Plymouth Arts Cinema Film Programme - March/April 2020
March-April 2020
Film Programme
Where to find us
Our venue is located inside Plymouth College of Art’s main campus at Tavistock Place. Go through Plymouth College of Art’s main entrance and turn right, you will face our Box Office and Café-Bar. There are then a few steps down to the Box Office and Café-Bar, with disabled access via a wheelchair lift.
Opening hours:
Tuesday-Friday: 5-8.30pm (open from 1pm on Tuesday when a matinée screening is scheduled)
Saturday: 1-8.30pm
Sunday and Monday Closed
Special events: Box Office and Café/Bar open 1 hour before start time
How to book:
Visit our website to book online or contact our Box Office on 01752 206 114 (Tue-Fri: 5-8.30pm, Sat: 1-8.30pm).
Cinema Tickets Standard £9.00 / Concessions, students, OAPs £7.75 / Matinees £7.00 / Bringing in Baby £8.50 / 25 & Under £4 (please bring ID) / PCA staff and students £4 (please show card) / Friends 75p discount. Online booking fee £1.50. Advance booking recommended. We have two wheelchair spaces in the cinema.
Contact us:
01752 206 114
info@plymouthartscentre.org
Special Offers
Programmer’s Pick
Highlights chosen by Film Programmer Anna Navas. Get tickets for 3 different Programmer’s Pick films for £15.
Queen & Slim, Little Joe, A True History of the Kelly Gang, System Crasher
F-Rated Offer (films that fairly represent women on screen and behind the camera.)
Get tickets for 3 F-Rated Films for £7 each.
(Tickets must be purchased under one transaction)
Mr Jones, Queen & Slim, Feminista, A Beautiful Day In the Neighbourhood, Emma, Little Joe, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Misbehaviour, System Crasher, Radioactive.
Bringing in Baby
Emma
Tue 17 March, 11am
Military Wives
Wed 8 April, 11am
Misbehaviour
Wed 22 April, 11am
All tickets £8.50, hot drink included
Sociable screenings for parents, grandparents and carers of babies under 12 months.
March April 2020 Film Guide:
Mr Jones (15)
F-Rated, Book Early
Fri 6 - Thu 12 March
Fri 6, 6pm
Sat 7, 2.30pm
Tue 10, 6pm
Wed 11, 8.30pm
Thu 12, 6pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-o7VoM1jlOs
Dir. Agnieszka Holland, UK/Poland/Ukraine, 2019, 119 mins, some subtitles. Cast. James Norton, Vanessa Kirby, Peter Sarsgaard.
The extraordinary and powerful story of the real-life Welsh journalist who exposed Stalin's genocidal famine in Soviet Ukraine, which killed almost 10 million people. In 1933, Gareth Jones is an earnest young Welsh journalist who was the first foreign journalist to interview Hitler and he travels to Moscow in an attempt to interview Stalin. He witnesses not only the ravages of a famine wrought by Stalin's agricultural reform but also the Soviet secret service's dogged efforts to ensure that news of the crisis never sees the light of day. Jones's story inspired Orwell's Animal Farm and this is a compelling, powerful, and critically timely film about a crusader determined to reveal the truth in the face of extreme danger.
Queen & Slim (15)
F-Reted, Programmer’s Pick
Fri 6 - Wed 11 March
Fri 6, 8.30pm
Sat 7, 8pm
Wed 11, 5.45pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R82DFWgHnFU
Dir. Melina Matsoukas, US, 2019, 132 mins. Cast. Daniel Kaluuya, Jodie Turner-Smith, Indya Moore.
This hugely praised, stylish love story is the feature film directorial debut from Melina Matsoukas. While on a forgettable first date together in Ohio, Slim and Queen are pulled over for a minor traffic infraction. The situation escalates, with sudden and tragic results, when Slim kills the police officer in self-defence. Knowing at once there will be no justice under these circumstances, the pair are forced to go on the run, unwittingly becoming symbols of trauma, terror, grief and pain for people across the country when video footage from the incident goes viral. A powerful, consciousness-raising tale of love that confronts the staggering human toll of systemic racism, continued police brutality towards African-Americans, and the life-shattering price of violence.
Feminista Film Tour
F-Rated
Sat 7 March, 5.30pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTeVIgRxVDI
Feminista Film Festival shares the most inspiring stories about women and girls from around the world in a collection of brilliant short documentaries. Feminista’s mission is to inspire women and girls and connect them to female role models. They believe that stories about inspiring women and girls need a stronger voice and that documentary film is a uniquely inspirational and engaging form of storytelling.
