Michael Curtiz

Humphrey Bogart

Ingrid Bergman

Paul Henreid

Claude Rains

Conrad Veidt

Sydney Greenstreet

Peter Lorre

S.Z. Sakall

Madeleine Lebeau

Dooley Wilson

Joy Page

John Qualen

Leonid Kinskey

Curt Bois

Enrique Acosta

Ed Agresti

Louis V. Arco

Frank Arnold

Leon Belasco

Nino Bellini

Oliver Blake

Monte Blue

Eugene Borden

Dick Botiller

Maurice Brierre

Sebastian Cabot

Anita Camargo

George M. Carleton

Spencer Chan

Melie Chang

Tex Cooper

Gino Corrado

Franco Corsaro

Adrienne D'Ambricourt

Marcel Dalio

Helmut Dantine

Jean De Briac

George Dee

Jean Del Val

Carl Deloro

Joseph DeVillard

Arthur Dulac

William Edmunds

Herbert Evans

Fred Farrell

Adolph Faylauer

O.K. Ford

Martín Garralaga

Gregory Gaye

Gregory Golubeff

Ilka Grüning

Creighton Hale

Winifred Harris

Jamiel Hasson

Arthur Stuart Hull

Olaf Hytten

Charles La Torre

George J. Lewis

Manuel Lopez

Jacques Lory

Lou Marcelle

Tony Martelli

George Meeker

Lal Chand Mehra

Hercules Mendez

Louis Mercier

Torben Meyer

Alberto Morin

Leo Mostovoy

Corinna Mura

Barry Norton

Lotte Palfi Andor

Paul Panzer

Manuel París

Alexander Pollard

Frank Puglia

Georges Renavent

Dewey Robinson

Richard Ryen

Dan Seymour

Lester Sharpe

Dina Smirnova

Gerald Oliver Smith

George Sorel

Geoffrey Steele

Ludwig Stössel

Mike Tellegen

Rafael Trujillo

Jacques Vanaire

Ellinor Vanderveer

Norma Varden

Hans Heinrich von Twardowski

Jack Wise

Wolfgang Zilzer

Trude Berliner

Paul Porcasi

Max Linder

Frank Mazzola

Henry Rowland

Leo White

Hal B. Wallis

Philip G. Epstein

Julius J. Epstein

Howard Koch

Owen Marks

Arthur Edeson

Carl Jules Weyl

George James Hopkins

Harper Goff

Max Steiner

Francis J. Scheid

Orry-Kelly

Perc Westmore

Warner Bros. Pictures

In Casablanca, Morocco in December 1941, a cynical American expatriate meets a former lover, with unforeseen complications.

Drama

Romance

Casablanca

English

Awards Season is like cinema’s own World Cup, only with more dresses that the internet will argue about and fewer penalty shootouts. At the centre of it all sits Best Picture, the prize that sparks endless takes, late-night tweets and at least one person saying “It deserved better.” Some winners feel like they were written in the stars, others are baffling in hindsight, and a handful quietly slip into history and refuse to leave.With the Oscars this Sunday, we asked the hmv Head Office team to look past the chatter and pick the Best Picture winners that continue to matter, the ones that demand repeat watches, rewrite your predictions and remind you why cinema still feels like magic. These are the films that live far beyond their golden night, the winners that don’t just sit on a shelf; they stay in your head. What are your favourite Best Picture winners?<h3><a href="https://boxd.it/2aG0" rel="nofollow">Casablanca (1943)</a></h3>Adam from Head Office“Here’s looking at you, kid.”There are plenty of controversial Best Picture winners, but Casablanca isn’t one of them. And if it is, keep it to yourself. Everything remarkable and nostalgic about old Hollywood can be found in Michael Curtiz’s masterpiece, from its witty and endlessly quotable script to the undying performances of its leads, Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, as lost lovers stuck between their own heartbroken passions and the dire threat of the Nazis closing in around them. And it almost goes without saying, but what is even more remarkable is that in 1943 when Casablanca won its Oscar for Best Picture, the war still wasn’t over and the fate of the world still hung in the balance. Casablanca has had the good fortune of finding itself on the right side of history, in more ways than one. Vive la France. And long live this Best Picture Winner.<h3><a href="https://boxd.it/29TC" rel="nofollow">On the Waterfront (1954)</a></h3>Ryan from Head OfficeFew Best Picture winners carry the emotional force of On the Waterfront, a drama that blends hard-edged realism with one of cinema’s most unforgettable performances. Directed by Elia Kazan, the film follows dockworker Terry Malloy as he slowly finds the courage to stand up to the corruption controlling the New Jersey waterfront. At its centre is Marlon Brando, delivering a performance of staggering vulnerability and quiet power. His famous “I coulda been a contender” scene remains one of the defining moments in American cinema, a heartbreaking glimpse of wasted potential and buried dignity. Decades later, the film still hits with the same bruising impact, a reminder of how powerful great acting and great storytelling can be.<h3><a href="https://boxd.it/296g" rel="nofollow">The French Connection (1971)</a></h3>Ryan from Head OfficeThere are cop movies, and then there is The French Connection, the gritty, nerve shredding thriller that helped redefine the crime genre in the early seventies. William Friedkin directs with documentary intensity, throwing the audience straight into the rain-soaked streets of New York alongside Gene Hackman’s Popeye Doyle, a detective whose obsession with cracking a heroin smuggling ring borders on reckless. Hackman’s performance is all frayed edges and combustible energy, perfectly matching the film’s rough, street level realism. And then there’s that car chase, still one of the most breathless sequences ever committed to film. Nearly fifty years later, it remains a masterclass in tension and a Best Picture winner that still feels thrillingly alive.<h3><a href="https://boxd.it/1Z5s" rel="nofollow">The Sting (1973)</a></h3>Mark from Head OfficeAfter the huge success of Butch Cassidy &amp; The Sundance Kid, the dream team of Director George Roy Hill and dual leads Paul Newman and Robert Redford reunited for an even better movie, which is saying something. 1973's The Sting is a story of two lovable con men out for revenge in 30s Chicago. The incomparable Robert Shaw is in perfect form as the foil for their master plan, and while the poker game on the train is iconic, the finale is even better and will have Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer" stuck in your head for days. This is the absolute definition of "they don't make 'em like this anymore."<h3><a href="https://boxd.it/28Uk" rel="nofollow">Rocky (1976)</a></h3>Mark from Head OfficeIn one of the great examples of art imitating life, plucky underdog Sylvester Stallone took the ultimate punt on himself, insisting he starred as the titular Rocky Balboa in the boxing drama he'd written and the rest is history. Rocky is a movie and franchise so legendary that Stallone himself is now in the actual Boxing Hall of Fame, and that all stems from this first outing of Philadelphia's favourite fictional son. Boasting a score that will make you want to hit the nearest gym, run up a flight of stairs that will make you want to punch the air with joy and a final embrace that will make you want to stalk local pet shops. The fight scenes aren't bad either.<h3><a href="https://boxd.it/29M2" rel="nofollow">Annie Hall (1977)</a></h3>Steven from Head OfficeWinner of Best Picture at the 1977 Academy Awards, Annie Hall remains one of cinema's sharpest romantic comedies that still sparkles, thanks largely to Diane Keaton. Even if the cultural temperature around Woody Allen has cooled, the film's charm is undeniable. Keaton breathes life into Allen's script, delivering lines with effortless naturalism that make every joke land and every vulnerability sting. Whether debating relationships or chasing lobsters around a kitchen floor, her chemistry with Allen is the film's secret weapon, awkward, affectionate and painfully real. They bounce beautifully off one another, turning neurotic banter into something romantic with the messy authenticity of a real relationship. The result is romantic comedy lightning, two performers perfectly in sync and rightly awarded in the process.<h3><a href="https://boxd.it/2aH8" rel="nofollow">Amadeus (1984)</a></h3>Steven from Head OfficeThe Oscars don't always get it right but sometimes the movie Gods can shine the light on cinematic greatness and crown a worthy winner. Amadeus is a persuasive argument for the system working. Milos Forman's breathtaking Best Picture winner blends historical drama with dark satire and thunderous music. Tom Hulce plays Mozart like a reckless rock star set loose in classical Vienna, while F Murray Abraham turns jealousy into operatic tragedy. The film builds like a symphony, playful, tragic and triumphant before finishing on a note-perfect ending that demands a standing ovation. Bravi.<h3><a href="https://boxd.it/6Z4" rel="nofollow">Unforgiven (1992)</a></h3>Ian from Head OfficeThere are a few stories that could be called perfect, but Unforgiven can be called perfect. Clint Eastwood's history in the Western Genre lends so much weight to the legend of William Munny as we know his history feels like Eastwood's history. An old gunslinger who has left that life behind is slowly brought back into it, but someone is awakened in Munny and for better or for worse, the man he once was returns. Every performance is pitch perfect from Morgan Freeman, Richard Harris and Gene Hackman, along with Eastwood's direction. It all comes together to not just be one of the best Westerns but one of the greatest films of all time.<h3><a href="https://boxd.it/dZ5m" rel="nofollow">The Shape of Water (2017)</a></h3>Ian from Head OfficeI often think of Awards Season as the World Cup for film nerds; we get to dig into the details of statistics and who has what odds to win. When Guillermo Del Toro's The Shape of Water took home the Academy Award for Best Picture I felt like my team won. Del Toro's love of monsters and science fiction comes together perfectly here with the art deco 1950s America crossed with The Creature From The Black Lagoon. Sally Hawkins is spellbinding in her silent performance of Elisa, who manages to show such emotion and take the audience along with her as she falls in love with someone altogether not human. Not often is it the case that a director wins Best Picture and Best Director for the correct film, but in this case I feel the Academy got it spot on.<h3><a href="https://boxd.it/2b5u" rel="nofollow">The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)</a></h3>Adam from Head OfficeIt’s widely considered that Return of the King’s Oscar for Best Picture was in recognition of the trilogy as a whole and the near miraculous success it had achieved, both critically and amongst mainstream audiences. But that shouldn’t take away from how effortlessly it managed to stick the landing. While it might seem impossible today to imagine a world in which the final film fell flat, when I sat down in the cinema over 20 years ago I genuinely didn’t know what would happen. Would Frodo and Sam make it? How could any film possibly live up to the expectations I’d built up? Turns out I had no reason to doubt those nutters over in New Zealand. This was a film as worthy of its Oscar as any other, standing alone as a terrific monument to high fantasy and the power of cinema. Growing up with these films was a life-changing experience for me, and that’s gotta be worth an Oscar or two.<h3><a href="https://boxd.it/hTha" rel="nofollow">Parasite (2019)</a></h3>Ryan from Head OfficeBong Joon-ho’s Parasite is a masterclass in tonal shifts, social commentary and sheer cinematic audacity, the kind of film that sneaks up on you and refuses to let go. From the cramped semi-basement apartment to the sleek modernist house of the Parks, every frame is packed with symbolism and tension, perfectly balancing dark comedy with shocking violence. The ensemble cast is flawless, with Song Kang-ho leading a family you root for even as they teeter on moral collapse. When it won Best Picture, the Oscars finally caught up to a global sensation that had been impossible to ignore, proving that great storytelling knows no borders. Parasite is smart, shocking, funny and utterly unforgettable.

Awards Season is like cinema’s own World Cup, only with more dresses that the internet will argue about and fewer penalty shootouts. At the centre of it all sits Best Picture, the prize that sparks endless takes, late-night tweets and at least one person saying “It deserved better.” Some winners feel like they were written in the stars, others are baffling in hindsight, and a handful quietly slip into history and refuse to leave.

With the Oscars this Sunday, we asked the hmv Head Office team to look past the chatter and pick the Best Picture winners that continue to matter, the ones that demand repeat watches, rewrite your predictions and remind you why cinema still feels like magic. These are the films that live far beyond their golden night, the winners that don’t just sit on a shelf; they stay in your head. What are your favourite Best Picture winners?

<h3><a href="https://boxd.it/2aG0">Casablanca (1943)</a></h3>
Adam from Head Office

“Here’s looking at you, kid.”

