Ingrid (Julianne Moore) and Martha (Tilda Swinton) were close friends in their youth, when they worked together at the same magazine. Ingrid went on to become an autofiction novelist while Martha became a war reporter, and they were separated by the circumstances of life. After years of being out of touch, they meet again in an extreme but strangely sweet situation.

"The colours of The Room Next Door are its secret message, a language of pleasure and beauty that reminds us how great it is to be alive. If it's possible to make a joyful movie about death, Almodóvar has just done it." Stephanie Zacharek, TIME Magazine

From acclaimed filmmaker Mati Diop (Atlantics), DAHOMEY is a poetic and immersive work of art that delves into real perspectives on far-reaching issues surrounding appropriation, self-determination and restitution. Set in November 2021, the documentary charts 26 royal treasures from the Kingdom of Dahomey that are due to leave Paris and return to their country of origin: the present-day Republic of Benin. Using multiple perspectives Diop questions how these artifacts should be received in a country that has reinvented itself in their absence.

Winner of the coveted Golden Bear prize at the 2024 Berlinale, DAHOMEY is an affecting though altogether singular conversation piece that is as spellbinding as it is essential.

"What is displayed in “Dahomey” is a country, a people, in fact, who are deciding the world they want to build and what tools they want to build with." Robert Daniels, RogerEbert.com

France, Senegal, Benin, 2024

French language with English subtitles

The origins of Donald Trump are brought to life in a provocative, electrifying portrait of the man and his mentor, Roy Cohn – a notorious lawyer who will never let the truth get in the way of winning a fight. Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong star as Trump and Cohn respectively, with Maria Bakalova starring as Ivana Trump and acclaimed director Ali Abbasi (Border, Holy Spider) bringing a unique perspective to this gripping, darkly funny tale of greed, power and the dark art of the deal.

"It’s a true-life horror story in some ways, and Abbasi approaches it as a Frankenstein tale in which the mad doctor creates a monster and then loses control of it." Steve Pond, TheWrap

Anora (Mikey Madison) a young sex worker from Brooklyn, gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as his parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled.

"It is a terrific performance from Madison, who owns the screen, and Eydelshteyn’s turn as the shiftless Vanya is also very watchable. Baker’s film-making is muscular and fluent." Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

Sir Steve McQueen’s “Blitz” follows the epic journey of George (Elliott Heffernan), a 9-year-old boy in World War II London whose mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan) sends him to safety in the English countryside. George, defiant and determined to return home to his mum and his grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in East London, embarks on an adventure, only to find himself in immense peril, while a distraught Rita searches for her missing son.

"Its curiosity is its strongest suit, as McQueen’s script lays bare divisions that see working-class families barred from taking shelter in Tube stations, socialism taking root underground, and racism rife." Philip De Semlyen, Time Out

Please note: This work contains flashing images which may affect viewers who are susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy.

The long-awaited return to fiction filmmaking from Academy Award-winner Andrea Arnold (American Honey, Fish Tank), BIRD is a tender, striking and extraordinarily surprising coming-of-age fable about marginalised life in the fringes of contemporary society. 12-year-old Bailey (astounding newcomer Nykiya Adams) lives with her devoted but chaotic single dad Bug (Barry Keoghan, Saltburn) and wayward brother Hunter in a squat in Gravesend, north Kent.

Approaching puberty and seeking attention and adventure, Bailey’s fractured home life is transformed when she encounters Bird (Franz Rogowski, Passages), a mysterious stranger on a journey of his own. A wondrous portrait of the transition from childhood to adolescence that remains grounded in her typically empathetic social realism, Arnold’s latest strides to the wildly poetic rhythm of her own drum.

