committed film-maker Alan Clarke, Penda's Fen fuses a multi-layered interrogation of social, political, familial and religious forces with a queer, pagan and radically subversive understanding of place, culture and history, to chart a singular rite of passage into adulthood for its protagonist Stephen. Recognised at once for its visionary imagination, and an enduring influence on generations of writers and artists who witnessed that original transmission, dramatist David Rudkin's remarkable work has become one of the most enduring and rewarding touchstones of post-war British culture.

1950. William Lee, an American expat in Mexico City, spends his days almost entirely alone, except for a few contacts with other members of the small American community. His encounter with Eugene Allerton, an expat former soldier, new to the city, shows him, for the first time, that it might be finally possible to establish an intimate connection with somebody.

The Garden Cinema View:

Luca Guadagnino’s second feature of 2024 works from another script from Challengers writer Justin Kuritzkes, but the resulting film is quite different from their propulsive tennis throupling. True to the spirit of William S. Burroughs, Queer presents a frank look at addiction, albeit within a seductive and somewhat fantastical milieu, and dabbles in surreal imagery before diving headfirst down the rabbit hole.

Daniel Craig is impressive as Burroughs surrogate William Lee. With a face as crumpled as his stained linen suit, his performance comes over as a seedy riff on elements of both Benoit Blanc and his iteration of Bond. Not a ‘safe’ hero for the audience, he nevertheless carries the first acts of Queer, hunting for booze and young men amongst an oddly artificial and anachronistic vision of 1950 Mexico City. This is a world of power games and construction, set into relief against the (naked) truth of several intimate scenes, shot erotically and tenderly by Guadagnino and Apichatpong Weerasethakul regular collaborator Sayombhu Mukdeeprom.

Whether audiences have the patience for Lee’s self-destructive antics, or the film’s later digressions into fantasy will, as with Burroughs’ work itself, be highly subjective. Like the notorious author, Guadagnino continues to plough his own furrow, and Queer is, if anything else, an idiosyncratic work.

Our screening on Thursday 30 January will be introduced by writer and filmmaker Adam Scovell, and will be followed by a post-film discussion in the cinema bar.

Directed by John Mackenzie (The Long Good Friday), this acclaimed and long-unseen BBC TV Play for Today from 1978 is adapted by Alan Garner from his own complex and enthralling sci-fi fantasy novel.

Red Shift takes the viewer on a beguiling voyage through English history, spanning three distinct time periods: Roman Britain, the English Civil War and 1970s modern day. Garner’s play tells the story of three troubled young men, Tom, Thomas and Macey, who occupy these different eras and are haunted by shared visions. They are connected through a shared location (Mow Cop in south Cheshire) and by the discovery of mystical talisman: an ancient axe-head.

Exploring themes of mysticism, folklore and geography that are common in Alan Garner’s fantasy novels, Red Shift is a uniquely compelling Play for Today from the golden age of BBC drama.

Contains scenes of implied rape.

Set on the eve of a new millennium, Kathryn Bigelow’s cyberpunk sci-fi imagines a near-future Los Angeles equally marked by the 1992 Rodney King riots and its history as point of origin for the noir genre. The film follows Lenny Nero (Ralph Fiennes), an ex-cop turned entrepreneur who illegally sells virtual-reality recordings of first-person memories, accessed directly via the cerebral cortex. Angela Bassett stars as his far more capable limousine driver, Mace. After the murder of hip-hop activist Jeriko One (Glenn Plummer), Lenny and Mace have to figure out who is using the technology to terrorise innocent civilians (making them watch their own murders from the killer’s perspective.

This film was suggested by our member Ryan Gilbey, who will also introduce 'Christmas in bright, discombobulating LA sunshine' on Wednesday 18 December.

Sean Baker’s (Anora) critically acclaimed Sundance smash hit Tangerine charts a Christmas Eve in the life of Sin-Dee and her best friend Alexandra, two trans women.

After hearing that Sin-Dee’s boyfriend/pimp cheated on her while she was in jail they set out on a rampage through Tinseltown to find him and teach him and his new lover a lesson. Famously shot on iPhones with prototype anamorphic lenses, this decidedly modern holiday tale bursts off the screen with energy and style, defying expectations at every turn.