We believe a film festival dedicated to inspiring stories about women and girls can spark connections and motivate all of us to think and act differently. The films will be introduced by Lauren Tenn and there will be a panel discussion after the films.
For more details please see our website.
https://plymouthartscentre.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Feminista-UK-Tour-Programme.pdf
All At Sea (12A)
Tue 10 - Wed 12 March
Tue 10, 8.30pm (+ introduction from screenwriter Hugh Janes)
Wed 11, 2.30pm
Thu 12, 8.30pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlry3E1Nn5Y
Dir. Robert Young, UK, 2019, 88 mins. Cast. Brian Cox, Lauren Bacall, James Fox.
Retired sailor Wally and best friend Skipper are residents of a care home in Norway, controlled by administrator Ms Reimark. When Skipper dies, Wally vows to honour his promise to bury his comrade at sea. Unfortunately, he doesn't have a coffin, boat or anyone to conduct the service. Unperturbed, Wally gathers together fellow residents May, George and Nina on a madcap adventure to carry out the burial before Ms Reimark puts an end to his daredevil scheme.
We are delighted that the film’s screenwriter, Hugh Janes, will be joining us for an intro and Q&A on Tuesday 10th March.
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (PG)
F-Rated
Fri 13 - Wed 18 March
Fri 13, 6pm
Sat 14, 2.30pm & 8pm
Tues 17, 6pm
Wed 18, 8.30pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VLEPhfEN2M
Dir. Marielle Heller, US, 2019, 108 mins. Cast. Tom Hanks, Matthew Rhys.
In 1998, a journalist was sent to do a profile of beloved American television legend Fred Rogers, an educator who had been presenting a decades-spanning show for children about the power of community and how to deal with difficult emotions. Having initially approached the story with a cynical eye, he was changed forever by the experience. The film could easily have been twee twaddle, but A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood is a nuanced, formally playful delight, a perfectly pitched and played ode to goodness.
Emma (U)
F-rated, Book Early
Fri 13 - Thu 19 March
Fri 13, 8.30pm
Sat 14, 5.30pm
Tue 17, 11am (Bringing in Baby) & 8.30pm
Wed 18, 2.30pm & 6pm
Thu 19, 8.30pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmcJEeeT-us
Dir. Autumn de Wilde, UK, 2019, 125 mins. Cast. Anya Taylor-Joy, Mia Goth, Johnny Flynn, Bill Nighy, Miranda Hart.
Jane Austen's beloved comedy about finding your equal and earning your happy ending, is reimagined in this delicious new film adaptation of Emma. Handsome, clever, and rich, Emma Woodhouse is a restless queen bee without rivals in her sleepy little town. In this glittering satire of social class and the pain of growing up, Emma must adventure through misguided matches and romantic missteps to find the love that has been there all along.
Cathy Come Home + intro (PG)
Thu 19 March, 6pm
Dir. Ken Loach, UK, 1966, 77 mins. Cast. Carol White, Ray Brooks, Emmett Hennes.
Controversial, moving and brilliantly acted, Cathy Come Home is arguably the most influential television drama ever broadcast. It tells the story of Cathy and Reg, a couple who find their life spiralling into poverty when Reg loses his job. The film provoked a major public and political discussion on homelessness, unemployment and the rights of mothers to keep their children.
The screening on Thursday 19 March is showing as part of our series of films with PCC on the Co-operative movement. The importance of cooperation and inclusivity is vital for the good growth of any city. Cathy Come Home will highlight that a cooperative solution to housing could be the way to start tackling inequality, homelessness and child poverty.
Thanks to PCC support, we are offering discounted ticket prices for the screening on Thursday 19 march at 6.00pm: Full price £4. Concession £2 for Friends of PAC, OAP, students, under waged, Under 25, PCA staff and students.
Waiting for Anya (12A)
Fri 20 - Thu 26 March
Fri 20, 5.45pm
Sat 21, 2.30pm & 8pm
Tue 24, 5.30pm (+ recorded Q&A with Michael Morpurgo)
Wed 25, 8.15pm
Thu 26, 5.45pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZmEOhEn9Iw
Dir. Ben Cookson, UK, 2019, 131 mins. Cast. Noah Schnapp, Angelica Huston, Jean Reno, Elsa Zylberstein.
Adapted from the novel by Michael Morpurgo, Waiting for Anya follows the story of Jo Lalande, a thirteen-year-old shepherd living in the mountain village of Lescun. Though Europe may be ravaged by the horrors of World War II Jo’s world in the French Pyrenees has remained remarkably untouched. That is, until a ferocious encounter with a bear introduces Jo to the mysterious Benjamin, a Jewish refugee fleeing Nazi persecution, and a dangerous secret, Jewish children are being smuggled over the mountains to the safety of Spain.