There are plenty of controversial Best Picture winners, but Casablanca isn’t one of them. And if it is, keep it to yourself. Everything remarkable and nostalgic about old Hollywood can be found in Michael Curtiz’s masterpiece, from its witty and endlessly quotable script to the undying performances of its leads, Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, as lost lovers stuck between their own heartbroken passions and the dire threat of the Nazis closing in around them. And it almost goes without saying, but what is even more remarkable is that in 1943 when Casablanca won its Oscar for Best Picture, the war still wasn’t over and the fate of the world still hung in the balance. Casablanca has had the good fortune of finding itself on the right side of history, in more ways than one. Vive la France. And long live this Best Picture Winner.

<h3><a href="https://boxd.it/29TC">On the Waterfront (1954)</a></h3>
Ryan from Head Office

Few Best Picture winners carry the emotional force of On the Waterfront, a drama that blends hard-edged realism with one of cinema’s most unforgettable performances. Directed by Elia Kazan, the film follows dockworker Terry Malloy as he slowly finds the courage to stand up to the corruption controlling the New Jersey waterfront. At its centre is Marlon Brando, delivering a performance of staggering vulnerability and quiet power. His famous “I coulda been a contender” scene remains one of the defining moments in American cinema, a heartbreaking glimpse of wasted potential and buried dignity. Decades later, the film still hits with the same bruising impact, a reminder of how powerful great acting and great storytelling can be.

<h3><a href="https://boxd.it/296g">The French Connection (1971)</a></h3>
Ryan from Head Office

There are cop movies, and then there is The French Connection, the gritty, nerve shredding thriller that helped redefine the crime genre in the early seventies. William Friedkin directs with documentary intensity, throwing the audience straight into the rain-soaked streets of New York alongside Gene Hackman’s Popeye Doyle, a detective whose obsession with cracking a heroin smuggling ring borders on reckless. Hackman’s performance is all frayed edges and combustible energy, perfectly matching the film’s rough, street level realism. And then there’s that car chase, still one of the most breathless sequences ever committed to film. Nearly fifty years later, it remains a masterclass in tension and a Best Picture winner that still feels thrillingly alive.

<h3><a href="https://boxd.it/1Z5s">The Sting (1973)</a></h3>
Mark from Head Office

After the huge success of Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid, the dream team of Director George Roy Hill and dual leads Paul Newman and Robert Redford reunited for an even better movie, which is saying something. 1973's The Sting is a story of two lovable con men out for revenge in 30s Chicago. The incomparable Robert Shaw is in perfect form as the foil for their master plan, and while the poker game on the train is iconic, the finale is even better and will have Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer" stuck in your head for days. This is the absolute definition of "they don't make 'em like this anymore."

<h3><a href="https://boxd.it/28Uk">Rocky (1976)</a></h3>
Mark from Head Office

In one of the great examples of art imitating life, plucky underdog Sylvester Stallone took the ultimate punt on himself, insisting he starred as the titular Rocky Balboa in the boxing drama he'd written and the rest is history. Rocky is a movie and franchise so legendary that Stallone himself is now in the actual Boxing Hall of Fame, and that all stems from this first outing of Philadelphia's favourite fictional son. Boasting a score that will make you want to hit the nearest gym, run up a flight of stairs that will make you want to punch the air with joy and a final embrace that will make you want to stalk local pet shops. The fight scenes aren't bad either.

<h3><a href="https://boxd.it/29M2">Annie Hall (1977)</a></h3>
Steven from Head Office

Winner of Best Picture at the 1977 Academy Awards, Annie Hall remains one of cinema's sharpest romantic comedies that still sparkles, thanks largely to Diane Keaton. Even if the cultural temperature around Woody Allen has cooled, the film's charm is undeniable. Keaton breathes life into Allen's script, delivering lines with effortless naturalism that make every joke land and every vulnerability sting. Whether debating relationships or chasing lobsters around a kitchen floor, her chemistry with Allen is the film's secret weapon, awkward, affectionate and painfully real. They bounce beautifully off one another, turning neurotic banter into something romantic with the messy authenticity of a real relationship. The result is romantic comedy lightning, two performers perfectly in sync and rightly awarded in the process.

<h3><a href="https://boxd.it/2aH8">Amadeus (1984)</a></h3>
Steven from Head Office

The Oscars don't always get it right but sometimes the movie Gods can shine the light on cinematic greatness and crown a worthy winner. Amadeus is a persuasive argument for the system working. Milos Forman's breathtaking Best Picture winner blends historical drama with dark satire and thunderous music. Tom Hulce plays Mozart like a reckless rock star set loose in classical Vienna, while F Murray Abraham turns jealousy into operatic tragedy. The film builds like a symphony, playful, tragic and triumphant before finishing on a note-perfect ending that demands a standing ovation. Bravi.

<h3><a href="https://boxd.it/6Z4">Unforgiven (1992)</a></h3>
Ian from Head Office

There are a few stories that could be called perfect, but Unforgiven can be called perfect. Clint Eastwood's history in the Western Genre lends so much weight to the legend of William Munny as we know his history feels like Eastwood's history. An old gunslinger who has left that life behind is slowly brought back into it, but someone is awakened in Munny and for better or for worse, the man he once was returns. Every performance is pitch perfect from Morgan Freeman, Richard Harris and Gene Hackman, along with Eastwood's direction. It all comes together to not just be one of the best Westerns but one of the greatest films of all time.

<h3><a href="https://boxd.it/dZ5m">The Shape of Water (2017)</a></h3>
Ian from Head Office

I often think of Awards Season as the World Cup for film nerds; we get to dig into the details of statistics and who has what odds to win. When Guillermo Del Toro's The Shape of Water took home the Academy Award for Best Picture I felt like my team won. Del Toro's love of monsters and science fiction comes together perfectly here with the art deco 1950s America crossed with The Creature From The Black Lagoon. Sally Hawkins is spellbinding in her silent performance of Elisa, who manages to show such emotion and take the audience along with her as she falls in love with someone altogether not human. Not often is it the case that a director wins Best Picture and Best Director for the correct film, but in this case I feel the Academy got it spot on.

<h3><a href="https://boxd.it/2b5u">The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)</a></h3>
Adam from Head Office

It’s widely considered that Return of the King’s Oscar for Best Picture was in recognition of the trilogy as a whole and the near miraculous success it had achieved, both critically and amongst mainstream audiences. But that shouldn’t take away from how effortlessly it managed to stick the landing. While it might seem impossible today to imagine a world in which the final film fell flat, when I sat down in the cinema over 20 years ago I genuinely didn’t know what would happen. Would Frodo and Sam make it? How could any film possibly live up to the expectations I’d built up? Turns out I had no reason to doubt those nutters over in New Zealand. This was a film as worthy of its Oscar as any other, standing alone as a terrific monument to high fantasy and the power of cinema. Growing up with these films was a life-changing experience for me, and that’s gotta be worth an Oscar or two.

<h3><a href="https://boxd.it/hTha">Parasite (2019)</a></h3>
Ryan from Head Office

Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite is a masterclass in tonal shifts, social commentary and sheer cinematic audacity, the kind of film that sneaks up on you and refuses to let go. From the cramped semi-basement apartment to the sleek modernist house of the Parks, every frame is packed with symbolism and tension, perfectly balancing dark comedy with shocking violence. The ensemble cast is flawless, with Song Kang-ho leading a family you root for even as they teeter on moral collapse. When it won Best Picture, the Oscars finally caught up to a global sensation that had been impossible to ignore, proving that great storytelling knows no borders. Parasite is smart, shocking, funny and utterly unforgettable.

hmv’s Favourite Best Picture Winners

The Golden Age of Hollywood bestowed upon us an illustrious array of timeless films, each contributing to the era's cinematic brilliance. "<a href="https://boxd.it/29Fq" rel="nofollow">Gone with the Wind</a>" (1939) by Victor Fleming remains a sweeping romance amid the Civil War's chaos. Alfred Hitchcock's mesmerizing "<a href="https://boxd.it/2apI" rel="nofollow">Vertigo</a>" (1958) explores love and obsession in San Francisco. "<a href="https://boxd.it/2b2g" rel="nofollow">All Quiet on the Western Front</a>" (1930), directed by Lewis Milestone, vividly portrays the harrowing realities of World War I. Michael Curtiz's "<a href="https://boxd.it/2aG0" rel="nofollow">Casablanca</a>" (1942) is a poignant tale of love and sacrifice set against a wartime backdrop. Orson Welles' groundbreaking "<a href="https://boxd.it/71O" rel="nofollow">Citizen Kane</a>" (1941) redefined storytelling and cinematography. The jury room drama "<a href="https://boxd.it/2auI" rel="nofollow">12 Angry Men</a>" (1957) by Sidney Lumet remains a compelling exploration of justice. Frank Capra's "<a href="https://boxd.it/28xA" rel="nofollow">It's a Wonderful Life</a>" (1946) stands as a heartwarming classic, celebrating the impact of one man's life. Each film, a masterpiece in its own right, contributes to the rich tapestry of the Golden Age of Hollywood.Here Are The 20 Best Films from the Golden Age of Hollywood: <a href="https://www.highonfilms.com/great-films-from-the-golden-age-of-hollywood/" rel="nofollow">www.highonfilms.com/great-films-from-the-golden-age-of-hollywood/</a>

The Golden Age of Hollywood bestowed upon us an illustrious array of timeless films, each contributing to the era's cinematic brilliance. "<a href="https://boxd.it/29Fq">Gone with the Wind</a>" (1939) by Victor Fleming remains a sweeping romance amid the Civil War's chaos. Alfred Hitchcock's mesmerizing "<a href="https://boxd.it/2apI">Vertigo</a>" (1958) explores love and obsession in San Francisco. "<a href="https://boxd.it/2b2g">All Quiet on the Western Front</a>" (1930), directed by Lewis Milestone, vividly portrays the harrowing realities of World War I. Michael Curtiz's "<a href="https://boxd.it/2aG0">Casablanca</a>" (1942) is a poignant tale of love and sacrifice set against a wartime backdrop. Orson Welles' groundbreaking "<a href="https://boxd.it/71O">Citizen Kane</a>" (1941) redefined storytelling and cinematography. The jury room drama "<a href="https://boxd.it/2auI">12 Angry Men</a>" (1957) by Sidney Lumet remains a compelling exploration of justice. Frank Capra's "<a href="https://boxd.it/28xA">It's a Wonderful Life</a>" (1946) stands as a heartwarming classic, celebrating the impact of one man's life. Each film, a masterpiece in its own right, contributes to the rich tapestry of the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Here Are The 20 Best Films from the Golden Age of Hollywood:
https://www.highonfilms.com/great-films-from-the-golden-age-of-hollywood/

20 Great Films from the Golden Age of Hollywood

It's almost time to ring in the new year – celebrate with our new booking guide!Highlights for January, February, and March 2026 include re-releases of Steven Spielberg's debut feature <a href="https://boxd.it/29ui" rel="nofollow">Duel</a> (4K remaster, in celebration of Spielberg's 80th birthday), <a href="https://boxd.it/1POC" rel="nofollow">Labyrinth</a> (40th anniversary, with brand new DCP trailer and anniversary artwork), <a href="https://boxd.it/1XH0" rel="nofollow">Happy Feet</a> (20th anniversary), and <a href="https://boxd.it/1YAk" rel="nofollow">A Knight's Tale</a> (25th anniversary, 4K restoration, with brand new artwork and DCP trailer).Get your audiences loved up with our selection of Valentine's Day favourites, including two Baz Lurhmann classics: <a href="https://boxd.it/2ama" rel="nofollow">Romeo + Juliet</a> (30th anniversary) and <a href="https://boxd.it/29wI" rel="nofollow">Moulin Rouge!</a> (25th anniversary). Emerald Fennell's <a href="https://boxd.it/loRE" rel="nofollow">Promising Young Woman</a> and <a href="https://boxd.it/z4eg" rel="nofollow">Saltburn</a> are available to book ahead of her blistering new adaptation of Wuthering Heights, and a selection of evergreen Valentine's classics – including <a href="https://boxd.it/2aG0" rel="nofollow">Casablanca</a>, <a href="https://boxd.it/23AO" rel="nofollow">10 Things I Hate About You</a>, <a href="https://boxd.it/2aLE" rel="nofollow">Ghost</a>, and more – are also available.More titles ready to book now include new availabilities from the <a href="https://parkcircus.com/explore_films?query=&amp;format=&amp;genre=&amp;decade=&amp;territory=&amp;language=&amp;rights=&amp;studio=Teatro%20Della%20Pace%20Films" rel="nofollow">Teatro Della Pace Films</a> catalogue, <a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/lenny/" rel="nofollow">Lenny</a> (first time on DCP), <a href="https://boxd.it/3Z7W" rel="nofollow">Craig's Wife</a> (new 4K DCP, 90th anniversary), <a href="https://boxd.it/1PDa" rel="nofollow">Bottle Rocket</a> (30th anniversary), our latest Hidden Gem selection <a href="https://boxd.it/Y3I" rel="nofollow">Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser</a>, and much more waiting to be discovered.<blockquote><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/k1idkrxsqw5bzy185efk2/Q1-2026-Booking-Guide_ParkCircus.pdf?rlkey=l2hvyc318tkozf0b8ki2bpwek&amp;st=v3wvtj2s&amp;dl=0" rel="nofollow">Download the Q1 2026 Classic Cinema Booking Guide now!</a></blockquote>

It's almost time to ring in the new year – celebrate with our new booking guide!