Please note, the screening on Wednesday 18 December is our Free Members' Screening, and booking for this will open on Thursday 12 December at 13:00. The screening on Monday 23 December is a general public screening, and booking for this is open now.

Following the popular and critical success of his gender-bending farce Some Like It Hot (1959), Wilder reteamed with screenwriter I. A. L. Diamond for this darker comedy set in the world of nine-to-five corporate New York. Jack Lemmon was again on hand, this time as lonely office bottom-runger C.C. Baxter, who goes after promotion by allowing his seniors the use of his apartment for their extramarital liaisons. Meanwhile, he hopes to catch the eye of the sassy elevator girl, Fran Kubelik (Shirley Maclaine).

Deliriously funny, The Apartment is also shot through with Wilder’s customary wit and cynicism, creating a bleak vision of estrangement in the modern working city. Celebrated art director Alexander Trauner designed the cavernous open-plan office. The film won five Academy Awards, including best picture and best director.

The Apartment has been proposed by several members over the past few years:

Barbara: 'This 64 year old, gorgeous, sweet , funny, romantic, often dark, though beautifully acted Christmas film deservedly won 5 oscars - including best picture. It would be such a treat to watch this festive masterpiece on the big screen in December, in which ultimately love triumphs over loneliness and sadness – and fills human hearts with hope and joy. This is a truly great film.'

Jacqueline: 'The Apartment is a brilliantly written, melancholy film set at Christmas time with the two lead actors at the top of their game. I never tire of watching it and this is the perfect time of year to do so.

Giselle: 'The Apartment with Jack Lemon and Shirley MacLaine. Was surprised to see it’s set at Christmas time, I’d love to see it again, it’s been such an age. And what better place than at the Garden Cinema!'

The Arab Film Club returns to the Garden Cinema for a programme of shorts entitled ‘Voices from the Diaspora’.

The club is a vibrant network of filmmakers and film enthusiasts dedicated to discovering new and exciting films from the Arab world and it's diverse diaspora in London.

Programme includes :

Pick up (10 minutes - 2014)

Written and directed by Saleh Nass

A schoolgirl is desperate to reach home when faced with the embarrassment of being picked up from school by her father in his dusty old pick-up truck.

The Nobody (11 minutes - 2024)

Written and directed by Razan Madhoon

An airport immigration officer begins to question her role and institution when an unidentified passenger dies on an arrival flight from Egypt.

Ensouled (15 minutes - 2023)

Written and directed by Moe Najati

Deep within the enigmatic Eternia facility, Clara carries a heavy burden of grief. But within these mysterious walls, her life is about to transform in ways she never imagined.

A Night of Gharam (15 minutes - 2023)

Written by Hassan Abdulrazzak, directed by Michael Gamarano Singleton

Iman, a niqab-wearing woman, is fed up with her cheating husband. At a shopping mall, an opportunity presents itself for her to take an unexpected adventure.

Final title to be announced soon.

The screening will be preceded by an introduction by Arab Film Club founder Sarah Agha.

Please note, screenings of The Bibi Files will be preceded by Solly & Salim, a short film written, directed, and produced by Garden Cinema owner Michael Chambers. The film is 29 minutes long, and will replace our usual 10 minute trailer package.

The Bibi Files is an urgent journalistic exposé based on unseen leaked footage of police interrogations of the politician Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as his wife Sara and son Yair. The film explores the corruption cases that resulted in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's indictment on breach of trust, bribery, and fraud in 2019. Many Israelis believe that Netanyahu's attempts to delay his trial are key to understanding his current policies regarding war and the return of Israeli hostages.

This film was proposed by our member Stephanie Calman, who writes: 'Classic Bogart and Bacall, with top grade flirting and a dark, twisty plot.'

Private investigator Philip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart) is hired by General Sternwood to help resolve the gambling debts of his wild young daughter, Carmen (Martha Vickers). Sternwood's older daughter, Vivian (Lauren Bacall), provides assistance when she implies that the situation is more complex, and also involves casino owner (John Ridgely) and a recently disappeared family friend. As people linked to the Sternwoods start being murdered, Marlowe finds himself getting ever deeper into the case.

Please note, the screening on Tuesday 7 January is our Free Members' Screening. The screening on Wednesday 15 January is open to the general public.

