19 - 24 January
at the Institut français du Royaume-Uni

In the run-up to the Night of Ideas on 25 January, a film programme will be exploring different themes of the Night, providing further food for thought!

Fri 19 Jan - 20:45

Something in the Air

Après mai
FRA | 2012 | 122 mins | dir. Olivier Assayas, with Clément Métayer, Lola Créton, Felix Armand | cert. 12 | in French with EN subs

With this semi-autobiographical feature, Olivier Assayas (Personal Shopper) offers a vibrant, incisively crafted story of a young man’s artistic awakening in the politically turbulent French student movement following the May 68 protests. Gilles, a young high school student, is taken in by the political and creative turmoil of the times. Much like his friends, he is torn between his radical commitment and his more personal ambitions. Down the line, they will ultimately need to make definitive choices in order to find their place.

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Sat 20 Jan - 20:30

The Wind that Shakes the Barley

IRE/UK/DEU/ITA/ESP/FRA/BEL/CHE | 2006 | 127 mins | dir. Ken Loach, with Cillian Murphy, Pádraic Delaney, Liam Cunningham | cert. 15 | in English & Irish with EN subs

Winner of the Palme d’Or at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, this gripping drama by Ken Loach is set during the early days of the Irish Republican Army, when British occupation of the Irish radicalised many a citizen and caused some to take up arms. Driven by a deep sense of duty and a love for his country, Damien (Cillian Murphy) abandons his burgeoning career as a doctor and joins his brother, Teddy (Pádraic Delaney), in a dangerous and violent fight for freedom.

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Sun 21 Jan - 20:40

Hidden Figures

USA | 2016 | 126 mins | dir. Theodore Melfi, with Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, Kristen Dunst, Mahershala Ali, Aldis Hodge, Glen Powell, Kimberly Quinn, Kevin Costner | cert. PG | in English

Hidden Figures is the incredible untold story of Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughn (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) – brilliant African-American women working at NASA, who served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nation’s confidence, turned around the Space Race, and galvanised the world. The visionary trio crossed all gender and race lines to inspire generations to dream big.

Mon 22 Jan - 18:30

The Imitation Game

UK | 2014 | 113 mins | dir. Morten Tyldum, with Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode | cert. 12 | in English

During the winter of 1952, British mathematician and war hero Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) is arrested and convicted by authorities for the then criminal offense of homosexuality. Little did officials know, they were actually incriminating the pioneer of modern-day computing. An intense and haunting portrayal of a brilliant man, The Imitation Game follows a genius who under nail-biting pressure helped break the codes of the Nazis with his invention, the Turing Machine, thus saving thousands of lives during World War II.

Tue 23 Jan - 15:00

Thomas Pesquet, How to Become an Astronaut

Thomas Pesquet, l’étoffe d’un héros
FRA | 2016 | 72 mins | dir.s Jürgen Hansen & Pierre-Emmanuel Le Goff | cert. tbc | doc in French with EN subs

At 38, Thomas Pesquet is the youngest French astronaut to be selected for a 180-day mission in the International Space Station. We follow his physical and mental preparation for seven years, in the most legendary spacial Conquests Centres, alongside Russian pilot, Oleg Novitskiy and American astronaut, Peggy Whitson.

Double bill with the two documentaries on Thomas Pesquet: £12, conc. £10

See also Thomas Pesquet, Space Correspondent

Tue 23 Jan - 16:45

Thomas Pesquet, Space Correspondent

Thomas Pesquet, l'envoyé spatial
FRA | 2017 | 60 mins | dir.s Jürgen Hansen & Pierre-Emmanuel Le Goff | cert. tbc | doc in French with EN subs

For six months French astronaut Thomas Pesquet shares his daily life on board the International Space Station, from his scientific experiments to his more personal sentiments in the confinement of the station or facing the infinite void of space. This incredibly intense documentary allows us to contemplate the blue planet’ s beauty and to dream of one day travelling to space.

Double bill with the two documentaries on Thomas Pesquet: £12, conc. £10

See also Thomas Pesquet, How to Become an Astronaut

Tue 23 Jan - 20:30

Suffragette

UK | 2015 | 106 mins | dir. Sarah Gavron, with Carey Mulligan, Anne-Marie Duff, Helena Bonham Carter | cert .12 | in English

Directed by Sarah Gavron (Brick Lane), Suffragette follows Maud (Carey Mulligan), a young woman who becomes involved with the early feminist movement in the first quarter of the 20th century. Maud and her fellow suffragettes run a campaign to give the right to vote to women in an increasingly brutal male-dominated establishment. In the face of the societal stalemate, the movement is forced underground and turns to radical action to make its voice heard.

Wed 24 Jan - 18:00

Reinventing Marvin

Marvin
FRA | 2016 | 115 mins | dir. Anne Fontaine, with Finnegan Oldfield, Isabelle Huppert, Grégory Gadebois | in French with EN subs

Marvin Bijou (Finnegan Oldfield), a young gay boy from a working-class family in a small French village, suffers constant bullying at school and home for being too sensitive and too feminine. A chance encounter with a drama teacher opens the doors to a world that offers him the chance to escape his situation. A compelling and searing chronicle by Anne Fontaine (The Innocents), Reinventing Marvin is a free adaptation of critically acclaimed novel by Edouard Louis, The End of Eddy.

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Wed 24 Jan - 14:00

Women and Men + Q&A

Des femmes et des hommes
FRA | 2014 | 105 mins | dir. Frédérique Bedos doc | in French with EN subs

From North to South, from Westernised cities to the most remote villages, gender inequality persists worldwide. Giving an impactful picture of ‘herstory’, this documentary by Frédérique Bedos offers an in-depth look at the historical, political and economic issues related to the discrimination of women through eloquent testimonies, experts’ inputs and facts meticulously garnered around the world, and reveal surprising economic and social advantages of women empowerment.

Followed by a Q&A with director Frédérique Bedos

Wed 24 Jan - 20:30

The Bureau + Q&A

Le Bureau des Légendes
FRA | 2014 | Series 3, episodes 1&2 | 2x52 mins | showrunner Eric Rochant | directed by Samuel Collardey | with Mathieu Kassovitz, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Léa Drucker cert. tbc | in French with EN subs | UK Premiere

If you were hooked by The Bureau, rejoice, here comes the UK premiere of the new season! Based on real-life accounts by former spies, this French addictive
series depicts a branch of clandestine undercover agents, dispatched in key and hostile locations around the world. Offering a new perspective on intelligence agencies and intricate geopolitical issues, this third season centres on “Malotru” (Mathieu Kassovitz), who is taken hostage by ISIS.

Followed by a Q&A with Alex Berger, Producer of The Bureau