Highlights for January, February, and March 2026 include re-releases of Steven Spielberg's debut feature <a href="https://boxd.it/29ui">Duel</a> (4K remaster, in celebration of Spielberg's 80th birthday), <a href="https://boxd.it/1POC">Labyrinth</a> (40th anniversary, with brand new DCP trailer and anniversary artwork), <a href="https://boxd.it/1XH0">Happy Feet</a> (20th anniversary), and <a href="https://boxd.it/1YAk">A Knight's Tale</a> (25th anniversary, 4K restoration, with brand new artwork and DCP trailer).

Get your audiences loved up with our selection of Valentine's Day favourites, including two Baz Lurhmann classics: <a href="https://boxd.it/2ama">Romeo + Juliet</a> (30th anniversary) and <a href="https://boxd.it/29wI">Moulin Rouge!</a> (25th anniversary). Emerald Fennell's <a href="https://boxd.it/loRE">Promising Young Woman</a> and <a href="https://boxd.it/z4eg">Saltburn</a> are available to book ahead of her blistering new adaptation of Wuthering Heights, and a selection of evergreen Valentine's classics – including <a href="https://boxd.it/2aG0">Casablanca</a>, <a href="https://boxd.it/23AO">10 Things I Hate About You</a>, <a href="https://boxd.it/2aLE">Ghost</a>, and more – are also available.

More titles ready to book now include new availabilities from the <a href="https://parkcircus.com/explore_films?query=&format=&genre=&decade=&territory=&language=&rights=&studio=Teatro%20Della%20Pace%20Films">Teatro Della Pace Films</a> catalogue, <a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/lenny/">Lenny</a> (first time on DCP), <a href="https://boxd.it/3Z7W">Craig's Wife</a> (new 4K DCP, 90th anniversary), <a href="https://boxd.it/1PDa">Bottle Rocket</a> (30th anniversary), our latest Hidden Gem selection <a href="https://boxd.it/Y3I">Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser</a>, and much more waiting to be discovered.

<blockquote><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/k1idkrxsqw5bzy185efk2/Q1-2026-Booking-Guide_ParkCircus.pdf?rlkey=l2hvyc318tkozf0b8ki2bpwek&st=v3wvtj2s&dl=0">Download the Q1 2026 Classic Cinema Booking Guide now!</a></blockquote>

Booking Guide: January - March 2026

‘I don’t remember yesterday. Today, it rained.’     There’s a scene about an hour into Sydney Pollack’s rollicking political thriller <a href="https://boxd.it/1SF4" rel="nofollow">3 Days of the Condor</a> that noticeably pulls away from the frantic action of this paranoid story. It contrasts with the pace, even the tone, of the rest of the movie, which is ostensibly about a bookish CIA researcher - Joe Turner, code name Condor - who unwittingly finds himself targeted by shadowy forces after his entire office is gunned down. Fifty years old this summer, the film has widely been considered a part of the seventies obsession with surveillance, untrustworthy government institutions, and deep paranoia: from Francis Ford Coppola’s <a href="https://boxd.it/2a38" rel="nofollow">The Conversation</a> (1974) to Alan J Pakula’s <a href="https://boxd.it/1ILG" rel="nofollow">The Parallax View</a> (1974).     Yet this scene, between Faye Dunaway and Robert Redford, is something else: it’s pure old Hollywood romance. Their two beautiful leonine faces are in half-shadowed close-up, huddled awkwardly close, as Dunaway’s Kathy lies tremulously into the telephone to her boyfriend about her car breaking down on the way to their romantic ski weekend. She can’t tell him the real reason for her absence: she’s being held hostage by a man who seems to be a rogue spy, hiding in her apartment from people who want to kill him. Kathy is a bad liar, pausing awkwardly as she speaks; and as she feigns normality for her boyfriend, she is physically pressed against this other man, nervously denying their shared magnetism.  ‘Why haven’t you asked me to untie your hands?’ Redford later asks her. Dunaway takes a shaky breath. Of course, they end up in the bedroom, in a montage of tasteful caresses.     Much later in the film, the pair depart while standing in front of steaming New York City subway grates, windswept in <a href="https://boxd.it/2aG0" rel="nofollow">Casablanca</a> style; Redford’s black peacoat is turned up at the collar, the image of unkempt romanticism. Never mind that he’s recently kidnapped her. It’s Robert Redford, after all. I point out this strange current because there are two sides - almost two movies - in 3 Days of the Condor: one where a man is hunted by forces outside of his control or understanding, trying to penetrate a complex web of conspiracy and eventually serve as a whistleblower in spite of great personal danger. The other is one where a beautiful man has no choice but to kidnap a beautiful woman, and somehow it gets very sexy, very fast.     The combined pleasures of watching 3 Days of the Condor coalesce in this way: its unlikely kidnapping-romance plot skates on pure Movie Star power and chemistry. But it also throws forth a complex, Hitchcockian chase plot, whose rank mistrust of the CIA and powers-that-be felt perfectly plausible to a nation wrestling with its own corruption. With its story of CIA-within-CIA treachery and the ruthless rubbing-out of those who accidentally uncover their secrets, it fit the twitchy, cynical mood of the era. The fact that those secrets turn out to be about oil fields in the Middle East - in a film released only two years after the OPEC oil crisis brought America’s cars to a halt - is also no accident.     Somehow, Pollack’s film works because it contains both movie fantasy and real grit: Redford looking unrealistically handsome in gold-framed specs, dodging bullets and charming strange women at gunpoint and a watertight political thriller wherein he manages to elude death-by-assassin on the streets of New York City, shot in realistic style by director of photography Owen Roizman. (Roizman also shot <a href="https://boxd.it/296g" rel="nofollow">The French Connection</a> and <a href="https://boxd.it/1VqG" rel="nofollow">Network</a> on those same grime-caked 70s New York streets; he basically had his own cottage industry.)     The screenplay, adapted loosely from a paperback called ‘Six Days of the Condor’ by James Grady, was drastically rewritten by Lorenzo Semple Jr (a screenwriter also responsible for early drafts of The Parallax View, as it turns out). The result is a perfect Swiss watch of a story, with layers of betrayal and stinging, cynical dialogue. At one point, Higgins (Cliff Robertson), deputy director of the CIA and an untrustworthy handler, justifies his stockpiling of oil and resources for the greater good of an unknowing public. In a crisis, he theorises: ‘What do you think people will want us to do?’     ‘Ask them.’ says Joe firmly.     For all its clunky 70s computers and tele-text - its half-century of age - the final, unforgettable denouement of 3 Days of the Condor is as modern as ever. Hopeful that he has finally broken out of the enforced silence and mistruth, Joe takes his information to the New York Times, knowingly placing an even bigger target on his back. But Higgins responds by asking him a horrifying question: does he really believe that the newspapers will print such damaging things about a government institution? That the free press really is free? How deep does the lie go?     Pollack doesn’t stick around to let us find out. The haunting uncertainty is left hanging in the air. As the film freeze frames on Redford, retreating backward into the city streets, it’s almost as though he’s locked in a gun scope’s crosshairs. This is a man who is trapped no matter what he does. Now, he knows it.3 Days of the Condor is available for theatrical bookings in 2K DCP courtesy of Park Circus, with Christina's notes provided in <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/5i2vzetsk9in021zff3be/3-Days-of-the-Condor-Programme-Notes.pdf?rlkey=nh2uxlul5gsps92ov1zbayfuf&amp;st=8bqwwy9u&amp;dl=0" rel="nofollow">bespoke, print-friendly PDF</a>. <a href="https://parkcircus.com/form?__cf_chl_tk=Azec1xgvMMVRn684mEm8KOe5JlYUUxsxXQX9Fh2slWE-1756219656-1.0.1.1-_WUGtbxdmqSnXxiNRjI4Y2Hyr45g0GwkttuMNcSrruU" rel="nofollow">Get in touch</a> to book now.

‘I don’t remember yesterday. Today, it rained.’  
 
There’s a scene about an hour into Sydney Pollack’s rollicking political thriller <a href="https://boxd.it/1SF4">3 Days of the Condor</a> that noticeably pulls away from the frantic action of this paranoid story. It contrasts with the pace, even the tone, of the rest of the movie, which is ostensibly about a bookish CIA researcher - Joe Turner, code name Condor - who unwittingly finds himself targeted by shadowy forces after his entire office is gunned down. Fifty years old this summer, the film has widely been considered a part of the seventies obsession with surveillance, untrustworthy government institutions, and deep paranoia: from Francis Ford Coppola’s <a href="https://boxd.it/2a38">The Conversation</a> (1974) to Alan J Pakula’s <a href="https://boxd.it/1ILG">The Parallax View</a> (1974).  
 
Yet this scene, between Faye Dunaway and Robert Redford, is something else: it’s pure old Hollywood romance. Their two beautiful leonine faces are in half-shadowed close-up, huddled awkwardly close, as Dunaway’s Kathy lies tremulously into the telephone to her boyfriend about her car breaking down on the way to their romantic ski weekend. She can’t tell him the real reason for her absence: she’s being held hostage by a man who seems to be a rogue spy, hiding in her apartment from people who want to kill him. Kathy is a bad liar, pausing awkwardly as she speaks; and as she feigns normality for her boyfriend, she is physically pressed against this other man, nervously denying their shared magnetism.  ‘Why haven’t you asked me to untie your hands?’ Redford later asks her. Dunaway takes a shaky breath. Of course, they end up in the bedroom, in a montage of tasteful caresses.  
 
Much later in the film, the pair depart while standing in front of steaming New York City subway grates, windswept in <a href="https://boxd.it/2aG0">Casablanca</a> style; Redford’s black peacoat is turned up at the collar, the image of unkempt romanticism. Never mind that he’s recently kidnapped her. It’s Robert Redford, after all. I point out this strange current because there are two sides - almost two movies - in 3 Days of the Condor: one where a man is hunted by forces outside of his control or understanding, trying to penetrate a complex web of conspiracy and eventually serve as a whistleblower in spite of great personal danger. The other is one where a beautiful man has no choice but to kidnap a beautiful woman, and somehow it gets very sexy, very fast.  
 
The combined pleasures of watching 3 Days of the Condor coalesce in this way: its unlikely kidnapping-romance plot skates on pure Movie Star power and chemistry. But it also throws forth a complex, Hitchcockian chase plot, whose rank mistrust of the CIA and powers-that-be felt perfectly plausible to a nation wrestling with its own corruption. With its story of CIA-within-CIA treachery and the ruthless rubbing-out of those who accidentally uncover their secrets, it fit the twitchy, cynical mood of the era. The fact that those secrets turn out to be about oil fields in the Middle East - in a film released only two years after the OPEC oil crisis brought America’s cars to a halt - is also no accident.  
 
Somehow, Pollack’s film works because it contains both movie fantasy and real grit: Redford looking unrealistically handsome in gold-framed specs, dodging bullets and charming strange women at gunpoint and a watertight political thriller wherein he manages to elude death-by-assassin on the streets of New York City, shot in realistic style by director of photography Owen Roizman. (Roizman also shot <a href="https://boxd.it/296g">The French Connection</a> and <a href="https://boxd.it/1VqG">Network</a> on those same grime-caked 70s New York streets; he basically had his own cottage industry.)  
 