The first of two special nights celebrating five of the 42 Comic Strip films made since 1982 when their films first debuted on Channel 4 TV. The Comic Strip launched the careers of many of Britain’s best loved comedy talents, including Ade Edmundson, Rik Mayall, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Robbie Coltrane, Nigel Planer, Peter Richardson, Keith Allen, and Alexie Sayle.

This is a rare chance to enjoy a double bill of brand new cuts of two 'Comic Strip Presents' classics: A Fistful of Traveller’s Cheques and The Supergrass.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Writer-Director Peter Richardson and VIP guests (names to be announced soon).

The Supergrass (1985)

The headline is the first showing of a special Director's cut of The Comic Strip's debut feature film The Supergrass (1985) which was co-written with Pete Richens and Directed by Peter Richardson. This is being shown here in the West End for the first time in 40 years.

A socially inept man lies his way into the police believing he's a high-rolling drug smuggler in exchange for money and a holiday. Unfortunately for him, a very real drugs deal is happening at the very same place..

Directed by Peter Richardson who also wrote the screenplay with Pete Richens. The film stars Adrian Edmondson, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Peter Richardson, Keith Allen, Nigel Planer, Alexei Sayle, Ronald Allen, and Robbie Coltrane.

A Fistful of Travellers Cheques (1983)

A Fistful of Travellers Cheques is a homage to the films of Sergio Leone. It is nothing short of a cinematic masterpiece, shot by lighting cameraman John Metcalfe. This seldom screened film has reached the level of 'cult' status on a par with Withnail & I. Try to post a quote on social media and watch ten people come straight back, reciting the entire scene.

Two Spaghetti Western-obsessed friends arrive in a small town in southern Spain dressed as gunslingers on the same day that a drug addict, two Australian travellers and a mass murderer come to town.

Directed by Bob Spiers. Cast includes Keith Allen, Adrian Edmondson, Dawn French, Rik Mayall, Daniel Peacock, Nigel Planer, Peter Richardson and Jennifer Saunders

The second of two special nights celebrating 'Comic Strip Presents.' The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Writer-Director Peter Richardson and VIP guests (names to be announced soon).  

The Comic Strip launched the careers of many of Britain’s best loved comedy talents, including Ade Edmundson, Rik Mayall, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Robbie Coltrane, Nigel Planer, Peter Richardson, Keith Allen, and Alexie Sayle.

This is a rare chance to enjoy a triple bill of three 'Comic Strip Presents' films: Red Top, Four Men In A Car and The Hunt for Tony Blair.  

Redtop (2016)

Top of the bill is the satire on The News Of The Word's phone hacking scandal Red Top. Red Top has not been seen Theatrically in London's West End since 2016, when it first aired on TV's UK Gold. This stars Maxine Peake as Rebekah Brooks, Nigel Planer as Rupert Murdoch, and Stephen Mangan as Tony Blair turned hippie.

Four Men In A Car (1998)

Rarely theatrically screened, this film sees four salesmen, namely, Ade Edmondson, Rik Mayall, Peter Richardson and Nigel Planer who all share the car journey from hell on their way to a sales conference where only one of them will be selected for promotion.  

The Hunt for Tony Blair (2012)

The critically acclaimed The Hunt for Tony Blair is a monochrome Brit-Noir homage, starring Stephen Mangan as Tony Blair, and Jennifer Saunders as Margaret Thatcher. This was nominated for BAFTA and British Comedy awards, amid much press acclaim nationally.

Our screening on 9 January is introduced by BFI artist's moving image Curator William Fowler and followed by a post-film discussion group in the cinema bar.

In seventeenth century France, Father Urbain Grandier (Oliver Reed), uses his powers to protect the city of Loudun from destruction at the hands of the establishment. Soon, he stands accused of the demonic possession of Sister Jeanne (Vanessa Redgrave), whose erotic obsession with him fuels the hysterical fervour that sweeps through the convent.

With its bold and brilliant direction, magnificent performances, exquisite Derek Jarman sets and sublimely dissonant score by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, The Devils stands as a profound and sincere commentary on religious hysteria, political persecution and the corrupt marriage of church and state.

Original UK theatrical version.

Beautifully crafted and acted, Frank Capra's festive favourite is considered one of the most charming Christmas films of all time. George Bailey (James Stewart) has spent his life supporting the community of Bedford Falls. Overwhelmed with professional and personal problems, he finds his previously happy life falling apart on Christmas Eve. Struggling to see a way out, George is visited by his guardian angel and shown what life would be like if he'd never been born.