"If ever a film puts its arm round a kid and says: ‘Don’t worry, I’ve got you’, that’s "Bird" and Bailey. She’s a character you feel Arnold would lie on railtracks to protect – and that’s a powerful, moving instinct to share." Dave Calhoun, Time Out

Basel Adra, a young Palestinian activist from Masafer Yatta, has been fighting his community's mass expulsion by the Israeli occupation since childhood. Basel documents the gradual erasure of Masafer Yatta, as soldiers destroy the homes of families - the largest single act of forced transfer ever carried out in the occupied West Bank.

He crosses paths with Yuval, an Israeli journalist who joins his struggle, and for over half a decade they fight against the expulsion while growing closer. Their complex bond is haunted by the extreme inequality between them: Basel, living under a brutal military occupation, and Yuval, unrestricted and free. This film, by a Palestinian-Israeli collective of four young activists, was co-created during the darkest, most terrifying times in the region, as an act of creative resistance to Apartheid and a search for a path towards equality and justice.

"No Other Land, for its many images of despair, still offers a stirring vision for what could be." Adrian Horton, The Guardian

Arabic, Hebrew and English with English subtitles

Jodie Comer (Killing Eve) makes her West End debut in the UK premiere of Suzie Miller’s award-winning play.

Tessa is a young, brilliant barrister. She has worked her way up from working class origins to be at the top of her game; defending; cross examining and winning. An unexpected event forces her to confront the lines where the patriarchal power of the law, burden of proof and morals diverge.

Prima Facie takes us to the heart of where emotion and experience collide with the rules of the game.

Justin Martin directs this solo tour de force, captured live from the intimate Harold Pinter Theatre in London’s West End.

Please note: PRIMA FACIE includes sensitive subject matter including reference to sex, violence and rape.

Released in 2002, Cinemania follows five individuals consumed by the desire to watch films. Seated for two to five screenings a day, these outsiders are notorious at New York’s various repertory houses and arthouse cinemas. Their commitment to their preferred art form is horrifying yet strangely admirable: such dedication requires, in the words of one of the film’s subjects, “a technically deviant lifestyle”, which the documentary captures in vivid, unsettling detail. Bleakly funny, at times touching, and perhaps uncomfortably relatable for some, Cinemania provides a fascinating exploration of obsessive behaviour and the outer limits of film devotion.

This screening is presented by Cinema Rising and The Arthouse

https://www.cinemarising.com/about

United Nations, 1960: the Global South ignites a political earthquake, jazz musicians Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach crash the Security Council, Nikita Khrushchev bangs his shoe, and the U.S. State Department swings into action, sending jazz ambassador Louis Armstrong to Congo to deflect attention from the CIA-backed coup.

Director Johan Grimonprez captures the moment when African politics and American jazz collided in this magnificent essay film, a riveting historical rollercoaster that illuminates the political machinations behind the 1961 assassination of Congo’s leader Patrice Lumumba.

Richly illustrated by eyewitness accounts, official government memos, testimonies from mercenaries and CIA operatives, speeches from Lumumba himself, and a veritable canon of jazz icons, Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat interrogates colonial history to tell an urgent and timely story of precedent that resonates more than ever in today’s geopolitical climate.

"It’s a remarkable film – exhaustive, informative and rigorously researched, but also crackling with energy , ideas and formal daring." Wendy Ide, Screen International

Raised in a repressive era where sexuality was taboo, sixty-somethings Ana, Patricia, and Mayela found their understanding of womanhood based on unspoken rules and implicit impositions. Now, their fearless voices are channelled into a single 65-year-old woman (Sol Carballo) in the present day. A collective outcry against taboos, their stories poetically combine to form a kaleidoscope of memories, secrets and hidden desires.

Weaving together the past and the present, this drama is centered on the experience of women and how they understand their sexuality at the different stages of their lives. From sexuality to love, and delving into education, repression, pleasure, motherhood and liberation, it tells the story of a quest to understand themselves as women in a world that limited them.

Described as the “conversation she never had with her grandmothers”, writer/director Antonella Sudasassi Furniss’ second feature film, MEMORIES OF A BURNING BODY, is a heartfelt exploration of female sexuality and an ode to women everywhere.

