Please note that this is a recorded screening and not a live, on-stage performance.
Seven-time BAFTA Award-winner Steve Coogan plays four roles in the world premiere stage adaptation of Stanley Kubrick’s comedy masterpiece Dr. Strangelove.
This explosively funny satire, about a rogue U.S General who triggers a nuclear attack, is led by a world-renowned creative team including Emmy Award-winner Armando Iannucci and Olivier Award-winner Sean Foley.
Hull Independent Cinema and Kinoteka present…
UNDER THE VOLCANO
Dir Damian Kocur | Poland | 2024 | 105 mins | Rating TBC | Ukrainian, Spanish, English
A Ukrainian family of four on vacation in the Canary Islands become refugees overnight when Russia’s ongoing occupation of Ukraine turns into a full-scale invasion, in Damian
Kocur’s tense and timely sophomore feature.
At the foot of Mount Teide on the Spanish island of Tenerife, a Ukrainian family of four including father Roman, stepmother Anastasiia, teenage daughter Sofiia and young are on vacation. Enjoying their final beach day, they are blissfully unaware that, soon, their return flight to Kyiv will be cancelled and Russian bombs and rockets will fall on their country.
On February 24, 2022, Russia’s ongoing occupation of their peaceful neighbour escalated into a full-scale invasion and, overnight, these tourists have become refugees. While frantically awaiting news from home they, the lucky ones as some
might say, are left wondering what to do and where to go.
Meanwhile, the world keeps spinning; the sun is bright, the sea is blue, and they are surrounded by happy-go-lucky families enjoying the idyllic Canary Islands. We gain insight about the dynamics through Sofia’s Generation-Z perspective, sinking into the group’s inner guilt and their paradoxical issues with the safe place in which they — for now — have refuge. Quickly, the most fraught aspects of the clan bubble to the surface and, like the nearby volcano, dormant conflicts threaten to explode anew.
KINOTEKA on TOUR is Part of the UK – Poland Season of Cultural Exchange organized by the British Council, Polish Cultural Institute and Adam Mickiewicz Institute in partnership with Klassiki.
Starring Sofia Berezovska, Roman Lutskyi, Anastasiya Karpenko
AWARDS AND FESTIVALS
Polish Film Festival: Winner, Best Debut Actor; Nominee, Best Film
London Film Festival: Nominee, Best Film
Toronto International Film Festival: Nominee, People’s Choice Award
Cork International Film Festival: Nominee, Best Film
Marrakech International Film Festival: Nominee, Best Feature Film
REVIEWS
“Even as a tense exploration of difficult family relationships… this would be gripping, but Kocur continually nudges at the bigger picture.” Amber Wilkinson, Screen International
“A superb film that goes beyond the usual limits of war stories to show how strong people can be.” Arash Nahandian, Gazettely
Hull Independent Cinema and Kinoteka present…
THE SARAGOSSA MANUSCRIPT
Dir Wojciech Has | Poland | 1965 | 182 mins | Rated 15 | Polish
During Napoleon’s invasion of Spain, two soldiers discover a strange manuscript at an inn. The book chronicles the adventures of Alfonso van Worden. Alfonso’s passage through the dangerous Sierra Morena mountains is repeatedly interrupted by seemingly random encounters with an assortment of larger than life figures. As the soldiers immerse themselves in the script they become immersed in its endlessly interconnected narrative.
Wojciech Has’ adaptation of Polish novelist Jan Potocki’s magnum opus became a major countercultural favourite during the 1960s, largely due to the patronage of the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia, who regarded the film’s narrative waywardness as a kind of cinematic trip. Luis Buñuel, Neil Gaiman and David Lynch were also admirers, while Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppolla assisted in the film’s restoration and re-release.
Despite its length and the slippery challenge of its storytelling, The Saragossa Manuscript is largely a lighthearted work, laden with warm comedy, ribald drama, Gothic atmospherics and unforgettable imagery.
KINOTEKA on TOUR is Part of the UK – Poland Season of Cultural Exchange organized by the British Council, Polish Cultural Institute and Adam Mickiewicz Institute in partnership with Klassiki.
