This June, we have a programme full to the brim with films that touch on thought-provoking themes, from love, to loss, to colonialism. Here’s just a handful of some of the powerful titles coming to our screen this month.
Rosalie is now playing at The Lexi Cinema
A very charming, very resonant period drama, Rosalie tells the story of a bold young woman who has hidden a secret all her life. Rosalie (Nadia Tereszkiewicz) has a condition known as ‘hirsutism’: she was born with both her face and body covered in hair. And in 19th century France, where body positivity is categorically not a thing, society doesn’t seem quite ready to accept Rosalie for who she is. Yet when a broke cafe owner (The Taste of Thing’s Benoît Magimel) marries Rosalie for her dowry, and inevitably discovers Rosalie’s secret, she resolves to put down the razor and accept her body for the way it is, conformity and convention be damned. Loosely based on the true story of French ‘bearded lady’ Clémentine Delait, director Stéphanie di Giusto has delivered a thought-provoking portrait of the road to empowerment. View showtimes.
Four Little Adults arrives on Friday 14 June
Ladies and gentleman, we’ve left throuple territory. It’s time for the … rhombus? Quadrilateral? Anyway, in this thought-provoking Finnish drama, middle-aged couple Juulia and Matias test the murky waters of polyamory after Matias admits to a months-long secret relationship with parishioner Enni. Once the dust has settled, Juulia suggests opening the marriage, and begins her own love affair with queer nurse Miska. Together, the four become romantically entangled in a way that will challenge their understanding of love forever. An intriguing insight into the tricky territory of ethical non-monogamy, it’s an intelligent and thoughtful drama from director Selma Vilhunen. Writing for Sight & Sound, Lou Thomas notes that there are echoes of Bergman in Four Little Adults, and with its contemplative, existential reflections on love, sex and marriage, it’s hard not to agree. View showtimes.
The Dead Don’t Hurt screens at The Lexi from Friday 14 June
Viggo Mortensen helms The Dead Don’t Hurt in every possible sense, directing, composing, and starring in this pensive, yet very gripping take on the classic Western. When Danish immigrant Holger (Mortensen) and French Canadian Vivienne (Vicky Krieps) fall for one another, they move together to a small frontier town. The approaching civil war looms in the distance, and tensions are rising in the dusty town where corruption hides in plain sight. When Holger enlists to fight for the Union, the fated lovers face a painful separation, and despite her fierce independence, navigating the shady politics of the frontier community is a challenge even for Vivienne. Showdowns, dark revelations, and a whole lot of pining, all set against the epic, unforgiving landscape of the American West. View showtimes.
Freud’s Last Session arrives on Friday 21 June
Freud: an intellectual powerhouse, the father of psychoanalysis, and a neurologist with a penchant for treating his patients with cocaine. His views on religion were just as intriguing as his theories of the mind, and in Freud’s Last Session, the ailing Freud goes head to head with C.S. Lewis, as they debate the existence of God. Their meandering conversation, shadowed by the declaration of WWII on the very same day, is interwoven with snapshots of Freud’s life. From his complicated relationship with his daughter, Anna, to his unconventional relationship with his best friend’s mother (well … he did coin the Oedipus complex), this is a fascinating insight into the man who left a lasting impact psychiatry. It’s a rare and fascinating chance to see Freud in the metaphorical therapist's couch, led by a stellar cast including Sir Anthony Hopkins and Matthew Goode. View showtimes.
Catch Ama Gloria from Friday 28 June
The opener at 2023’s Cannes Critics’ Week 2023, Ama Gloria has been an audience favourite at a number of film festivals. And its star, six-year-old Louise Mauroy-Panzani, delivers a stunningly nuanced performance as a small child discovering, for the first time, the way in which her life fits into the wider world. 6-year-old Cléo adores her Nanny Gloria. But when Gloria suddenly has to return to Cape Verde to take care of her own children, a painful separation is on the horizon. Gloria invites Cléo to Cape Verde to spend one last summer together, and the pair resolve to cherish every moment. Ama Gloria is a poignant, bittersweet exploration of the connections we forge as children, as well as an insightful commentary on colonial legacies. View showtimes.
Strike: An Uncivil War is screening on Tuesday 18, Sunday 23 and Monday 24 June
From Bafta award-winning documentary filmmaker Daniel Gordon, Strike: An Uncivil War is the story of the Battle of Orgreave: the most violent protest during the 1984-1985 miner’s strike. Through a blend of never-before-seen archive material, personal testimonies, and declassified government papers, the documentary sheds light on one of the defining moments of the miner’s strike. The events of the strike changed the course of British history - making this vital viewing.
Following the preview screening on 18th June, there’ll be a pre-recorded Q&A, featuring Daniel Gordon, members of the Orgreave Truth & Justice Campaign, and two former miners. View showtimes.