Costa Rica, 2024

Spanish language with English subtitles

As the 20th of July marked the 50th anniversary of the partition of Cyprus, the feature documentary THE DIVIDED ISLAND brings the ‘Cyprus problem’ back into focus, revealing untold stories and unravelling the intricate history that still reverberates today. Amidst the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, the world has largely forgotten the frozen divide that has left Nicosia as Europe’s last divided capital city. As a result of the conflict in 1974, the North remains largely inhabited by Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots in the South, separated by a ‘no-go zone’ area governed and patrolled by UN soldiers. After 50 years of failed negotiations the issue remains today on whether the Island will ever become re-united.

THE DIVIDED ISLAND challenges the often hostility-driven narratives perpetuated by mainstream media, offering instead a pursuit of truth through deeply personal interviews - from those whose lives, homes, and country were torn apart, to the new generation of Cypriots yearning for peaceful reconciliation.

All screenings will be followed by a recorded Q&A.with director, Cey Sesiguzel, and co-producer, Andreas Tokkallos. On Saturday 23rd and Tuesday 26th November, Cey and Andreas will host a Live Q&A.

Please note: Prompt start as no ads/trailers for all screenings.

Adrian Dunbar (Line of Duty, Ridley) and Broadway royalty Stephanie J. Block (Into The Woods, The Cher Show) lead a stellar cast in a sizzling new 5-star production of Kiss Me, Kate, filmed live at the Barbican in London especially for the big screen.

From Cole Porter, composer of recent smash-hit Anything Goes, and with a full orchestra performing classics such as Brush Up Your Shakespeare, Too Darn Hot and Tom, Dick or Harry, this new production is directed by Bartlett Sher (The King and I) with choreography by Anthony Van Laast (Mamma Mia!) and costume design by Catherine Zuber (Moulin Rouge!).

Hailed as 'the ultimate Broadway musical from the golden age’ (Financial Times), Kiss Me, Kate is a simple love story...about two people who just can't stand each other. Guess who wins...

Don't miss this all-zinging, all-dancing musical comedy!

Prompt start as no ads/trailers. The runtime is 160 minutes including an interval.

Please note: This show is excluded from membership discounts.

‘7 Years 7 Messages’ is a love story that spans 7 years, told through 7 answer machine messages. Because, back in the day, answer machine messages were how tech and romance intersected.

Back in March 2020 I met Kat Kleve for a coffee at the National Theatre, pitched the script to her, and we decided to go for it. But the rest of 2020 had other ideas. So, four years later, it is a joy to be able kickstart things again at The Arthouse Crouch End.

Kat has just finished a run at The Other Palace of ‘TINK’ – a one woman-show she co-created with Lizzy Connolly. Joey Hickman, the other lead, has just been in a tour of ‘Brassed Off’. Jan Goodman was last seen playing Mrs Thatcher in ‘Handbagged’ by Moira Buffini. And Yvonne Riley has recently worked on a piece of verbatim theatre about food poverty called ‘Full’.

This rehearsed reading is a chance to get ‘7 Years 7 Messages’ in front of an audience to see how it works. If you’ve got some time, why not check it out?

Rohan Candappa

Poignant, moving and uplifting, Waterloo Sunset is a documentary about the elderly residents who live at the remarkable Hopton’s Almshouse, beside The Thames. Built in 1752 for the borough’s poor, the occupants - many in their 80s and 90s - now find themselves living in one of London’s most sought-after locations, dwarfed by luxury apartments and towering glass skyscrapers.

Over the course of one summer, filmmaker Harvey Marcus discovers a story of a community battling with regeneration, change and what it means to grow old in today’s Britain, but also a tale of hope, wisdom and inspiration - epitomised by 92 year old Yogi, Jenny, and the incorrigible crooner Shamus, who despite his 76 years and various ailments, still dreams of pop stardom. This is a coming of age story with a difference.