Greed (15)
Fri 20 - Thu 26 March
Fri 20, 8.30pm
Sat 21, 5.30pm
Tue 24, 8.30pm
Wed 25, 2.30pm & 6pm
Thu 26, 8.30pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3ZJB1zUY7g
Dir. Michael Winterbottom, UK, 2019, 104 mins. Cast. Steve Coogan, Isla Fisher, Asa Butterfield, Shirley Henderson.
Sir Richard McCreadie is a self-made billionaire whose retail empire is in crisis. For 30 years he has ruled the high streets but after a damaging public enquiry, his image is tarnished. To save his reputation, he decides to bounce back with an extravagant "Roman Empire"-themed 60th birthday party on Mykonos, where Syrian refugees have inconveniently landed on the beach. As a biographer covers the preparations, horrendous truths are revealed, and long-standing animosities threaten to derail everything. A scathingly funny farce, Greed is a biting and brilliant look at the grotesque inequality of wealth in the fashion industry - it will make you think more carefully about the clothes on your back.
Little Joe (12A)
F-Rated, Programmer’s Pick
Fri 27 March - Wed 1 April
Fri 27, 6pm
Sat 28, 5.30pm
Wed 1, 8.30pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYfKlNBLLeQ
Dir. Jessica Hausner, UK/Austria/Germany, 2019, 105 mins. Cast. Emily Beecham, Ben Whishaw, Kerry Fox.
Austrian director Jessica Hausner's first English language feature is a sci-fi horror about a genetically engineered plant designed to lift peoples' moods.
Emily Beecham (Best Actress award at Cannes for her performance) stars as Alice, a botanist and single mother who, along with her lab partner Chris, engineers a crimson flower whose scent induces happiness. As it grows, however, Alice suspects that her new creation might not be so harmless, and it might even have an agenda all of its own. An unnerving, philosophical experiment that shakes assumptions around how and why we medicate and how we manage our emotions, Little Joe is a witty and unsettling metaphor for the age of Big Pharma.
True History of the Kelly Gang (18)
Programmer’s Pick
Fri 27 March - Thu 2 April
Fri 27, 8.30pm
Sat 28, 2.30pm & 8pm
Wed 1, 6pm
Thu 2, 8.30pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtGlll-I_n8
Dir. Justin Kurzel, Australia/UK/France, 2019, 125 mins. Cast. George MacKay, Essie Davis, Nicholas Hoult, Russell Crowe.
Despite his relatively short life, Ned Kelly’s story is woven into Australian legend becoming a near-mythical figure in the mould of Jesse James and Robin Hood. Kurzel’s film delivers a fierce counterpoint to the traditional Kelly legend by exploring his dysfunctional childhood and abuse, and is a vivid tale of defiance, rebellion and anarchy. Kelly is part of a rebellious Irish immigrant family, bristling against the outback justice imposed by local police. He falls under the influence of a bush-ranger with little regard for colonial authority and each encounter with the law pushes Kelly further into a dedicated life of crime. With a gang around him to help with the horse thieving and shootouts, and many Australian settlers applauding his exploits, tensions build toward an epic final showdown.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (15)
F-Rated
Tue 31 March - Thu 2 April
Tue 31, 7pm (Reclaim The Frame)
Wed 1, 2.30pm
Thu 2, 6pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zd0c9iJwAJo
Dir. Céline Sciamma, France, 2019, subtitled, 121 mins. Cast. Noémie Merlant, Adèle Haenel, Luàna Bajrami.
One of the best films to come out of Cannes last year (where it won Best Screenplay and the Queer Palm, as well as countless rave reviews); this is an exquisite tale of female desire, hidden love, art, and the gaze. Set in 18th century Brittany, it follows Marianne an artist commissioned to paint an engagement portrait of Héloïse - a piece of art destined for her future husband (who she has never met). Héloïse has already refused to sit for another artist so Marianne must pose as a walking companion to Héloïse by day, and capture her likeness on canvas from memory at night. Intimacy and attraction swiftly develop between the two women. A heart-breaking period piece told with a distinctly modern feminist energy, Sciamma’s sumptuous masterpiece is one of the most emotional films of this or any other year. Beautifully crafted, it’s a stunning look at what we can create, how we can live, and who we can love.