The screenplay, adapted loosely from a paperback called ‘Six Days of the Condor’ by James Grady, was drastically rewritten by Lorenzo Semple Jr (a screenwriter also responsible for early drafts of The Parallax View, as it turns out). The result is a perfect Swiss watch of a story, with layers of betrayal and stinging, cynical dialogue. At one point, Higgins (Cliff Robertson), deputy director of the CIA and an untrustworthy handler, justifies his stockpiling of oil and resources for the greater good of an unknowing public. In a crisis, he theorises: ‘What do you think people will want us to do?’ 
 
 ‘Ask them.’ says Joe firmly.  
 
For all its clunky 70s computers and tele-text - its half-century of age - the final, unforgettable denouement of 3 Days of the Condor is as modern as ever. Hopeful that he has finally broken out of the enforced silence and mistruth, Joe takes his information to the New York Times, knowingly placing an even bigger target on his back. But Higgins responds by asking him a horrifying question: does he really believe that the newspapers will print such damaging things about a government institution? That the free press really is free? How deep does the lie go?  
 
Pollack doesn’t stick around to let us find out. The haunting uncertainty is left hanging in the air. As the film freeze frames on Redford, retreating backward into the city streets, it’s almost as though he’s locked in a gun scope’s crosshairs. This is a man who is trapped no matter what he does. Now, he knows it.

3 Days of the Condor is available for theatrical bookings in 2K DCP courtesy of Park Circus, with Christina's notes provided in <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/5i2vzetsk9in021zff3be/3-Days-of-the-Condor-Programme-Notes.pdf?rlkey=nh2uxlul5gsps92ov1zbayfuf&st=8bqwwy9u&dl=0">bespoke, print-friendly PDF</a>. <a href="https://parkcircus.com/form?__cf_chl_tk=Azec1xgvMMVRn684mEm8KOe5JlYUUxsxXQX9Fh2slWE-1756219656-1.0.1.1-_WUGtbxdmqSnXxiNRjI4Y2Hyr45g0GwkttuMNcSrruU">Get in touch</a> to book now.

Christina Newland Presents #1: 3 Days of the Condor

For the Fête de la Musique, LaCinetek and Pass Culture invite you to sing at the top of your lungs in front of your screens. Whether it's at a karaoke session, in the car, or in a pool, on the streets of Chicago or Rochefort, on ski slopes or in a factory workshop, everyone sings in cinema. From melancholic tunes to uplifting anthems, characters belt out songs to express emotions that words alone can't convey.On June 21st, let’s twist and shout in front of our favorite movies.The films to discover in the spotlight:We Know the Song: <a href="https://boxd.it/25MC" rel="nofollow">Modern Times</a> directed by Charlie Chaplin <a href="https://boxd.it/251G" rel="nofollow">Gilda</a> directed by Charles Vidor <a href="https://boxd.it/2aG0" rel="nofollow">Casablanca</a> directed by Michael Curtiz <a href="https://boxd.it/2aYS" rel="nofollow">Breakfast at Tiffany’s</a> directed by Blake Edwards <a href="https://boxd.it/28rM" rel="nofollow">Jules and Jim</a> directed by François Truffaut <a href="https://boxd.it/2a5S" rel="nofollow">The Man Who Knew Too Much</a> directed by Alfred Hitchcock <a href="https://boxd.it/1f02" rel="nofollow">French Fried Vacation 2</a> directed by Patrice Leconte <a href="https://boxd.it/1YPY" rel="nofollow">Ferris Bueller’s Day Off</a> directed by John Hughes <a href="https://boxd.it/oTo" rel="nofollow">Palombella rossa</a> directed by Nanni Moretti <a href="https://boxd.it/26FW" rel="nofollow">Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!</a> directed by Pedro Almodóvar <a href="https://boxd.it/2b0E" rel="nofollow">Lost in Translation</a> directed by Sofia Coppola <a href="https://boxd.it/1xBg" rel="nofollow">Fish Tank</a> directed by Andrea Arnold <a href="https://boxd.it/7Uau" rel="nofollow">Mommy</a> directed by Xavier DolanSinging Films: <a href="https://boxd.it/29Xu" rel="nofollow">The Wizard of Oz</a> directed by Victor Fleming <a href="https://boxd.it/29oY" rel="nofollow">Singin’ in the Rain</a> directed by Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly <a href="https://boxd.it/23UY" rel="nofollow">Masculin Féminin</a> directed by Jean-Luc Godard <a href="https://boxd.it/26K8" rel="nofollow">The Young Girls of Rochefort</a> directed by Jacques Demy <a href="https://boxd.it/1txE" rel="nofollow">Performance</a> directed by Nicolas Roeg and Donald Cammell <a href="https://boxd.it/29YW" rel="nofollow">Grease</a> directed by Randal Kleiser <a href="https://boxd.it/2adi" rel="nofollow">The Blues Brothers</a> directed by John Landis <a href="https://boxd.it/1XRa" rel="nofollow">Cry-Baby</a> directed by John Waters <a href="https://boxd.it/1W18" rel="nofollow">The Doors</a> directed by Oliver Stone <a href="https://boxd.it/71E" rel="nofollow">Dancer in the Dark</a> directed by Lars von Trier <a href="https://boxd.it/27Lm" rel="nofollow">8 Women</a> directed by François OzonWatch them now on LaCinetek: <a href="https://www.lacinetek.com/fr-en/selection/please-don-t-stop-the-musichttps://www.lacinetek.com/fr-en/selection/please-don-t-stop-the-music" rel="nofollow">https://www.lacinetek.com/fr-en/selection/please-don-t-stop-the-music</a>

For the Fête de la Musique, LaCinetek and Pass Culture invite you to sing at the top of your lungs in front of your screens. 

Whether it's at a karaoke session, in the car, or in a pool, on the streets of Chicago or Rochefort, on ski slopes or in a factory workshop, everyone sings in cinema. From melancholic tunes to uplifting anthems, characters belt out songs to express emotions that words alone can't convey.
 
On June 21st, let’s twist and shout in front of our favorite movies.

The films to discover in the spotlight:

We Know the Song:
<a href="https://boxd.it/25MC">Modern Times</a> directed by Charlie Chaplin
<a href="https://boxd.it/251G">Gilda</a> directed by Charles Vidor
<a href="https://boxd.it/2aG0">Casablanca</a> directed by Michael Curtiz
<a href="https://boxd.it/2aYS">Breakfast at Tiffany’s</a> directed by Blake Edwards
<a href="https://boxd.it/28rM">Jules and Jim</a> directed by François Truffaut
<a href="https://boxd.it/2a5S">The Man Who Knew Too Much</a> directed by Alfred Hitchcock
<a href="https://boxd.it/1f02">French Fried Vacation 2</a> directed by Patrice Leconte
<a href="https://boxd.it/1YPY">Ferris Bueller’s Day Off</a> directed by John Hughes
<a href="https://boxd.it/oTo">Palombella rossa</a> directed by Nanni Moretti
<a href="https://boxd.it/26FW">Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!</a> directed by Pedro Almodóvar
<a href="https://boxd.it/2b0E">Lost in Translation</a> directed by Sofia Coppola 
<a href="https://boxd.it/1xBg">Fish Tank</a> directed by Andrea Arnold
<a href="https://boxd.it/7Uau">Mommy</a> directed by Xavier Dolan

Singing Films: 
<a href="https://boxd.it/29Xu">The Wizard of Oz</a> directed by Victor Fleming
<a href="https://boxd.it/29oY">Singin’ in the Rain</a> directed by Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly
<a href="https://boxd.it/23UY">Masculin Féminin</a> directed by Jean-Luc Godard
<a href="https://boxd.it/26K8">The Young Girls of Rochefort</a> directed by Jacques Demy
<a href="https://boxd.it/1txE">Performance</a> directed by Nicolas Roeg and Donald Cammell
<a href="https://boxd.it/29YW">Grease</a> directed by Randal Kleiser
<a href="https://boxd.it/2adi">The Blues Brothers</a> directed by John Landis
<a href="https://boxd.it/1XRa">Cry-Baby</a> directed by John Waters
<a href="https://boxd.it/1W18">The Doors</a> directed by Oliver Stone
<a href="https://boxd.it/71E">Dancer in the Dark</a> directed by Lars von Trier
<a href="https://boxd.it/27Lm">8 Women</a> directed by François Ozon

Watch them now on LaCinetek: <a href="https://www.lacinetek.com/fr-en/selection/please-don-t-stop-the-musichttps://www.lacinetek.com/fr-en/selection/please-don-t-stop-the-music">https://www.lacinetek.com/fr-en/selection/please-don-t-stop-the-music</a>

Spotlight on Please don't stop the music

For the Cabourg Film Festival (June 11–15), dedicated to romantic films, Abd Al Malik - president of the 2025 short film jury, recommends a selection of films on LaCinetek:"Because, like anyone watching a film, I’ve had this experience, I’m deeply convinced that the feelings and emotions we experience while watching a film are always projections of our own inner world. That’s why we inevitably need time to gather ourselves after seeing a film that touches us deeply. It’s never easy, nor common, to come face to face with oneself so clearly.The films I’ve selected are romances that reflect aspects of who I am, in ways that resonate more or less profoundly with my own singularity as an individual. But since we all share in the human experience, I’m certain they will resonate with you too, because cinema is, above all, an extraordinary mirror of our shared humanity." - Abd Al Malik The films to discover in the spotlight followed by Abd Al Malik’s explanation for each of his selections:<a href="https://boxd.it/2ahY" rel="nofollow">Good Will Hunting</a> directed by Gus Van Sant "Family trauma, life with friends in the neighborhood, a love of knowledge, a mentor-like professor, and school as a way to transcend a complex socio-cultural background, not to mention a budding love story. All the ingredients of a great “Coming of Age Story,” as we say in good old French…" <a href="https://boxd.it/29re" rel="nofollow">Sleepless in Seattle</a> directed by Nora Ephron "This is romantic comedy in its purest form. A man has lost his wife, the love of his life, to illness. Now a widower, he lives alone with his young son, who is determined to help his father find love again. One phone call to a radio show, and everything changes. It’s Nora Ephron, Tom Hanks, and Meg Ryan and it’s pure magic."<a href="https://boxd.it/28R6" rel="nofollow">Out of Sight</a> directed by Steven Soderbergh "Karen and Jack (Jennifer Lopez &amp; George Clooney) fall in love in the trunk of a car. She’s a U.S. Marshal, he’s a criminal. The crime plot is complex, the romance irresistibly glamorous. Pure entertainment. The cinematography is stunning, and there’s never a dull moment."<a href="https://boxd.it/1Zgg" rel="nofollow">Love Story</a> directed by Arthur Hiller "A timeless classic and the ultimate romantic drama. Ali MacGraw and Ryan O’Neal form a legendary couple and let’s not forget the iconic music by French composer Francis Lai. Everyone knows the story."<a href="https://boxd.it/IG" rel="nofollow">Drive</a> directed by Nicolas Winding Refn "The Danish director of the ultra-violent Pusher trilogy crafts here a love story that is both dark and luminous. With its highly stylized aesthetic, this film becomes a strange vessel for a wave of violence that leaves you breathless. A hybrid of gangster film and unforgettable romance."<a href="https://boxd.it/22fK" rel="nofollow">The Umbrellas of Cherbourg</a> directed by Jacques Demy "One of the first films to directly address the Algerian War in the form of a musical. Or more precisely, a romantic musical tragedy. Everything in it is cinematically and musically flawless."<a href="https://boxd.it/6YK" rel="nofollow">Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind</a> directed by Michel Gondry "Can we really erase a sincere and authentic love story from our memory? And why does a deep romantic experience change us forever? With a script by Charlie Kaufman and direction by Michel Gondry, it’s a guaranteed emotionally moving cinematic UFO."<a href="https://boxd.it/4O24" rel="nofollow">Her</a> directed by Spike Jonze "Depression and love in the age of artificial intelligence. Much like an episode of Black Mirror, this film explores the emotional and psychological impact of new technologies on the postmodern romantic soul."<a href="https://boxd.it/17ue" rel="nofollow">The Social Network</a> directed by David Fincher "How a romantic breakup sparked the creation of the social network that would propel the world into the 21st century and forever change the way we live. Aaron Sorkin’s rapid-fire dialogue and David Fincher’s razor-sharp direction: a must-see."<a href="https://boxd.it/2aG0" rel="nofollow">Casablanca</a> directed by Michael Curtiz "What is a film from Hollywood’s Golden Age? A romantic tale with true emotional power, avant-garde direction that blends operatic classicism with modern storytelling, seamless staging, and elegant cinematography. And then, of course, Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart’s unforgettable performances. You can call it a classic or a masterpiece."