Starring Zbigniew Cybulsk, Iga Cembrzynska, Elzbieta Czyzewska
AWARDS AND FESTIVALS
Cinema Writers Circle Awards: Winner, Special Award
REVIEWS
“…an epic piece of japery; it celebrates visions and magic by means of labyrinthine storytelling.” Michael Sragow, The New Yorker
“The director’s eye for baroque black-and-white imagery puts him behind only Bava and Welles, while the film’s sharp social satire gives heft to its ambition.” David Fear, Time Out
“A master of digressive technique, Has is never afraid of losing himself or the audience in his mould-breaking visual poems.” Giuseppe Sedia, Kino Mania
“A wonderful, surreal assault on narrative; it’s funny, intelligent, and a ridiculously sly good time.” Jake Euker, F5
Hull Independent Cinema and Kinoteka present…
IT IS NOT MY FILM
Dir Maria Zbaska | Poland | 2024 | 99 mins | Rating TBC | Polish
“This relationship resembles a phone charger cable that has been chewed by a dog… It supposedly charges, but there’s no way it can work.” is how Wanda succinctly captures the essence of her long-term relationship with Janek. Despite the challenges, they embark on a final attempt to salvage their love, journeying along the wintry coast of the Baltic Sea.
A woman and a man walk down a beach dragging a sled filled with luggage looking like polar explorers. After another row and an attempt to divorce, Janek and his wife give themselves an ultimatum and decide to go on a 400-kilometer hike along the Baltic Sea in the middle of winter.
If they can overcome the challenge, they will stay together forever, if not, they will break up. During their journey, they must overcome bad weather conditions and once again learn how to be together.
KINOTEKA on TOUR is Part of the UK – Poland Season of Cultural Exchange organized by the British Council, Polish Cultural Institute and Adam Mickiewicz Institute in partnership with Klassiki.
Starring Zofia Chabiera, Marcin Sztabinski, Mariusz Saniternik
AWARDS AND FESTIVALS
Polish Film Festival: Winner, Golden Claw Award; Nominee, Sapphire Lions Award
CinEast: Winner, Young Talents Award
Kinoteka & Hull Independent Cinema present:
THE SILENT TREES
Dir Agnieszka Zwiefka | Poland, Germany, Denmark | 2024 | 81 mins | Rating TBC | Dutch, French
A 16-year-old Kurdish refugee girl is stranded in an icy pine forest between Belarus and Europe with her family in a dirty political power play. She has only one choice: to grow up in an instant and save her family.
In 2021, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko opens a new migration route. By issuing tourist visas to refugees and promising them access to Europe through the forest, he encourages them to flee to Europe. In response, neighbouring Poland closes the European border and does not allow journalists or aid organisations into the area, even though the lack of food, water and medical care is acute. The refugees are trapped in an icy borderland with no way to enter the EU or return to Belarus. This is where ‘Silent Trees’ starts.
16-year-old Kurdish girl Runa and her family, fleeing ISIS, have made it to the icy, wild pine forest at the border. But everything changes overnight when her mum freezes to death. Runa must make a quantum leap from child to adult to care for her four younger brothers and her depressed father, and try to establish a new life in an increasingly nationalistic Poland. Just as her dream of returning to school comes true, the threat of repatriation looms. In her sketchbook, Runa vents her feelings and her drawings are brought to life in animated sequences.
KINOTEKA on TOUR is Part of the UK – Poland Season of Cultural Exchange organized by the British Council, Polish Cultural Institute and Adam Mickiewicz Institute in partnership with Klassiki.
