Yorgos Lanthimos returns with a dark existential anthology film; a woman in her 90s is on a quest for revenge; a sprawling estate sees a mammoth re-wilding experiment unfold… We’ve got a programme packed with an eclectic mix of films this July. Read on to learn more about some highlights from this month.
KINDS OF KINDNESS is showing now at The Lexi
Director Yorgos Lanthimos once again joins forces with collaborator Efthimis Filippou for absurdist comedy Kinds of Kindness - the creative duo previosly responsible for dark and weird (a compliment in this case!) titles including Dogtooth and The Killing of a Sacred Deer. So it’s no surprise that it’s a return to the more troubling and twisted form of these earlier titles. An all-star cast, including Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, Jesse Plemons and Margaret Qualley, deliver a triptych of stories. There’s a man trying to break free from the clutches of his mysterious boss; a marine biologist who baffles her husband after going missing and returning utterly changed; and two members of a cult are searching for someone purported to have a magical ability… View Showtimes.
BYE BYE TIBERIAS is screening now at The Lexi
Actor Haim Abbass (Succession) returns to her Palestinian village with her daughter Lina, a filmmaker, thirty years after leaving to pursue acting. Together, they set out to document the return home, and the result is a poignant tapestry of past and present, woven from the stories of four generations of daring Palestinian women. Mother and daughter piece together stories of women who have kept their story and legacy alive through the strength of their bonds, in spite of dispossession and exile. View Showtimes.
THELMA arrives at The Lexi on Friday 19 July
Thelma (June Squibb) is a woman on a mission in this uplifting festival-favourite comedy, which brings to mind the quirky hilarity of Little Miss Sunshine. 93-year-old Thelma is a feisty spirit, but when she falls for a conman posing as her beloved grandson over the phone, her children - already tending toward condescension - see the incident as another indicator that she can no longer take care of herself. Thelma is simply not having it, and hops on her mobility scooter, embarking on a quest for vengeance. Tearing through LA with her old friend Ben, the pair set out to confront the shady scammer (played by Malcolm McDowell). Hell hath no fury like a loveable gran scorned (or in this case, conned). View Showtimes.
CROSSING screens from Friday 19 July
From director Levan Akin (And Then We Danced), Crossing follows Lia, a retired Georgian teacher in her 70s, as she searches for her long-lost niece, Tekla. Lia discovers from young neighbour Achi that Tekla, who is transgender, has left for Turkey, and the pair roam Istanbul searching for her missing relative. Lia, austere and somewhat repressed, harbours heavy regrets about Tekla’s estrangement from the family, and finds her mind opening as she explores the hidden depths of the city. Visually stunning, it’s a poignant inter-generational tale of reunion and colliding cultures. View Showtimes.
THE COMMANDANT'S SHADOW is screening now at The Lexi
Last year, The Zone of Interest was lauded for its portrayal of the eerily bucolic day-to-day life of the commandant of Auschwitz and his family. While cultivating an idyllic lifestyle for his wife and children, Rudolf Höss oversaw thousands and thousands of murders on the other side of the wall which separated their house from the concentration camp. Now, the remarkable documentary The Commandant’s Shadow turns the camera to the son of Rudolf Höss, as he takes part in a historic meeting with Auschwitz survivor Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, facilitated by Anita’s daughter Maya. A fascinating study of reconciliation, intergenerational trauma, as the child of a war criminal faces a survivor for the first time. View Showtimes.
Anita Lasker-Wallfisch and her daughter Maya Lasker-Wallfisch, will be joining us for an in-person Q&A on Sat 13 July and Mon 15 July.
WILDING is playing now at The Lexi
Based on Isabella Tree’s best-selling book, documentary Wilding tells the incredible story of a young couple who turn to nature when faced with a failing, four-hundred-year-old estate. So begins one of the most important rewilding experiments in Europe, as they turn the fate of their farm over to nature. A truly inspirational and hopeful watch, complete with happily frolicking animals both tame and wild, and gorgeous sprawling landscapes. It’ll open your eyes to the boundless capacity of nature to thrive, if we humans could just take a back seat. To quote Time Out, it’s a ‘soul-enhancing, hopeful ode to the British countryside’. How lovely. View Showtimes.
Gen Sandle
Lexi Marketing & Comms