All proceeds from this screening will be donated to The Food Chain

The Food Chain exists to ensure people living with HIV in London can access the nutrition they need to get well, stay well and lead healthy, independent lives. People living with HIV often struggle to access the food they need to stay well because of ill health, poverty, isolation and a lack of motivation to eat well, or limited skills or knowledge. We deliver meals and groceries, offer cookery and nutrition classes and communal eating opportunities to people living with HIV in London and their dependents.

Every Christmas Day we run a group lunch for around 60 of our most isolated Service Users, folk who would otherwise be spending the day alone. It's a very joyful day full of food and games and merriment, and after the festivities are done we send everyone home with a card, present and some bags of groceries.

With no public funding for our services, we rely on trust and grant-giving foundations, community fundraising events and the generosity of individual donors. Your support will make our Christmas possible! Thank you.

'Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the Excellent Special Christmas - from the fantastic environment as usual, the support, the xmas quiz, the exceptionally special food and drinks, the happiness, laughter and fun, you name it, all were fabulous & brilliant. Indeed whenever I attend Food Chain, l always feel so well connected to my peers too and also receive well tailored help and support which continues to give me HOPE for the future.' - Food Chain Christmas guest, 2022.

Tickets for our regular screening of It's a Wonderful Life on 23 December are available here.

When the winter break arrives in December 1970, Paul Hunham, a teacher at a prestigious New England boarding school, is forced to remain on campus to babysit a ragtag group of students who have nowhere else to go. Twenty years after Sideways, Alexander Payne reunites with Paul Giamatti for this perfect, bittersweet coming of age comedy-drama. Giamatti is delightful as the curmudgeonly Professor Hunham, while Da’Vine Joy Randolph steals scenes and hearts as the school’s stoic Head Cook, Mary. Brilliantly written and beautifully shot, Payne delivers a magnificently rich 1970s time capsule, a nostalgic, warm embrace of a film, and undoubtedly a new festive classic.

The Holdovers was suggested by our members Honor Wilson-Fletcher, Ann Jones, and Melanie Shaw.

Executive produced by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, The Land Before Time, follows an orphaned brontosaurus named Littlefoot. After a devastating earthquake Littlefoot teams up with other young dinosaurs in order to reunite with their families in The Great Valley.

The screening will be preceded by the children's short film Discord (6 min, Directed by Jen Lim, supported by Kino Short Film). Tensions rise at a young girl’s first lesson with her new piano teacher leading to an unexpected twist.

The Sunday screening is a Special Fundraiser with all proceeds to benefit SoHo Parish Primary School.

On Sunday mornings our Family Screenings are followed by a free activity for Children.

The screening is Pay What You Can, which means you’re free to pay as much or as little as you can afford. By paying for a ticket, you will enable us to keep offering Pay What You Can screenings to families struggling with the cost of living. Thank you

Michael Caine joins Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and all the hilarious Muppets in this merry, musical version of the Charles Dickens’ classic tale.

All your favourite characters are here – Kermit as Bob Cratchit, Gonzo as Dickens, Miss Piggy as Emily Cratchit, and more. Of course, the inimitable Michael Caine stars as the grouchy, mean-spirited Ebenezer Scrooge. A holiday classic since its original publication in 1843, that Dickens’ story is repeated on an annual basis is a testament to the joy an audience finds in witnessing someone discover the joy in giving, sharing, and spending time with those you love.

On Sunday mornings our Family Screenings are followed by a free activity for Children.

The screening is Pay What You Can, which means you’re free to pay as much or as little as you can afford. By paying for a ticket, you will enable us to keep offering Pay What You Can screenings to families struggling with the cost of living. Thank you

The Muppet Christmas Carol was suggested by our members Mark Brisenden, Beth O'Rafferty, and Naomi Kilby.

Miles Cullen, an eccentric bank teller played by Elliott Gould, notices something strange about a man dressed as Santa in the building where he works. Correctly predicting he is planning a robbery, Miles devises a scheme to keep part of the loot for himself. Things quickly get out of hand when the perp (a genuinely frightening Christopher Plummer) realises who has the cash.

The Silent Partner was suggested for our Christmas season by our member Adrian Zak.