For the Cabourg Film Festival (June 11–15), dedicated to romantic films, Abd Al Malik - president of the 2025 short film jury, recommends a selection of films on LaCinetek:

"Because, like anyone watching a film, I’ve had this experience, I’m deeply convinced that the feelings and emotions we experience while watching a film are always projections of our own inner world. That’s why we inevitably need time to gather ourselves after seeing a film that touches us deeply. It’s never easy, nor common, to come face to face with oneself so clearly.

The films I’ve selected are romances that reflect aspects of who I am, in ways that resonate more or less profoundly with my own singularity as an individual. But since we all share in the human experience, I’m certain they will resonate with you too, because cinema is, above all, an extraordinary mirror of our shared humanity." - Abd Al Malik


The films to discover in the spotlight followed by Abd Al Malik’s explanation for each of his selections:

<a href="https://boxd.it/2ahY">Good Will Hunting</a> directed by Gus Van Sant
"Family trauma, life with friends in the neighborhood, a love of knowledge, a mentor-like professor, and school as a way to transcend a complex socio-cultural background, not to mention a budding love story. All the ingredients of a great “Coming of Age Story,” as we say in good old French…"


<a href="https://boxd.it/29re">Sleepless in Seattle</a> directed by Nora Ephron
"This is romantic comedy in its purest form. A man has lost his wife, the love of his life, to illness. Now a widower, he lives alone with his young son, who is determined to help his father find love again. One phone call to a radio show, and everything changes. It’s Nora Ephron, Tom Hanks, and Meg Ryan and it’s pure magic."

<a href="https://boxd.it/28R6">Out of Sight</a> directed by Steven Soderbergh
"Karen and Jack (Jennifer Lopez & George Clooney) fall in love in the trunk of a car. She’s a U.S. Marshal, he’s a criminal. The crime plot is complex, the romance irresistibly glamorous. Pure entertainment. The cinematography is stunning, and there’s never a dull moment."

<a href="https://boxd.it/1Zgg">Love Story</a> directed by Arthur Hiller
"A timeless classic and the ultimate romantic drama. Ali MacGraw and Ryan O’Neal form a legendary couple and let’s not forget the iconic music by French composer Francis Lai. Everyone knows the story."

<a href="https://boxd.it/IG">Drive</a> directed by Nicolas Winding Refn
"The Danish director of the ultra-violent Pusher trilogy crafts here a love story that is both dark and luminous. With its highly stylized aesthetic, this film becomes a strange vessel for a wave of violence that leaves you breathless. A hybrid of gangster film and unforgettable romance."

<a href="https://boxd.it/22fK">The Umbrellas of Cherbourg</a> directed by Jacques Demy
"One of the first films to directly address the Algerian War in the form of a musical. Or more precisely, a romantic musical tragedy. Everything in it is cinematically and musically flawless."

<a href="https://boxd.it/6YK">Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind</a> directed by Michel Gondry
"Can we really erase a sincere and authentic love story from our memory? And why does a deep romantic experience change us forever? With a script by Charlie Kaufman and direction by Michel Gondry, it’s a guaranteed emotionally moving cinematic UFO."

<a href="https://boxd.it/4O24">Her</a> directed by Spike Jonze
"Depression and love in the age of artificial intelligence. Much like an episode of Black Mirror, this film explores the emotional and psychological impact of new technologies on the postmodern romantic soul."

<a href="https://boxd.it/17ue">The Social Network</a> directed by David Fincher
"How a romantic breakup sparked the creation of the social network that would propel the world into the 21st century and forever change the way we live. Aaron Sorkin’s rapid-fire dialogue and David Fincher’s razor-sharp direction: a must-see."

<a href="https://boxd.it/2aG0">Casablanca</a> directed by Michael Curtiz
"What is a film from Hollywood’s Golden Age? A romantic tale with true emotional power, avant-garde direction that blends operatic classicism with modern storytelling, seamless staging, and elegant cinematography. And then, of course, Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart’s unforgettable performances. You can call it a classic or a masterpiece."

Spotlight on Abd Al Malik x Festival de Cabourg

The last winter holiday of the season is quickly approaching. If you are looking for that special date night destination this Valentine's Season, consider our little independent cinema the place to be.You will find romantic classics like Rob Reiner's <a href="https://boxd.it/29W2" rel="nofollow">WHEN HARRY MET SALLY</a>, Richard Linklater's <a href="https://boxd.it/2bcg" rel="nofollow">THE BEFORE TRILOGY</a>, David Lean’s <a href="https://boxd.it/29sm" rel="nofollow">BRIEF ENCOUNTER</a> and Michael Curtiz's <a href="https://boxd.it/2aG0" rel="nofollow">CASABALANCA</a>, or you can see something a little more quirky and melancholic like Michel Gondry’s <a href="https://boxd.it/6YK" rel="nofollow">ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND</a>, something violent like the Tony Scott directed, Quentin Tarantino written TRUE ROMANCE, Martin Scorsese’s TAXI DRIVER, and the Baz Luhrmann’s ROMEO + JULIET, or an ode to cinema with Giuseppe Tornatore’s CINEMA PARADISO. We'll also have some hidden gems dotted throughout like Gus Van Sant's <a href="https://boxd.it/2ak4" rel="nofollow">MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO</a>, Arthur Hiller's LOVE STORY, Abbas Kiarostami’s CERTIFIED COPY, Anna Biller’s <a href="https://boxd.it/cZie" rel="nofollow">THE LOVE WITCH</a> and Céline Sciamma's queer romance PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE.All this screens alongside ongoing performances of Wong Kar-wai's IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE in 35mm, HAPPY TOGETHER in 35mm and CHUNGKING EXPRESS in 4K, as well as, a handful of classics from the late-great David Lynch with MULHOLLAND DR., BLUE VELVET and WILD AT HEART. And it wouldn’t be Valentine’s without our annual tradition of presenting Edgar Wright's bromance comedy classic <a href="https://boxd.it/2416" rel="nofollow">HOT FUZZ</a><a href="https://boxd.it/2416" rel="nofollow"> </a>on Valentine's Day – 18 years to the day it was released in 2007!There’s plenty more love to go around in our Valentines programme, so <a href="https://princecharlescinema.com/seasons-events/?se=179" rel="nofollow">CLICK HERE</a> and find something you love…

The last winter holiday of the season is quickly approaching. If you are looking for that special date night destination this Valentine's Season, consider our little independent cinema the place to be.

You will find romantic classics like Rob Reiner's <a href="https://boxd.it/29W2">WHEN HARRY MET SALLY</a>, Richard Linklater's <a href="https://boxd.it/2bcg">THE BEFORE TRILOGY</a>, David Lean’s <a href="https://boxd.it/29sm">BRIEF ENCOUNTER</a> and Michael Curtiz's <a href="https://boxd.it/2aG0">CASABALANCA</a>, or you can see something a little more quirky and melancholic like Michel Gondry’s <a href="https://boxd.it/6YK">ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND</a>, something violent like the Tony Scott directed, Quentin Tarantino written TRUE ROMANCE, Martin Scorsese’s TAXI DRIVER, and the Baz Luhrmann’s ROMEO + JULIET, or an ode to cinema with Giuseppe Tornatore’s CINEMA PARADISO. We'll also have some hidden gems dotted throughout like Gus Van Sant's <a href="https://boxd.it/2ak4">MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO</a>, Arthur Hiller's LOVE STORY, Abbas Kiarostami’s CERTIFIED COPY, Anna Biller’s <a href="https://boxd.it/cZie">THE LOVE WITCH</a> and Céline Sciamma's queer romance PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE.

All this screens alongside ongoing performances of Wong Kar-wai's IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE in 35mm, HAPPY TOGETHER in 35mm and CHUNGKING EXPRESS in 4K, as well as, a handful of classics from the late-great David Lynch with MULHOLLAND DR., BLUE VELVET and WILD AT HEART. And it wouldn’t be Valentine’s without our annual tradition of presenting Edgar Wright's bromance comedy classic <a href="https://boxd.it/2416">HOT FUZZ</a><a href="https://boxd.it/2416"> </a>on Valentine's Day – 18 years to the day it was released in 2007!

There’s plenty more love to go around in our Valentines programme, so <a href="https://princecharlescinema.com/seasons-events/?se=179">CLICK HERE</a> and find something you love…