Starring Runa Husni
AWARDS AND FESTIVALS
Krakow Film Festival: Winner, 3 awards inc Best Director of Feature-Length
Documentary Film; Nominee, 2 awards inc Polish National Competition
Cambridge Film Festival: Winner, Young People’s Jury Award
Giffoni Film Festival: Winner, Best Film
REVIEWS
“It’s a family drama first and foremost, embodied by a young girl coming of age and finding her place in a world intent on rejecting her very existence.” Siddhant Adlakha, Variety
“Zwiefka directs with a commanding, assured eye and lets all watching understand the inner turmoil of the documentary’s subject.” Bobby LePire, Film Threat
“…unusually touching as the audience can see what the family does as they choose to make the best of a bad situation without diminishing how difficult it is.” Stephen Saito, Moveable Fest
“…reveals itself as an accomplished documentary.” Olivia Popp, Modern Times Review
Kinoteka & Hull Independent Cinema present:
UNDER THE GREY SKY
Dir Mara Tamkovich | Poland | 2024 | 81 mins | Rating TBC | Belarusian, Russian
When anti-regime journalist Lena (Aliaksandra Vaitsekhovich) is arrested for livestreaming the brutal crackdown of a demonstration protesting the 2020 Belarusian election, her husband Ilya (Valentin Novopolskij) is confronted with an impossible situation. Subjected to further police raids and facing the likely reality that his wife will spend years in prison, Ilya must reckon with what he might have to give up by standing with Lena. At the same time, an incarcerated Lena is under pressure from the authorities to renounce her activism and betray her firmly held principles.
Mara Tamkovich’s debut feature paints a chilling picture of political repression in the 21st century, when access to the internet, drones and social media have become entwined with public life. Inspired by the true story of Katsyaryna Andreeva and Igor Ilyash, Under the Grey Sky unflinchingly depicts the personal toll political activism can take while still being a vital reminder of its ultimate necessity. It’s a film specific to Belarus, but with increasing international relevance.
KINOTEKA on TOUR is Part of the UK – Poland Season of Cultural Exchange organized by the British Council, Polish Cultural Institute and Adam Mickiewicz Institute in partnership with Klassiki.
Starring Palina Chabatarova, Valentin Novopolskij, Aliaksandra Vaitsekhovic
AWARDS AND FESTIVALS
Polish Film Festival: Winner, Best Debut Director: Nominee, Best Film
Tribeca Film Festival: Nominee, World Narrative Competition
Torino Film Festival: Nominee, 2 awards inc Best Feature Film
REVIEWS
“Gripping docu-drama starkly reminds the world about life under a dictatorship that heavily suppresses peaceful dissent and free press.” Nora Lee Mandel, Maven’s Nest
“Paints a chilling portrait of political repression, with familiar scenes of protest and police violence that are currently happening in cities across the world.” Sara Clements, Pajiba
“It’s heartening that we have talented filmmakers such as Tamkovich to carry on her (Katsiaryna’s) struggle.” Redmond Bacon, Journey Into Cinema
“As a snippet of life in a totalitarian state, Under the Grey Sky is certainly effective.” Eric Hillis, The Movie Waffler
The first screening in our SCREENING ROOMS programme is Alberta Whittle’s We gather and dream of new congregations.
We gather and dream of new congregations spotlights the Jamaican-born activist Eunice McGhie-Belgrave MBE and her friend and colleague Sonia Hyman, leaders of the Shades of Black Community Family Project in Birmingham. Founded in February 1980 during the aftermath of several riots in Handsworth, Shades of Black made an action plan to focus on rebuilding their community which they felt had been abandoned by social services. Organised by mainly womxn from different life experiences and cultural backgrounds, they produced an intergenerational model of care and compassion within their community.
We gather and dream of new congregations presents conversations, performances and interviews with them and the people whose lives have been impacted by their education, probation and mental health work.
Alberta Whittle is an artist, researcher, and curator. She was awarded a Turner Bursary, the Frieze Artist Award, and a Henry Moore Foundation Artist Award in 2020. Alberta is a PhD candidate at Edinburgh College of Art and is a Research Associate at The University of Johannesburg. She was a RAW Academie Fellow at RAW Material in Dakar in 2018 and is the Margaret Tait Award winner for 2018/9.
The screening will be followed by a talk between racial activist and group facilitator Stella Munthali and artist Glynis Neslen.