Mr. Jeremy Fisher, Mrs. Tiggy-winkle, Jemima Puddle-duck, Squirrel Nutkin, Pigling Bland – indeed all the delightful and famous Beatrix Potter characters – come to life in this colourful and imaginative musical interpretation of her tales, choreographed by Sir Frederick Ashton, composted and scored by John Lanchbery, and danced by members of the Royal Ballet. Five of the famed Victorian author’s most well-known stories – with guest appearances of characters from other themes – have been linked to present an enchanting story-line that will thrill adults and children alike.

On Sunday mornings our Family Screenings are followed by a free activity for Children.

The screening is Pay What You Can, which means you’re free to pay as much or as little as you can afford. By paying for a ticket, you will enable us to keep offering Pay What You Can screenings to families struggling with the cost of living. Thank you

An iconic film that seamlessly blends romance, comedy, and political themes of Black queer oppression.

The wry, incisive debut feature by Cheryl Dunye gave cinema something bracingly new and groundbreaking: a vibrant representation of Black lesbian identity by a Black lesbian filmmaker. Dunye stars as Cheryl, a video-store clerk and aspiring director whose interest in forgotten Black actresses leads her to investigate an obscure 1930s performer known as the Watermelon Woman, whose story proves to have surprising resonances with Cheryl’s own life as she navigates a new relationship with a white girlfriend (Guinevere Turner). Balancing breezy romantic comedy with a serious inquiry into the history of Black and queer women in Hollywood, The Watermelon Woman slyly rewrites long-standing constructions of race and sexuality on-screen, introducing an important voice in American cinema.

The Wicker Man screens in our British Cinema, 1971-1980 season as it was originally exhibited in 1973, as part of a double bill with Don't Look Now. With an introduction from filmmaker and actor Tim Plester.   

They do things differently on Summerisle. They teach of Christianity in passing, but their own beliefs are more ancient... the strange, mysterious customs and rituals of distant places and bygone half forgotten days. But Summerisle is no distant South Pacific atoll - it is a small, remote, privately owned, twentieth-century island off the western coast of Scotland. To Summerisle comes Sergeant Howie of the Western Highland Police, investigating the alleged disappearance of twelve-year-old Rowan Morrison. What starts as a routine enquiry becomes a terrifying nightmare for this devout churchgoer.

Tickets for The Wicker Man and Don't Look Now may be purchased separately. Alternatively, a £5 discount applies for those wishing to get the full 1970s double-programme experience. Add tickets for both screenings and proceed to checkout where the discount will be automatically applied.  

From the co-director of How to Train Your Dragon comes an incredible journey of survival, love and selflessness, featuring gorgeous animation and stunning voice performances

Sentient robot Roz is marooned on an island and must learn from its animal inhabitants how to survive. When outside forces threaten the island’s ecosystem, she will do anything to protect her adopted environment and Brightbill, the young goose she has nurtured since birth. Funny, sweet and subtle in its messaging, this adaptation of Peter Brown’s book series is a treat for the whole family.

On Sunday mornings our Family Screenings are followed by a free activity for Children.

The screening is Pay What You Can, which means you’re free to pay as much or as little as you can afford. By paying for a ticket, you will enable us to keep offering Pay What You Can screenings to families struggling with the cost of living. Thank you

In modern-day Tokyo, three homeless people's lives are changed forever when they discover a baby girl at a garbage dump on Christmas Eve. As the New Year fast approaches these three forgotten members of society band together to solve the mystery of the abandoned child and the fate of her parents. Along the way, encounters with the seemingly unrelated events and people force them to confront their own haunted pasts, as they learn to face their future, together.

Heartbreaking, hilarious and highly original, Tokyo Godfathers is a humanist masterpiece from legendary director Satoshi Kon (Paprika, Perfect Blue) and a tale of hope and redemption in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.

Tokyo Godfathers was suggested by our members Matt Davies - 'one of the most underrated Christmas films ever from one of the all-time greats' - and Adam Vrijland (supported by Ella Hassett) - 'I absolutely love this film and would relish seeing it on the big screen.'

As part of the landmark season at the Garden Cinema, Visions in Ruins: British Cinema 1970-1980, Video Bazaar is proud to present Jerzy Skolimowski’s legendary and mystifying piece of Folkloric esoterica, The Shout, starring John Hurt and Alan Bates. This screening will also feature a pre-recorded video introduction from Paul Duane, director of All You Need is Death.