VALENTINE'S @ THE PCC ❤️

É impressionante como “<a href="https://boxd.it/1J6" rel="nofollow">Yaaba</a>” (lançado anteriormente no Brasil com o pavoroso título de “O Amor Silencioso”, que vou solenemente ignorar) consegue estabelecer muito bem, em menos de três minutos, toda a situação dramática que será desenvolvida ao longo do filme. A obra de 1989, roteirizada e dirigida pelo burquinense Idrissa Ouédraogo (1954-2018), e que reúne recursos de Burkina Faso, Suíça, França e Alemanha Ocidental, começa com duas crianças correndo em uma paisagem árida em direção ao horizonte. Fade-out. Aparecem os créditos, em meio a uma animada música instrumental. Logo depois, voltamos à aridez de algum lugar em (supõe-se) Burkina Faso. Porém, agora vemos um ambiente mais arborizado, e descobrimos, pelo diálogo, que trata-se de um cemitério. Uma das crianças que havíamos visto joga água no túmulo da mãe. O colega a ajuda. Ao mesmo tempo, vemos, no plano de fundo do quadro, uma figura chegando. Em um certo momento, corte para ela, e percebemos que trata-se de uma senhora bastante idosa. A menina que aguava o túmulo da mãe percebe a presença da mulher, e pergunta ao colega se a senhora é, de fato, uma bruxa. O menino responde que não sabe, mas que isso é o que todos os moradores dizem na aldeia mossi onde os personagens vivem. Eles saem.Apenas por este início, já fica claro o que o filme, indicado e premiado em vários festivais de cinema importantes ao redor do mundo ‒ como o de Cannes ‒, está propondo ao espectador. A história gira em torno da amizade entre duas crianças (os primos Bila e Nopoko), atravessada por uma personagem que todos os moradores de uma comunidade rural consideram uma feiticeira, e que é, portanto, uma espécie de pária (a “avó” que deriva da tradução do título original em língua moré, também o idioma do filme).Formalmente, o começo do longa também indica qual abordagem Ouédraogo trará em sua obra. Em primeiro lugar, abundância de planos gerais e composições que tornam os personagens figuras pequenas no ambiente desértico e destituído de qualquer referência temporal. Trata-se, pois, de uma história em que os habitantes do lugar serão constantemente confrontados com a aspereza dos elementos e eventos naturais da vida. É o fogo que destrói a casa na aldeia logo no início do filme, é a quase-morte de Nopoko (Roukietou Barry), e também os acontecimentos do passado da velha senhora. Isso sem falar nas dificuldades diárias e concretas de se cruzar longas distâncias sob o sol escaldante para, por exemplo, buscar água em jarros de barro. Mais do que apenas belas paisagens, o ambiente em Yaaba é onde os personagens explicitamente encontram o mundo, em toda a sua vivacidade e dureza. E, ao mesmo tempo, o filme investe também em um uso constante da profundidade de campo, de modo a ressaltar as distâncias entre os personagens e tornar mais sensível sua aproximação no decorrer da narrativa. Esta espécie de montagem interna no plano também permite ao diretor se deter mais sobre cada momento, o que impacta na sucessão dos cortes e, por consequência, no ritmo calmo do filme.Neste primeiro aspecto, da ambientação, a obra se aproxima bastante do fabuloso “<a href="https://boxd.it/2rg4" rel="nofollow">A Luz</a>” (Yeelen, 1987), dirigido pelo malinês Souleymane Cissé. Ambos os filmes constroem imagens simples e, ao mesmo tempo, belíssimas das paisagens africanas. Ao contrário de uma tragédia shakespeariana antropomorfizada que se passa em território africano, como em “<a href="https://boxd.it/201Q" rel="nofollow">O Rei Leão</a>” (The Lion King, 1994), de Roger Allers e Rob Minkoff, ou uma história de amor arrebatadora no norte da África em meio à Segunda Guerra Mundial, como em “<a href="https://boxd.it/2aG0" rel="nofollow">Casablanca</a>” (1942), de Michael Curtiz, os dois filmes africanos deixam o exotismo de lado e retratam seus respectivos ambientes como locais tão grandiosos quanto singelos. “Yaaba”, em especial, investe em uma aparente trivialidade que vai totalmente de encontro à representação que costuma ser feita dos povos africanos e seus territórios. Afinal, aqui não há grandes acontecimentos, mas há, por certo, grandeza nos mais pequenos momentos, como quando, por exemplo, o garoto Bila (Noufou Ouédraogo, em uma das melhores atuações de intérpretes-mirins que já vi, ao longo de todo o filme) constata junto a Sana (Fatimata Sanga) que ela não tem mais casa, após a cabana da anciã ser queimada, em uma cena profundamente tocante na qual os personagens são emoldurados por vários galhos de um arvoredo, ressaltando sua proximidade em um mundo à parte da vila.Ecoando temática e esteticamente o realizador indiano Satyajit Ray (1921-1992) em seu poderoso longa de estreia, “<a href="https://boxd.it/22yC" rel="nofollow">A Canção da Estrada</a>” (Pather Panchali, 1955), Ouédraogo constrói o enredo de Yaaba a partir da amizade que vai se criando entre Bila e Sana (Fatimata Sanga). A professora e pesquisadora Lúcia Nagib esclarece bem esta proximidade entre os filmes, e também outros aspectos importantes do uso do espaço e da condução das ações dos personagens, em seu ótimo artigo <a href="https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/74746/1/Nagib%20paper%20on%20Yaaba.pdf" rel="nofollow">“Yaaba, cinefilia e realismo sem fronteiras</a>“, versão em português de um excerto de seu livro, “World Cinema and the Ethics of Realism“. Entretanto, importa aqui citar como Ouédraogo subverte o trabalho de Ray, amenizando o final trágico que o diretor indiano havia estabelecido. E, aqui, é fundamental ressaltar o papel central que as mulheres exercem no filme burquinense. As personagens femininas que ganham mais destaque em “Yaaba” não apenas têm agência frente às situações, mas, mais importante ainda, na maior parte do tempo se valem deste protagonismo para interceder em favor de si mesmas e/ou de outras mulheres. É o caso de Sana, que, em uma passagem lindamente filmada, cruza um longo caminho a pé e atravessa um rio para encontrar o homem que pode ajudar a curar Nopoko quando a garota adoece. É também o que percebemos em relação à mãe de Bila, que, contrariando a decisão do marido e dos outros homens da aldeia, pede ao filho que volte com o ancião capaz de medicar a menina acamada. E é, ainda, o caso de Koudi (Assita Ouédraogo), uma moradora da vila que, em paralelo à ação principal, mantém um relacionamento secreto com o ex-companheiro e, ao final, abandona o marido alcoólatra e sexualmente impotente em busca de uma vida plenamente realizada, ao lado do homem que de fato ama.Aliás, a impotência aqui não é só deste homem em particular, mas (simbolicamente) de quase todo o elenco masculino, à exceção de Bila e do herbalista Taryam, chamado por Sana. Em um contexto marcado pelo tradicionalismo, Idrissa Ouédraogo faz das mulheres os principais fios condutores da ação e elementos de contestação aos equívocos masculinos. Quando o pai de Bila castiga o garoto, é a mãe do menino que chama a atenção do marido pelo excesso de rigor. No momento em que Bila julga a esposa adúltera, é Sana quem lembra ao garoto que a mulher deve ter suas razões. E, fundamentalmente, quando um grupo de meninos da aldeia tenta machucar o protagonista, é Nopoko quem o defende e, por isso, é ferida com a faca que quase causará sua morte. O próprio título do filme dá destaque à figura de Sana, que é excluída daquela sociedade mas, paradoxalmente, é responsabilizada por todos os infortúnios que ali ocorrem, até ser, por fim, a mulher que empreendeu uma longa peregrinação altruísta em busca da cura para uma criança do vilarejo, salvando-a da morte.Certamente, é válido argumentar que a amizade entre Bila e Sana não é construída com a devida paciência e progressão dramática, parecendo muito apressada no início, e alguns podem classificar o final do filme como excessivamente óbvio. No entanto, não se pode negar que a obra é encantadora por sua beleza plástica e temática, e por retratar um povo africano de forma humana e afetuosa, mas sem deixar de lado as complexidades inerentes a qualquer sociedade. Não poderia terminar, então, sem citar o próprio realizador: “’Yaaba’ é primeiro de tudo a história de uma amizade que começa e cresce entre dois membros de uma sociedade rural, na qual nós vemos o homem como ele é: bom, mau, generoso, intolerante”. ■ Crítica de Lucas Oliveira, Cinematório. Texto original: <a href="https://www.cinematorio.com.br/2022/11/critica-filme-yaaba-idrissa-ouedraogo/" rel="nofollow">https://www.cinematorio.com.br/2022/11/critica-filme-yaaba-idrissa-ouedraogo/</a>Assista YAABA na FILMICCA <a href="https://www.filmicca.com.br/film/yaaba/" rel="nofollow">https://www.filmicca.com.br/film/yaaba/</a>

É impressionante como “<a href="https://boxd.it/1J6">Yaaba</a>” (lançado anteriormente no Brasil com o pavoroso título de “O Amor Silencioso”, que vou solenemente ignorar) consegue estabelecer muito bem, em menos de três minutos, toda a situação dramática que será desenvolvida ao longo do filme. A obra de 1989, roteirizada e dirigida pelo burquinense Idrissa Ouédraogo (1954-2018), e que reúne recursos de Burkina Faso, Suíça, França e Alemanha Ocidental, começa com duas crianças correndo em uma paisagem árida em direção ao horizonte. Fade-out. 

Aparecem os créditos, em meio a uma animada música instrumental. Logo depois, voltamos à aridez de algum lugar em (supõe-se) Burkina Faso. Porém, agora vemos um ambiente mais arborizado, e descobrimos, pelo diálogo, que trata-se de um cemitério. Uma das crianças que havíamos visto joga água no túmulo da mãe. O colega a ajuda. Ao mesmo tempo, vemos, no plano de fundo do quadro, uma figura chegando. Em um certo momento, corte para ela, e percebemos que trata-se de uma senhora bastante idosa. A menina que aguava o túmulo da mãe percebe a presença da mulher, e pergunta ao colega se a senhora é, de fato, uma bruxa. O menino responde que não sabe, mas que isso é o que todos os moradores dizem na aldeia mossi onde os personagens vivem. Eles saem.

Apenas por este início, já fica claro o que o filme, indicado e premiado em vários festivais de cinema importantes ao redor do mundo ‒ como o de Cannes ‒, está propondo ao espectador. A história gira em torno da amizade entre duas crianças (os primos Bila e Nopoko), atravessada por uma personagem que todos os moradores de uma comunidade rural consideram uma feiticeira, e que é, portanto, uma espécie de pária (a “avó” que deriva da tradução do título original em língua moré, também o idioma do filme).

Formalmente, o começo do longa também indica qual abordagem Ouédraogo trará em sua obra. Em primeiro lugar, abundância de planos gerais e composições que tornam os personagens figuras pequenas no ambiente desértico e destituído de qualquer referência temporal. Trata-se, pois, de uma história em que os habitantes do lugar serão constantemente confrontados com a aspereza dos elementos e eventos naturais da vida. É o fogo que destrói a casa na aldeia logo no início do filme, é a quase-morte de Nopoko (Roukietou Barry), e também os acontecimentos do passado da velha senhora. Isso sem falar nas dificuldades diárias e concretas de se cruzar longas distâncias sob o sol escaldante para, por exemplo, buscar água em jarros de barro. Mais do que apenas belas paisagens, o ambiente em Yaaba é onde os personagens explicitamente encontram o mundo, em toda a sua vivacidade e dureza. E, ao mesmo tempo, o filme investe também em um uso constante da profundidade de campo, de modo a ressaltar as distâncias entre os personagens e tornar mais sensível sua aproximação no decorrer da narrativa. Esta espécie de montagem interna no plano também permite ao diretor se deter mais sobre cada momento, o que impacta na sucessão dos cortes e, por consequência, no ritmo calmo do filme.

Neste primeiro aspecto, da ambientação, a obra se aproxima bastante do fabuloso “<a href="https://boxd.it/2rg4">A Luz</a>” (Yeelen, 1987), dirigido pelo malinês Souleymane Cissé. Ambos os filmes constroem imagens simples e, ao mesmo tempo, belíssimas das paisagens africanas. Ao contrário de uma tragédia shakespeariana antropomorfizada que se passa em território africano, como em “<a href="https://boxd.it/201Q">O Rei Leão</a>” (The Lion King, 1994), de Roger Allers e Rob Minkoff, ou uma história de amor arrebatadora no norte da África em meio à Segunda Guerra Mundial, como em “<a href="https://boxd.it/2aG0">Casablanca</a>” (1942), de Michael Curtiz, os dois filmes africanos deixam o exotismo de lado e retratam seus respectivos ambientes como locais tão grandiosos quanto singelos. “Yaaba”, em especial, investe em uma aparente trivialidade que vai totalmente de encontro à representação que costuma ser feita dos povos africanos e seus territórios. Afinal, aqui não há grandes acontecimentos, mas há, por certo, grandeza nos mais pequenos momentos, como quando, por exemplo, o garoto Bila (Noufou Ouédraogo, em uma das melhores atuações de intérpretes-mirins que já vi, ao longo de todo o filme) constata junto a Sana (Fatimata Sanga) que ela não tem mais casa, após a cabana da anciã ser queimada, em uma cena profundamente tocante na qual os personagens são emoldurados por vários galhos de um arvoredo, ressaltando sua proximidade em um mundo à parte da vila.

Ecoando temática e esteticamente o realizador indiano Satyajit Ray (1921-1992) em seu poderoso longa de estreia, “<a href="https://boxd.it/22yC">A Canção da Estrada</a>” (Pather Panchali, 1955), Ouédraogo constrói o enredo de Yaaba a partir da amizade que vai se criando entre Bila e Sana (Fatimata Sanga). A professora e pesquisadora Lúcia Nagib esclarece bem esta proximidade entre os filmes, e também outros aspectos importantes do uso do espaço e da condução das ações dos personagens, em seu ótimo artigo <a href="https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/74746/1/Nagib%20paper%20on%20Yaaba.pdf">“Yaaba, cinefilia e realismo sem fronteiras</a>“, versão em português de um excerto de seu livro, “World Cinema and the Ethics of Realism“. 

Entretanto, importa aqui citar como Ouédraogo subverte o trabalho de Ray, amenizando o final trágico que o diretor indiano havia estabelecido. E, aqui, é fundamental ressaltar o papel central que as mulheres exercem no filme burquinense. As personagens femininas que ganham mais destaque em “Yaaba” não apenas têm agência frente às situações, mas, mais importante ainda, na maior parte do tempo se valem deste protagonismo para interceder em favor de si mesmas e/ou de outras mulheres. É o caso de Sana, que, em uma passagem lindamente filmada, cruza um longo caminho a pé e atravessa um rio para encontrar o homem que pode ajudar a curar Nopoko quando a garota adoece. É também o que percebemos em relação à mãe de Bila, que, contrariando a decisão do marido e dos outros homens da aldeia, pede ao filho que volte com o ancião capaz de medicar a menina acamada. E é, ainda, o caso de Koudi (Assita Ouédraogo), uma moradora da vila que, em paralelo à ação principal, mantém um relacionamento secreto com o ex-companheiro e, ao final, abandona o marido alcoólatra e sexualmente impotente em busca de uma vida plenamente realizada, ao lado do homem que de fato ama.