Military Wives (12A)
Book Early
Fri 3 - Thu 9 April
Fri 3, 6pm
Sat 4, 8pm
Tue 7, 6pm
Wed 8, 11am (Bringing in Baby) & 2.30pm & 8.30pm
Thu 9, 6pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ts0X-U7uLdw
Dir. Peter Cattaneo, UK, 2019, 121 mins. Cast. Sharon Horgan, Kristin Scott Thomas, Jason Flemyng.
Directed by Peter Cattaneo and starring Academy Award® nominee Kristin Scott Thomas) the film centres on a group of women thrown together by life on a military base while their partners serve on a tour of duty in Afghanistan. They find an unexpected way to raise their spirits and combat the isolating realities of being an army wife - by forming the first ever Military Wives' Choir – and the rest is history. Plymouth's was one of the very first of the Military Wives Choirs so we are delighted to be screening it here.
Dark Waters (12A)
Fri 3 - Thu 9 April
Fri 3, 8.30pm
Sat 4, 2.30pm & 5.15pm
Tue 7, 8.30pm
Wed 8, 6pm
Thu 9, 8.30pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYbNONsH2ck
Dir. Todd Haynes, US, 2019, 127 mins. Cast. Anne Hathaway, Mark Ruffalo, Tim Robbins.
This is the shocking and heroic true story of tenacious attorney Robert Bilott (Ruffalo), who investigates the unexplained deaths of his grandmother's neighbour's cattle. Thus begins a decades-long legal battle between Bilott and DuPont, a large chemical company who dumped toxic materials into local land for decades, poisoning not just animals, but people too. In the process Bilott risks everything - his future, his family, and his own life - to expose the truth. Inspired by classic 70s whistle-blower movies such as The Parallax View and Klute, this is a riveting, responsible and deeply unsettling film about the search for justice, the boundaries of science, and a poisonous legal system.
The Assistant (tbc)
Fri 10 – Thu 16 April
Fri 10, 8.30pm
Sat 11, 5.30pm
Tue 14, 8.30pm
Wed 15, 2.30pm & 6pm
Thu 16, 8.30pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cLf0i-kYio
Dir. Kitty Green, US, 2019, 87 mins. Cast. Julia Garner, Matthew Macfadyen, Makenzie Leigh.
Fresh from rave Sundance Festival reviews is this searing look at the day in the life of an assistant to a powerful film industry executive. Jane, a recent college graduate and aspiring film producer, just landed her dream job as a junior assistant to a powerful entertainment mogul. Her day is spent making coffee, ordering lunch, arranging travel accommodations and taking phone messages. But she grows increasingly aware of the abuse that insidiously colours every aspect of her workday, an accumulation of degradations against which she decides to take a stand. This is a horribly insidious tale and is an important film that deserves to be widely seen.
The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (15)
Fri 10 – Thu 16 April
Fri 10, 6pm
Sat 11, 2.30pm & 8pm
Tue 14, 6pm
Wed 15, 8.30pm
Thu 16, 6pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiiRZJUTT2k
Dir Terry Gilliam, UK, 2019, 132 mins. Cast. Adam Driver, Jonathan Pryce, Olga Kurylenko, Joana Ribeiro, Stellan Skarsgard.
Terry Gilliam returns with the realisation of one of his dream projects in this madcap reimagining of Don Quixote. Once upon a time, Toby was an idealistic young film student. These days he is a jaded, arrogant and over-sexed commercials director. But he is moved to revisit the location of his student film, a retelling of Don Quixote. To Toby’s horror, his little film has had a terrible effect on the sleepy village. Funny, poignant and elaborately staged, Gilliam's perseverance has paid off with this project thirty years in the making.
Misbehaviour (12A)
F-Rated, Book Early
Fri 17 - Thu 23 April
Fri 17, 7pm (Reclaim The Frame)
Sat 18, 5.30pm
Tue 21, 8.30pm
Wed 22, 11am (Bringing in Baby) & 2.30pm & 8.30pm
Thu 23, 8.30pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUa0Mtdv1HQ
Dir. Phillipa Lowthorpe, UK, 2020, 106 mins. Cast. Keira Knightley, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Keeley Hawes, Jessie Buckley, Rhys Ifans.
In 1970, the Miss World competition took place in London, hosted by US comedy legend Bob Hope. At the time, Miss World was the most-watched TV show on the planet with over 100 million viewers. Claiming that beauty competitions demeaned women, the newly formed Women’s Liberation Movement achieved overnight fame by invading the stage and disrupting the live broadcast of the competition. Not only that, when the show resumed, the result caused uproar: the winner was not the Swedish favourite but Miss Grenada, the first black woman to be crowned Miss World. In a matter of hours, a global audience had witnessed the patriarchy driven from the stage and the Western ideal of beauty turned on its head. A brilliantly entertaining account of a pivotal moment. The screening on Friday 17th will be a Reclaim The Frame Event.