Released in 1978, and adapted from a short story by Robert Graves, The Shout is a deeply unsettling exploration of power, madness, and mysticism. Crossley (Bates), a mysterious drifter, intrudes upon the quiet rural life of Anthony Fielding (Hurt), an experimental composer who lives on the North Devon coast. Claiming mastery of an ancient Aboriginal 'death shout', Crossley begins to exert a sinister influence on Anthony and his wife, Rachel (Susannah York).

Emerging at a time of national upheaval and cultural experimentation, The Shout is a haunting film that evokes arcane knowledge and non-Western philosophies. Crossley’s invocation of Aboriginal shamanic practices reflects this fascination while raising unsettling questions about cultural exploitation and control. Set against the bleak Devon countryside, the film also taps into the eerie isolation of rural Britain, underscoring a growing disconnection from the modern world, and creating a timeless, otherworldly atmosphere.

With its ethereal cinematography and an experimental score crafted by Tony Banks of Genesis, The Shout is as much an auditory experience as a visual one. The rich layers of ambiguity and surrealism establish it as one of the most unique cinematic experiences in British film history, with every metaphor unravelling a new secret.

This screening is presented by the cult film collective, Video Bazaar, who are proud to show this rarely screened film, and are dedicated to bringing the weird and the obscure to London audiences at The Garden Cinema.

Viridiana (Silvia Pinal) is preparing to start her life as a nun when she is sent, somewhat unwillingly, to visit to her aging uncle, Don Jaime (Fernando Rey). He supports her; but the two have met only once. Jaime thinks Viridinia resembles his dead wife. Virdinia has secretly despised this man all her life and finds her worst fears proven when Jaime grows determined to seduce his pure niece. Viridinia becomes undone as her uncle upends the plans she had made to join the convent.

Kind member folk, please head over to Summerisle on Saturday 11 January for your appointment with the Wicker Man. We’re celebrating our latest season - Visions in Ruins: British Cinema 1970-1980 - with a special winter festival, to ensure a bountiful harvest (of films) for the year to come. Don your favourite mask, colourful ribbons, or flower garland, and join us for an abundance of frolicking, chanting, and more..

We will provide lashings of ale, a traditional folk performance by Glass Eel, and of course, a screening of our member cult’s classic The Wicker Man.

Tickets are £18.50 each and restricted to 2 per member, meaning you can bring a live offering to be inducted into the Garden Cinema community. Your ticket will include an unallocated seat for the music performance & screening, as well as a complimentary beer of your choice, with non-alcoholic alternatives available for any puritans.  

Event timings:

19:00  Merriment, ales & sacrifice(?)

20:30  Screen doors open

20:40  Live music performance by Glass Eel

21:00  Screening of The Wicker Man (1973)

22:40  Expected finish

About Glass Eel:

Glass Eel is the latest project from Alice Western, a folk musician and songwriter. Drawing on her work with the English Folk Dance and Song Society, Alice combines the storytelling heart of traditional music with bold, original compositions. Their debut single 'The Line' is set for release this January. Produced by Seth Evans and Margo Broom at RAK Studios, the track introduces Glass Eel’s raw, contemporary sound. A 16mm black-and-white music video, created by band member and filmmaker Hannah McLoughlin, will accompany the release.

Based on the extraordinary character at the center of Roald Dahl’s 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory', Wonka tells the wondrous story of how the world’s greatest inventor, magician and chocolate-maker became the beloved Willy Wonka we know today.

From Paul King, writer/director of the Paddington films, and David Heyman, producer of Harry Potter, comes an intoxicating mix of magic and music. Starring Timothée Chalamet in the title role, this irresistible big screen spectacle will introduce audiences to a young Willy Wonka, chock-full of ideas and determined to change the world one delectable bite at a time—proving that the best things in life begin with a dream, and if you’re lucky enough to meet Willy Wonka, anything is possible.

On Sunday mornings our Family Screenings are followed by a free activity for Children.

The screening is Pay What You Can, which means you’re free to pay as much or as little as you can afford. By paying for a ticket, you will enable us to keep offering Pay What You Can screenings to families struggling with the cost of living. Thank you