Aliás, a impotência aqui não é só deste homem em particular, mas (simbolicamente) de quase todo o elenco masculino, à exceção de Bila e do herbalista Taryam, chamado por Sana. Em um contexto marcado pelo tradicionalismo, Idrissa Ouédraogo faz das mulheres os principais fios condutores da ação e elementos de contestação aos equívocos masculinos. Quando o pai de Bila castiga o garoto, é a mãe do menino que chama a atenção do marido pelo excesso de rigor. No momento em que Bila julga a esposa adúltera, é Sana quem lembra ao garoto que a mulher deve ter suas razões. E, fundamentalmente, quando um grupo de meninos da aldeia tenta machucar o protagonista, é Nopoko quem o defende e, por isso, é ferida com a faca que quase causará sua morte. O próprio título do filme dá destaque à figura de Sana, que é excluída daquela sociedade mas, paradoxalmente, é responsabilizada por todos os infortúnios que ali ocorrem, até ser, por fim, a mulher que empreendeu uma longa peregrinação altruísta em busca da cura para uma criança do vilarejo, salvando-a da morte.

Certamente, é válido argumentar que a amizade entre Bila e Sana não é construída com a devida paciência e progressão dramática, parecendo muito apressada no início, e alguns podem classificar o final do filme como excessivamente óbvio. No entanto, não se pode negar que a obra é encantadora por sua beleza plástica e temática, e por retratar um povo africano de forma humana e afetuosa, mas sem deixar de lado as complexidades inerentes a qualquer sociedade. Não poderia terminar, então, sem citar o próprio realizador: “’Yaaba’ é primeiro de tudo a história de uma amizade que começa e cresce entre dois membros de uma sociedade rural, na qual nós vemos o homem como ele é: bom, mau, generoso, intolerante”. ■


Crítica de Lucas Oliveira, Cinematório.
Texto original: <a href="https://www.cinematorio.com.br/2022/11/critica-filme-yaaba-idrissa-ouedraogo/">https://www.cinematorio.com.br/2022/11/critica-filme-yaaba-idrissa-ouedraogo/</a>

Assista YAABA na FILMICCA
<a href="https://www.filmicca.com.br/film/yaaba/">https://www.filmicca.com.br/film/yaaba/</a>

“YAABA”: NA ÁFRICA-MÃE, O ENCANTO DE UMA AVÓ

When John Landis’ <a href="https://boxd.it/29yk" rel="nofollow">An American Werewolf In London</a> was released in 1981 and David Cronenberg’s <a href="https://boxd.it/1YIe" rel="nofollow">The Fly</a> followed five years later, what initially grabbed people’s attention were the Academy Award-winning creature effects by Rick Baker (whose work on the former prompted AMPAS to create the Best Makeup category) and Chris Walas (whose other reward for his part in The Fly’s success was the opportunity to direct its less memorable sequel). Charged with updating horror icons of the ’40s and ’50s for savvy moviegoers primed to be dazzled by state-of-the-art special effects, Baker and Walas stepped up to the plate and delivered unforgettable monsters and set-pieces that have earned a permanent place in movie history. Even today, their work continues to impress, evincing a staying power that modern digital effects have a hard time sustaining. But what keeps viewers coming back to these two films time and again are the human love stories than run parallel with the bloody carnage and acid-spewing monster-men.While both films have fantastic premises—namely, that a man bitten by a werewolf will become one himself and a man who teleports himself with a housefly will become a man-sized fly—they’re grounded in the mundane and the every day. Take the London flat of nurse Alex Price (Jenny Agutter) in American Werewolf, which reveals a lot about her that she might otherwise be reluctant—or unable—to say out loud. Having taken a fancy to him, Alex brings home American backpacker (and unwitting werewolf) David Kessler (David Naughton) after he’s discharged from the hospital where she’s been tending to him while he recovered from an animal attack on the Yorkshire moors. Warning him not to expect too much since she’s “just a working girl,” she shows him around her cramped quarters, which art director Leslie Dilley and his crew make look as lived-in as possible without being too cluttered. The living room has plenty of throw pillows, photographs on the mantle, and shelves crammed with books and knickknacks, while the bathroom has little plants in individual pots. The hallway leading to her bedroom even has a single flower in a box mounted on the wall, which David’s zombie friend Jack (Griffin Dunne) playfully smells when he pays them a visit later that night. The very first thing the viewer sees when Alex lets David in, though, is a <a href="https://boxd.it/2aG0" rel="nofollow">Casablanca</a> poster hanging on the wall, closely followed by one for <a href="https://boxd.it/29Fq" rel="nofollow">Gone With The Wind</a>. And briefly glimpsed in her kitchen is an enlarged photograph of Humphrey Bogart. Even if she’s being truthful when she says she’s “not in the habit of bringing home stray, young American men,” it’s clear she has a thing for American culture (see also: the Disney paraphernalia scattered about) and a romantic streak a mile wide.Compare that to the spacious loft owned by Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) in The Fly. Wide open, unfinished, and mostly unfurnished, his combined living/workspace—a converted factory he hasn’t put much effort into making cozy and inviting—reflects how thin the partition between the two are for him. The only human touches, in fact, are a fold-out couch, a red leather chair, and the upright piano that production designer Carol Spier and art director Rolf Harvey have installed in it, as well as the cappuccino maker (a Faema, the brand with the eagle on top) Seth uses to lure journalist Veronica Quaife (Geena Davis) back to his lab, along with the promise that he’s working on something that will “change the world as we know it.” Much like Alex, here’s a man who’s not accustomed to bringing attractive members of the opposite sex home, but his desire to impress Veronica with his telepods temporarily overrides his desire to go to bed with her—or maybe he believes the one will lead directly to the other. Either way, it’s telling that she’s out the door not long after he performs his demonstration—on one of her stockings, proving how forward she can be when she wants—while Alex and David are having shower sex within minutes of her showing him around her flat. Then again, their flirtation did have a few days’ head start and neither of them had any illusions about where they were headed.Since David is a tourist, he has nowhere else to go, but Veronica’s tastefully decorated apartment in The Fly is comparable to Alex’s living space in American Werewolf in terms of its homeyness, though Seth never visits. (Appropriate since their relationship winds up being entirely on his terms.) Instead, the only man who pays a call on her there is Stathis Borans (John Getz), her editor and former lover, who drops in while she’s out to take a shower because, as he says when she catches him, he “felt a bit scummy.” Stathis’ function in the plot is to be the fly in the ointment, as it were, provoking Seth’s jealousy after he and Veronica become involved. In fact, his mistaken belief that she’s still sleeping with Stathis prompts Seth to teleport himself without her—along with the fly that gets into his telepod unnoticed, setting the stage for his monstrous transformation. While David’s agonizing change from man to beast happens in a matter of a minutes, though, Seth’s metamorphosis into Brundlefly is a gradual process shown in stages, mirroring the steady decomposition of David’s friend Jack, who died during the werewolf attack that left David cursed with lycanthropy and who visits him periodically to try to convince him to kill himself. (Tellingly, at the end of each of their transformations, all three are portrayed by puppets, albeit extremely sophisticated ones.)The amount of time the couples in both films get to spend together before they’re torn apart by circumstances beyond their control reflects how deep their relationships are allowed to get. In American Werewolf, Alex doesn’t meet David until after he’s been bitten, meaning their love is doomed from the very start, but that still leaves them a few days to get to know and care about each other before the change first comes over him. “I find you very attractive and a little bit sad,” she tells him the day she brings him home, not realizing how much sadder she’ll be roughly 48 hours later. In The Fly, Seth’s fusion with a housefly at the genetic level doesn’t occur until after Veronica have been staying with him for some time, placing her in the unenviable position of being able to observe how he changes emotionally as well as physically once he’s taken a dip into “the plasma pool,” as he poetically puts it. It’s his increasingly erratic behavior that drives her away, though, as his insectoid half comes to dominate his personality. In contrast, after taking the lives of half a dozen Londoners in a single night, David goes back to being his usual bubbly self, blissfully unaware of what he does by the light of the full moon until the bloody results of his nocturnal rampage are grotesquely paraded before him in the stalls of a porno theater.Keep reading <a href="https://musings.oscilloscope.net/post/151713978606/the-doomed-romantics-of-an-american-werewolf-in" rel="nofollow">here</a>

When John Landis’ <a href="https://boxd.it/29yk">An American Werewolf In London</a> was released in 1981 and David Cronenberg’s <a href="https://boxd.it/1YIe">The Fly</a> followed five years later, what initially grabbed people’s attention were the Academy Award-winning creature effects by Rick Baker (whose work on the former prompted AMPAS to create the Best Makeup category) and Chris Walas (whose other reward for his part in The Fly’s success was the opportunity to direct its less memorable sequel). Charged with updating horror icons of the ’40s and ’50s for savvy moviegoers primed to be dazzled by state-of-the-art special effects, Baker and Walas stepped up to the plate and delivered unforgettable monsters and set-pieces that have earned a permanent place in movie history. Even today, their work continues to impress, evincing a staying power that modern digital effects have a hard time sustaining. But what keeps viewers coming back to these two films time and again are the human love stories than run parallel with the bloody carnage and acid-spewing monster-men.

While both films have fantastic premises—namely, that a man bitten by a werewolf will become one himself and a man who teleports himself with a housefly will become a man-sized fly—they’re grounded in the mundane and the every day. Take the London flat of nurse Alex Price (Jenny Agutter) in American Werewolf, which reveals a lot about her that she might otherwise be reluctant—or unable—to say out loud. Having taken a fancy to him, Alex brings home American backpacker (and unwitting werewolf) David Kessler (David Naughton) after he’s discharged from the hospital where she’s been tending to him while he recovered from an animal attack on the Yorkshire moors. Warning him not to expect too much since she’s “just a working girl,” she shows him around her cramped quarters, which art director Leslie Dilley and his crew make look as lived-in as possible without being too cluttered. The living room has plenty of throw pillows, photographs on the mantle, and shelves crammed with books and knickknacks, while the bathroom has little plants in individual pots. The hallway leading to her bedroom even has a single flower in a box mounted on the wall, which David’s zombie friend Jack (Griffin Dunne) playfully smells when he pays them a visit later that night. The very first thing the viewer sees when Alex lets David in, though, is a <a href="https://boxd.it/2aG0">Casablanca</a> poster hanging on the wall, closely followed by one for <a href="https://boxd.it/29Fq">Gone With The Wind</a>. And briefly glimpsed in her kitchen is an enlarged photograph of Humphrey Bogart. Even if she’s being truthful when she says she’s “not in the habit of bringing home stray, young American men,” it’s clear she has a thing for American culture (see also: the Disney paraphernalia scattered about) and a romantic streak a mile wide.

Compare that to the spacious loft owned by Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) in The Fly. Wide open, unfinished, and mostly unfurnished, his combined living/workspace—a converted factory he hasn’t put much effort into making cozy and inviting—reflects how thin the partition between the two are for him. The only human touches, in fact, are a fold-out couch, a red leather chair, and the upright piano that production designer Carol Spier and art director Rolf Harvey have installed in it, as well as the cappuccino maker (a Faema, the brand with the eagle on top) Seth uses to lure journalist Veronica Quaife (Geena Davis) back to his lab, along with the promise that he’s working on something that will “change the world as we know it.” Much like Alex, here’s a man who’s not accustomed to bringing attractive members of the opposite sex home, but his desire to impress Veronica with his telepods temporarily overrides his desire to go to bed with her—or maybe he believes the one will lead directly to the other. Either way, it’s telling that she’s out the door not long after he performs his demonstration—on one of her stockings, proving how forward she can be when she wants—while Alex and David are having shower sex within minutes of her showing him around her flat. Then again, their flirtation did have a few days’ head start and neither of them had any illusions about where they were headed.