The Truth (PG)
Sat 18 - Tue 21 April
Sat 18, 2.30pm & 8pm
Tue 21, 6pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpcFICXG4TQ
Dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda, France/Japan, 2019, 107 mins, some subtitles. Cast. Catherine Deneuve, Juliette Binoche, Ethan Hawke
Septuagenarian screen legend Fabienne is charismatic and fiercely talented and has always prioritised her work above all else. The recent publication of her memoir precipitates a visit from her long-estranged daughter, a screenwriter, along with her actor husband. The reunion between mother and daughter quickly turns into confrontation, however, as truths are told, accounts settled, and loves and resentments confessed. A warm and quietly moving family portrait and an insightful look at the underlying fabric of parent-child relationships, this is Kore-eda's (Shoplifters) first film made outside his native Japan and is a story that feels at once absolutely French and absolutely Kore-eda. A winning combination.
The Biggest Little Farm (PG)
Wed 22 - Thu 23 April
Wed 22, 6pm (+ intro)
Thu 23, 6pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfDTM4JxHl8
Dir. John Chester, US, 2019, 91 mins. With. John Chester, Molly Chester, Matthew Pilachowski.
To mark the 50th birthday of World Earth Day on April 22nd we will be screening one of the most delightful and inspiring documentaries you’ll see this year. Who hasn’t fantasised about ditching their city day job for a simpler life on the land? For John and Molly Chester, this dream became a daunting reality when they buy an 80-hectare avocado and citrus orchard with a history of bank foreclosures in California. Chronicling their near decade-long attempt to create the utopia they seek - including planting 10,000 orchard trees, hundreds of crops, and bringing in animals of every kind through dogged perseverance and embracing the opportunity provided by nature's conflicts, the Chesters unlock and uncover a biodiverse design for living that exists far beyond their farm, its seasons, and our wildest imagination. Featuring breathtaking cinematography this joyful documentary is a restorative delight. One that provides us with a vital blueprint for better living and a healthier planet. Our screening on Wednesday 22nd April will be introduced by some of our local organic farming community and who will join us for a post-film Q&A.
System Crasher (12A)
F-Rated, Programmer’s Pick
Fri 24 - Thu 30 April
Fri 24, 8.30pm
Sat 25, 2.30pm & 5.30pm
Tue 28, 7pm (+intro)
Wed 29, 6pm
Thu 30, 8.30pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjvfqZLbyG8
Dir. Nora Fingsheidt, Germany, 2019, 118 mins, subtitled. Cast. Helena Zengel, Albrecht Schuch, Gabriela Maria Schmeide.
Nine-year-old Benni is a ‘system crasher’: a foster kid whose behaviour is so out of control that she cannot be placed with families. Given over to social services by her hapless, abused mother, she is a whirling handful of a child, intelligent and verbose one second, screaming and violent the next. When social worker Micha takes Benni to stay at a cottage in the woods, she discovers glimmers of a childhood she never experienced. But the idyll can only last so long and her return to civilisation will challenge the kindness of all those trying to save her. A powerful story of a young girl who has lost her place in society, this is a no-holds-barred, deeply humane glimpse into the fraught and at times impossible world of child protection services. Driven by a powerhouse performance from Helena Zengel as the young Benni, System Crasher will leave you reeling. Our screening on Tuesday April 28th will be introduced by Pat Kelly of 606 Films and we will be joined in a post-film Q&A by a selection of Child Care Professionals to discuss some of the themes of the film.
Radioactive (12A)
F-Rated
Fri 24 - Thu 30 April
Fri 24, 6pm
Sat 25, 8pm
Wed 29, 2.30pm & 8.30pm
Thu 30, 6pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT5g0U2WvQ0
Dir. Marjane Satrapi, UK, 2019, 110 mins. Cast. Rosamund Pike, Sam Riley, Simon Russell Beale, Anya Taylor-Joy.
Rosamund Pike plays the Polish scientist Marie Curie, who discovered the radioactive elements radium and polonium. Working with her husband Pierre Curie (Sam Riley), she became the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize (she would also become the only person to receive two). Throughout her life Marie showed a steely reserve in the face of xenophobia and institutional hostility, but her discoveries and legacy came at a price, not only for the woman but also for the world.
Plymouth Arts Cinema
at Plymouth College of Art
Tavistock Place
Plymouth
PL4 8AT