Stella Munthali is the founder of The Black Heritage of Hull. Since July 2023, Stella has delivered anti racism training as a consultancy to businesses and public services city wide. She is the lead facilitator of The Black Heritage of Hull Collective, a monthly group for anyone who is racialised in Hull, providing safe spaces to share lived experience and explore solutions through intergenerational mentorship. In October 2024 she was the Creative Director and Executive Producer of The Sound of Our Skin, a two-day arts festival delivered to dismantle racial stereotypes through exhibitions, live performances and family workshops with The Black Heritage of Hull Creatives. She is a member of the Wilberforce Advisory Board and currently works as an Adult Social Worker.
This project is supported by Film Hub North with National Lottery funding on behalf of the BFI Film Audience Network.
Pricing Structure:
Reflecting our dedication to serving Hull’s diverse communities and the effects of increasing costs of living, we are introducing a tiered pricing structure for SCREENING ROOMS to better support our audience’s access to our programme.
Tickets to SCREENING ROOMS will be offered at two different pricing levels:
£5 Access tickets
‘Access’ tickets contribute towards our operational costs, such as electricity, printing, and staffing, and contribute to the distribution costs of films that we programme as part of SCREENING ROOMS.
£10 Supporter tickets
‘Supporter’ tickets support all the above costs, as well as allowing us to offer Access tickets for those who need them.
Escaping post-war Europe, visionary architect László Toth arrives in America to rebuild his life, his work, and his marriage to his wife Erzsébet after being forced apart during wartime by shifting borders and regimes. On his own in a strange new country, László settles in Pennsylvania, where the wealthy and prominent industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren recognizes his talent for building. But power and legacy come at a heavy cost…
The film features a built in 15 min interval.
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Grace Pudel is a book-loving, snail-collecting misfit that falls into a series of misfortunes after being separated from her twin brother Gilbert. Despite her hardships, inspiration and hope arise when Grace begins a friendship with an eccentric elderly woman named Pinky. From Academy Award-winning writer and director Adam Elliot, Memoir of a Snail is a heartfelt and hilarious chronicle of the life of an outsider finding her confidence and silver linings amongst the clutter of everyday life.
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NICKEL BOYS
Dir RaMell Ross | USA | 2024 | 140 mins | Rated 12A | English
Florida at the height of segregation, and two Black kids, Elwood and Turner meet at reform school Nickel Academy. Elwood has been sent there simply because the stranger he hitched a ride to school with had stolen the car. Previously optimistic about the Civil Rights movement and the prospects for Black people, Elwood is shattered by the experience, and would likely not survive Nickel Academy were it not for the friendship he strikes up with Turner, as the pair of them navigate Nickel’s abusive confines together in this stirring adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.
Starring Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor
AWARDS AND FESTIVALS
“This is a survivor’s coming of age: tough, disillusioned, brilliant.” ★★★★★ Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
“…sidles up to the narrative’s wrenching twists rather than heavily foreshadowing them, and is all the more gutting for it.” ★★★★ Tim Robey, The Daily Telegraph
“Phenomenal performances form Brandon Wilson, Ethan Herisse and the incomparable Aunjanue Eliis-Taylor.” Carla Renata, TheWrap
“As major and memorable an achievement as any American film this decade.” David Ehrlich, indieWire
HOW TO MAKE MILLIONS BEFORE GRANDMA DIES
Dir Pat Boonnitipat | Thailand | 2024 | 126 mins | Rated 12A | Thai
In Bangkok’s Chinatown, M is a lazy college dropout who commits to caring for his grandmother, Menju, after failing to make it as a video game streamer. Menju has cancer, and M’s real motivation is to curry favour with her so that he might be in line to inherit her luxurious house. Other family members are trying the same thing, but it’s M who best manages to insinuate himself. But despite his initial selfish aims, M finds his inadvertent commitment to Menju’s wellbeing starts to give him a new perspective on life and family.