Since David is a tourist, he has nowhere else to go, but Veronica’s tastefully decorated apartment in The Fly is comparable to Alex’s living space in American Werewolf in terms of its homeyness, though Seth never visits. (Appropriate since their relationship winds up being entirely on his terms.) Instead, the only man who pays a call on her there is Stathis Borans (John Getz), her editor and former lover, who drops in while she’s out to take a shower because, as he says when she catches him, he “felt a bit scummy.” Stathis’ function in the plot is to be the fly in the ointment, as it were, provoking Seth’s jealousy after he and Veronica become involved. In fact, his mistaken belief that she’s still sleeping with Stathis prompts Seth to teleport himself without her—along with the fly that gets into his telepod unnoticed, setting the stage for his monstrous transformation. While David’s agonizing change from man to beast happens in a matter of a minutes, though, Seth’s metamorphosis into Brundlefly is a gradual process shown in stages, mirroring the steady decomposition of David’s friend Jack, who died during the werewolf attack that left David cursed with lycanthropy and who visits him periodically to try to convince him to kill himself. (Tellingly, at the end of each of their transformations, all three are portrayed by puppets, albeit extremely sophisticated ones.)

The amount of time the couples in both films get to spend together before they’re torn apart by circumstances beyond their control reflects how deep their relationships are allowed to get. In American Werewolf, Alex doesn’t meet David until after he’s been bitten, meaning their love is doomed from the very start, but that still leaves them a few days to get to know and care about each other before the change first comes over him. “I find you very attractive and a little bit sad,” she tells him the day she brings him home, not realizing how much sadder she’ll be roughly 48 hours later. In The Fly, Seth’s fusion with a housefly at the genetic level doesn’t occur until after Veronica have been staying with him for some time, placing her in the unenviable position of being able to observe how he changes emotionally as well as physically once he’s taken a dip into “the plasma pool,” as he poetically puts it. It’s his increasingly erratic behavior that drives her away, though, as his insectoid half comes to dominate his personality. In contrast, after taking the lives of half a dozen Londoners in a single night, David goes back to being his usual bubbly self, blissfully unaware of what he does by the light of the full moon until the bloody results of his nocturnal rampage are grotesquely paraded before him in the stalls of a porno theater.

Keep reading <a href="https://musings.oscilloscope.net/post/151713978606/the-doomed-romantics-of-an-american-werewolf-in">here</a>

The Doomed Romantics of ‘An American Werewolf In London’ and ‘The Fly’ by Craig J. Clark

slim’s ★★★★½ diary entry for Casablanca

If I ever got dumped in a hand-written letter and the last line was “god bless you” I would absolutely die.More soon on a very special 70mm podcast.

Danny’s ★★★★★ diary entry for Casablanca

This film doesn’t seem to be talked about much but I hope everyone knows this is a perfect movie. Seems like no one has seen this. Glad to be getting around to a masterpiece in 2020. Please clap.

protolexus’s ★★★★ diary entry for Casablanca

Casablanca 2 starring Timothee chalamet Next on 70mm

Aaron Zani’s ★★★★★ diary entry for Casablanca

You always think this movie is overrated but then you watch it and you’re reminded why it’s one of the best films ever made. Casablanca fires on all cylinders, the acting in this is phenomenal. Every person in this movie, how Ingrid Bergman wasn’t nominated I don’t know. It was one of the most soft and tender performances I’ve seen. Claude Raines was the perfect mesh of comic relief and dramatic.The script is tight and neat, not a lot of unnecessary or lengthy parts of the movie which makes for something you can’t take your eyes off of.The music in this really just brings everything together. As Time Goes By is used as a helpful story point but also sound mixing to piece together when Isla and Rick are remembering better times. Not overplayed or in your face as it could have been.I love that he gives up the girl to help progress the cause and it makes more sense given that it was shot during the war and they would want everyone doing what they could to help out, even coming from a protagonist who is so impartial on the war.

𝗗𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗘𝗟 𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗔’s ★★★★ diary entry for Casablanca

There’s something so timeless and universally relatable about the heartache of love lost due to circumstances outside of your control. And yet, films like this may never be possible again. One of the most famous lines in all of cinema history wouldn’t even be written today."Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine."It invokes such a feeling of disbelief and heartache caused by the apparent coincidence . These two people have not had any form of contact since they crashed into love in their past. Now they crash together again in a completely different country. If this movie was made today, that line would be something like:“Of all the pics on all of Instagram, why did she have to like mine?”There would be a whole scene or subplot of Sam telling Rick about how unhealthy it is for him to still be friends with his ex on Facebook after all these years.Was the internet a mistake? Am I jealous of my grandparents?

Thomas’s ★★★★★ diary entry for Casablanca

Where were you last night?  That's so long ago, I don't remember.  Will I see you tonight?  I never make plans that far ahead.

Thomas’s ★★★★ diary entry for Casablanca

It is beautifully well acted, Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart and Claude Rains all stand out, but I had to split the viewing over two nights and I think another proper watch would help me appreciate it more. I’ll have to get back to it later this year maybe. From my viewing challenge — <a href="https://boxd.it/aEcb2" rel="nofollow">Shuffled: Letterboxd’s Highest Rated Movie By Year</a>

Traynor’s ★★★★★ diary entry for Casablanca

Rick's Cafe might just be the #1 coolest place in all of cinema. It's just so enthralling and immersive. I watched this at work (as per) and half way through I realized I had a glass of gin in one hand and a lit cigarette in the other. If you ever wonder if "classic" movies are as great and legendary as people say, this one proves the rule.

Josh J’s ★★★★ diary entry for Casablanca

Curt Bois as the pickpocket was great!

Zachary Mulligan’s ★★★★★ diary entry for Casablanca

Casablanca isn’t just a movie, it’s a seismic event in the dna of cinema. watching it feels like unearthing a rare artifact that somehow still breathes, still bleeds as if its black and white frames hold the pulse of the era it was born into. released in 1942 at the height of world war II the film isn’t merely about its time it’s a defiant act of storytelling forged within it. every line of dialogue, every shadowy close up, every aching note of "as time goes by" thrums with the urgency of a world on fire. this is a film that didn’t just reflect history, it grappled with it using the prism of a love story to confront the moral rot of fascism and the fragile hope of resistance. rick’s cynicism, his "i stick my neck out for nobody" mantra mirrors america’s own isolationist hesitations but his transformation into a man who chooses sacrifice over self interest feels like a rallying cry for a nation on the brink of awakening. the politics here aren’t subtext they’re the oxygen the characters breathe making casablanca as much a wartime manifesto as it is a romance.  and what a romance. bogart and bergman don’t just smolder they etch their anguish into the screen with such a unique rawness. their chemistry isn’t in the kisses there’s only one fleeting and fraught, but in the spaces between words the way ilsa’s voice fractures on "richard" the way rick’s eyes harden into armor even as his heart shatters. yet for all its tragedy the film never drowns in melodrama. it’s too busy being alive a bustling tapestry of refugees hustlers and dreamers all orbiting rick’s café américain like a microcosm of a world in chaos. every side character add layers of wit menace and humanity. this isn’t a story about two people it’s a chorus of souls fighting to exist in the cracks of a collapsing world.  from a filmmaking standpoint casablanca is a clinic in precision. michael curtiz’s direction is both muscular and poetic weaving suspense humor and heartache into a seamless rhythm. the screenplay laced with lines so iconic they’ve seeped into our collective consciousness ("here’s looking at you kid" "round up the usual suspects" "we’ll always have paris") is a miracle of economy balancing political urgency with romantic grandeur. the lighting alone is a masterclass. notice how shadows cling to rick’s face like guilt while ilsa seems haloed in misty longing as if she’s already a memory. and max steiner’s score, it doesn’t accompany the story, it haunts it rising and falling like the tide of rick and ilsa’s doomed love.  but what cements casablanca as a monument to cinema’s power is its refusal to age. it’s a film that has outlived its own context to become a mirror for every generation. in its defiance of tyranny its celebration of sacrifice and its quiet insistence that love and idealism can coexist it feels eerily modern. that’s the magic of this film it’s a passport to the past that somehow always leads you back to the present.  to call Casablanca perfect is almost an insult, perfection is sterile, and this film is all pulse and grit and soul. it’s the kind of art that reminds us why we need stories not to escape the world but to see it more clearly. eighty years on we’re still whispering its lines, still mourning its lovers, still humbled by its grace. here’s looking at you Casablanca. for all time, always.

Pat’s ★★★★★ diary entry for Casablanca

Cpt. Renault needs to lock Claude Rains up for an open-and-shut case of scene-stealing in the first degree.

Really enjoyable Cinema Classics seminar at Bryn Mawr Film. All the facilitators have been great, but I particularly enjoyed tonight's professor, Paul McEwan of Muhlenberg College. He had a lighthearted, engaging style and shared some excellent perspective on this film as a product of the film factories of its era.Probably don't need to say much about this film, but it's really pretty flawless, though of course you have to allow for the stylistic dialog of the era.And, still, every time... I tear up at La Marseillaise.

Joseph (JoeJazzy)’s ★★★★★ diary entry for Casablanca

Mind the (age) gap!I mean what can I say, it’s a classic and the new 4k release is phenomenal. This is the first time I’ve seen it in its entirety, great story, great music, and filled with lines I still hear quoted pretty often. <blockquote>We’ll always have Paris.</blockquote>

Joseph (JoeJazzy)’s ★★★★ diary entry for Casablanca

Justin Perez’s ★★★★★ diary entry for Casablanca

I saw Casablanca for the first time in 2022. It was one of those classic films I had intentionally avoided, assuming it wouldn’t live up to the hype and cultural importance. I loved it back in 2022 and I’m thrilled to say that it’s somehow only gotten better!

WLattner’s ★★★★★ diary entry for Casablanca

Dang, this has a little something of everything a person could ever want in a movie. Not a bad picture.

Paul’s ★★★★ diary entry for Casablanca

Lucas’s ★★★★ diary entry for Casablanca

mosheal’s ★★★★★ diary entry for Casablanca

This movie is the just the best. My first rewatch for the 70mm podcast and saw the new 4K blu-ray which is incredible looking. Ingrid Bergman in 4K, my god. I named my Final Fantasy XIV character after her because of this film.

mosheal’s diary entry for Casablanca

KK’s ★★★★★ diary entry for Casablanca

Unsurprisingly, for a film to have lasted 80 years in the Vaulted Annals of "The Greats" - Casablanca's greatest strength is its flawless screenplay, giving the perfect amount of exposition to get you right into the stakes of the film, adding layers until the powder-keg is full. The icing on top that really makes the movie sing though is the texture of Casablanca itself: You see a dozen little stories play out throughout your time at Rick's Café Américain, and can't help but imagine how many hundreds more played out in the time before Ilsa walked through the doors.It absolutely shreds. One of my all time faves.<a href="https://letterboxd.com/kk/list/s-a-t-u-r-d-a-y-nights/" rel="nofollow">S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y NIGHTS</a>

How shocking! Who expected the hidden-gem that is Casablanca to be both fantastic and the progenitor of so many famous quips? Not I for one.Seriously though - This movie is phenomenal, with rich set design, beautiful editing and sound work, and a crushing Catch-22 of a screenplay. The leads move with a human grace and depth of emotion that is lovingly caught with close-shots of their faces. This is a real movie-ass-movie.I'm disappointed it took me so long to see, because it is truly The Masterpiece I'd long heard it was. Every expectation met and excelled, what a glorious triumph of Old Hollywood.

Jordan Meyers’s ★★★★ diary entry for Casablanca

Iconic. A little slow in the middle, but the last ten minutes were amaaaaazing.

𝙬𝙚𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙮’s ★★★★★ diary entry for Casablanca

Marcie’s ★★★★½ diary entry for Casablanca

Alex’s ★★★★½ diary entry for Casablanca

We should bring back casual champagne drinking

Christian Gutiérrez’s diary entry for Casablanca

Figured I’d get a viewing in so when I see it again two more times in the next two months I can make it a trifecta.I’ve heard the discussions/podcats, I’ve read the articles/books, I’ve watched the films/video essays, but Ingrid Bergman is the best actress of all-time. You’ll never change my mind, sorry.

Shout out to the emergency folks who stretchered me out of the theater after passing out from seeing Ingrid Bergman on the big screen. Dreams really do come true.

Christian Gutiérrez’s ★★★★★ diary entry for Casablanca

McKenzie Wilkes’s ★★★★★ diary entry for Casablanca

Happy Anniversary Casablanca ❤️

Oh wow. Anybody heard of this movie?

Kev’s ★★★★★ diary entry for Casablanca

Sean Allen’s ★★★★½ diary entry for Casablanca

For the 3,000th filmed marked watched on here I decided to knock off one of my major blindspots.Cinema