We are delighted to welcome director, Harvey Marcus, for a post screening Q&A.

Please note: Prompt start as no ads/trailers.

Layla is a struggling Arab drag queen whose confident façade hides their desperate desire for love. When their performance at a belittling corporate Pride event turns into a transgressive takedown, they are surprised to catch the eye of marketing executive Max, whose attentions sweep Layla off their feet. The two start an intoxicating romance, but as Layla starts to alter who they are in order to keep Max’s interest, they both have to face uncomfortable truths.

"A Sundance-friendly indie romance rich with specificity and led by what could, and by all rights should, be a breakout role for Bilal Hasna." William Bibbiani, TheWrap

Pauline Black, lead singer of 2-Tone hit band The Selecter, tells her extraordinary life story in the same frank manner that helped shape her as an iconic, era-defining female musician. Pauline had a difficult upbringing and joining the 2-Tone music movement in 1979 was the perfect catalyst; enabling her to explore and express all sides of herself.

Looking back at her own ground-breaking experience in this feature documentary, Pauline traces how her legacy came about and how it is relevant to the world today, especially where society pushes the boundaries of gender, politics, race and identity.

Pauline, of mixed Nigerian and Jewish heritage, was adopted into a white family in Essex in the 50’s. Her upbringing was defined by casual racism from within her own family. Pauline went on to find her own identity in the Coventry 2-Tone music scene and The Selecter was a reflection of working-class life in Thatcher's Britain, their music as social reportage and with an ethos of anti-racism and anti-sexism.

This is a cinematic and visceral documentary mixing intimate actuality, archive and interviews and a storming soundtrack. Contributors include Arthur ‘Gaps’ Hendrickson, Don Letts, Skin, Damon Albarn, Rhoda Dakar, Lynval Golding, Mykaell Riley, Sonia Boyce and Jools Holland.

We are delighted to welcome director, Jane Mingay, for a post screening Q&A.

Please note: Prompt start as no ads/trailers.

Artist Neil Harbisson wants to convince the world that technological enhancement of our senses is a force for good.

Born only being able to see in black and white, Neil yearned from a young age to experience how others feel the emotive power of colour. When he was 21 he had an ‘eyeborg’ antenna, that translates colour waves into sound frequencies, permanently implanted in his skull.

Together with childhood friend, choreographer and cyborg collaborator, Moon Ribas, Neil went on to establish the Cyborg Foundation and the Transpecies Society. These aim to promote the creation of new technological senses, give a voice to non-human identities and defend the freedom of self-design.

We are delighted to welcome director, Carey Born, for a post screening Q&A.

Please note: Prompt start as no ads/trailers.

The incredible true story of a man who lived for 15 months trapped inside a small room, naked, starving and alone... and completely unaware that his life was being broadcast on national TV in Japan, to over 15 million viewers a week. Before Big Brother, before The Truman Show, there was the shocking story of Nasubi.

"The Contestant is the type of documentary where you’re aware that what you’re witnessing is 100-percent true, and you still can’t quite wrap your brain around what you’re seeing." David Fear, Rolling Stone

Following the screening there will be a pre-recorded Q&A with the star of the film and real life contestant, Nasubi.

Please note: Prompt start as no ads/trailers.

In Mumbai, thoughtful Nurse Prabha’s routine is upset when she receives an unexpected gift from her estranged husband. Her younger, flightier and rebellious roommate, Anu, tries in vain to find a spot in the city to be intimate with her secret boyfriend. Their colleague Parvaty fights to stay in her home without any requisite paperwork left by her late husband. A trip to a beach town allows them each to find a space for their desires to manifest.

Featuring Kani Kusruti (Girls Will Be Girls) Divya Prabha (Family) and Chhaya Kadam (Sister Midnight) in the lead roles, ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT was the first Indian film to be selected in Official Competition at Cannes in three decades. Payal Kapadia also made history as the first female Indian filmmaker ever to have a film in this prestigious section of the festival.