Starring Putthipong AssaratanakuI, Usha Seamkhum, Sanya Kunakorn
AWARDS AND FESTIVALS
Cambodia International Film Festival: Winner, 2 awards inc Best Film
New York Asian Film Festival: Winner, Audience Award
Asian World Film Festival: Nominee, Best Film
REVIEWS
“It is a sentimental journey to redemption but one that Boonnitipat grounds in understanding and empathy.” Lee Marshall, Screen Daily
“A sweet, sad and sentimental Thai end-of-life melodrama titled and set-up like a greedy-family farce.” Roger Moore, Movie Nation
“The dialogue is biting, crisp, smart, and frequently heartbreaking.” Alex Saveliev, Film Threat
“…range of feeling and the surprising depth of its feel-good reassurances.” Simon Abrams, RogerEbert.com
The acclaimed latest from Luca Guadagnino (Challengers, Call Me By Your Name), QUEER is a lush, sensuous adaptation of William S. Burroughs’ cult novel, featuring a deeply moving and mesmeric central performance from Daniel Craig.
1950. William Lee (Craig), 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 (Drew Starkey), 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.
Written by Justin Kuritzkes (Challengers), scored by Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, and realised with impeccable production design, imagery and Jonathan Anderson’s sumptuous costumes, QUEER is a sensuous 1950s romance of desire and longing.
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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.
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The incredible true story of a man who lived for 15 months trapped inside a small room, naked, starving and alone… and completely unaware that his life was being broadcast on national TV in Japan, to over 15 million viewers a week. Before Big Brother, before The Truman Show, there was the shocking story of Nasubi.
ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT
Dir Payal Kapadia | France, India, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Italy | 2024 | 118 mins | Rated 15 | Malayalam, Hindi, Marathi
In Mumbai, senior nurse Prabha finds her composure disturbed by an unexpected anonymous gift, possibly from her estranged husband. Her younger colleague and roommate Anu, newly arrived in the city, is caught up in the excitement of a new job and trying to find space to be alone with her equally new boyfriend. Hospital cook Pavarty, recently widowed, is fighting eviction from her home. A trip for the three of them to Pavarty’s coastal village home offer the women a chance to find some space and calm outside of the teeming city.
Starring Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam
AWARDS AND FESTIVALS
Cannes Film Festival: Winner, Grand Jury Prize; Nominee, Palme d’Or
British Independent Film Awards: Nominee, Best International Independent Film
Gotham Awards: Nominee, 2 awards inc Best Director
Chicago International Film Festival: Winner, Jury Prize; Nominee, Best Feature
Denver Film Festival: Winner, Best Feature Film
REVIEWS
“There is a freshness and emotional clarity in Payal Kapadia’s Cannes competition selection…” ★★★★★ Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
“Two strong performances root the film… they modulate their performances well together, but are equally strong apart.” Fionnuala Halligan, Screen Daily
“…a meditative, almost spiritual evocation of the human condition at large…” ★★★★ Namrata Joshi, The New Indian Express
“… that the movie is so delicately felt and sensuously textured is cause for outright celebration.” Justin Chang, The New Yorker
LAYLA
Dir Amrou Al-Kadhi | UK | 2024 | 100 mins | Rated 15 | English, Arabic
Layla is a struggling Arab drag queen from a strict Muslim family whose confident façade hides their desperate desire for love. When their performance at a belittling corporate Pride event turns into a transgressive takedown, they are surprised to catch the eye of marketing executive Max, whose attentions sweep Layla off their feet. The two start an intoxicating romance, but as Layla starts to alter who they are in order to keep Max’s interest, and Max struggles to be honest about his own identity, they both have to face uncomfortable truths.
Starring Bilal Hasna, Louis Greatorex
AWARDS AND FESTIVALS
Sundance Film Festival: Nominee, Grand Jury Prize
REVIEWS
“Layla has found their tribe — and it’s here that first-time director Amrou Al-Kadhi, also a drag artist, excels, capturing the sparkling, sensual spectacle of the queer club circuit.” ★★★★ Wendy Ide, The Observer
“…led by what could, and by all rights should, be a breakout role for Bilal Hasna.” William Bibbiani, TheWrap
“…sizzles in multiple ways, as a sexy celebration of queerness and as a shout-out about our need to be true to ourselves wherever we go.” Randy Myers, San Jose Mercury News
“Uses a very enticing screen sensibility to tell a story that has depth, clearly told from a very personal point of view.” Mark Kermode, Kermode and Mayo’s Take (YouTube)
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