"Kapadia’s film precisely captures the realism of the particular romantic chaos native to Mumbai: a warm, heady place where desire, tradition, shame, and pride are in constant negotiation with one another." Jenna Mahale, Little White Lies

France-India-Netherlands-Luxembourg, 2024

Malayalam, Hindi with English subtitles

CONCLAVE follows one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events – selecting the new Pope. Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is tasked with running this covert process after the unexpected death of the beloved Pope. Once the Catholic Church’s most powerful leaders have gathered from around the world and are locked together in the Vatican halls, Lawrence uncovers a trail of deep secrets left in the dead Pope’s wake, secrets which could shake the foundations of the Church.

"Conclave is one of those rare films that respects the audience’s attention, even as it sneaks a few tricks behind their backs." Peter DeBruge, Variety

Directed by Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front)

Written By Peter Straughan (Tinker Tailor Solider Spy)

Starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini

Hersh Dagmarr and pianist Karen Newby are back at the Arthouse with their cabaret show VAMPS OF WEIMAR!

A night of Weimar Berlin reminiscences and a musical celebration of the femme fatale as depicted in the Populärkultur! Whatever her gender, whatever her aim….

With brilliant tunes by Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht, Mischa Spoliansky, Friedrich Hollaender, Marlene Dietrich…and even Britney Spears (!!!) amongst others.

Extra glitz and sparkle will be added to fit the Christmas seasonal mood so make yourself all pretty and dandy, put on your best Lederhosen and polka dots tie and come join the grand  fantastisch fabelhaf and soooo very herrlich celebration! You will laugh, you will cry and you will leave with red hot roses planted in your eyes! So Vamp turned vampire, love for sale or for hire, what’s your vow what’s your desire and look here … you will see no hire just…the vamp!

Please note: The Show will consist of two 40 minute sets with a 15 minute interval. Prompt start as no ads/trailers.

Please also note: This show is excluded from membership discounts.

1950. William Lee, an American expat in Mexico City, spends his days almost entirely alone, except for a few contacts with other members of the small American community. His encounter with Eugene Allerton, an expat former soldier, new to the city, shows him, for the first time, that it might be finally possible to establish an intimate connection with somebody.

From Academy Award winning director Luca Guadagnino, written by Justin Kuritzkes and based on the novel by William S. Burroughs.

Starring Daniel Craig, Drew Starkey, Lesley Manville, and Jason Schwartzman.

"Burroughs believed in magic, and watching Queer, one has an inkling that Guadagnino does too." Hannah Strong, Little White Lies

David Tennant (Doctor Who, Broadchurch) and Cush Jumbo (The Good Wife, Criminal Record) lead a stellar cast in an ‘enthralling’ (★★★★★ Daily Telegraph) new production of Shakespeare’s MACBETH, filmed live at the Donmar Warehouse in London, especially for the big screen.

Unsettling intimacy and brutal action combine at breakneck speed as Max Webster (Life of Pi, Henry V) directs this tragic tale of love, murder, and nature’s power of renewal. With staging ‘full of wolfish imagination and alarming surprise’ (★★★★★ The Guardian), the immersive 5.1 cinema surround sound places the audience inside the minds of the Macbeths, asking are we ever really responsible for our actions?

Prompt start as no ads/trailers.

Please note: This show is excluded from membership discounts.

Three-time Olivier Award-winner Sharon D Clarke is joined by Ncuti Gatwa (Doctor Who; Sex Education) in this joyful reimagining of Oscar Wilde’s most celebrated comedy.

While assuming the role of a dutiful guardian in the country, Jack lets loose in town under a false identity. Meanwhile, his friend Algy adopts a similar facade. Hoping to impress two eligible ladies, the gentlemen find themselves caught in a web of lies they must carefully navigate.

Max Webster (Life of Pi) directs this hilarious story of identity, impersonation and romance, filmed live from the National Theatre in London.