As the title suggests, Jim Jarmusch’s slice of life story takes us to five cities where remarkable and deeply human interactions take place between five taxi drivers and their passengers, all on the same night. A meditative journey through urban environs and existential anecdotes, exploring alienation, desire, and impermanence and punctuated by humour and endearing performances, this one is a must. Bring your best friends and bid the academic year farewell with us!

1991 / 128 min / English / CW: N/A

Directed and co-written by Spike Lee (Do The Right Thing), and featuring Denzel Washington’s most notable performance, this epic biopic follows the life of the African-American activist Malcolm X. Come check this film off your watchlist and enjoy a masterpiece on the civil rights movement, nuanced storytelling, and multi-faceted characters.

1992 / 202 min / English / CW: strong violence, language, drug misuse, discrimination

Kiarostami makes his second appearance on our programme this year, with this thematically rich minimalist film about a man, intent on committing suicide, who searches Tehran for someone to bury him when he’s done. Though its cast is sparse, it shines as a testament to the power of poetry in film with its thought-provoking atmosphere and engrossing story. 

1997 / 99 min / Persian / CW:

One of the notable Hong Kong kung-fu flicks, this film follows the Yeung family as the 5th and 6th brothers take on very different roles to avenge the family’s massacre. Looking forward to seeing well-choreographed fight sequences, glimpses of human emotions and melodrama, and a stunning ending.

1984 / 98 min / Cantonese / CW: strong bloody violence

Meaning temporary sexual impotence, Xala is an African political satire symbolized by a rich businessman with an erectile dysfunction that can only be cured by public humiliation. Come for a thought-provoking social commentary, having masterfully woven themes of masculinities and Senegalese folklore, brought to you by the “father of African film”.

1975 / 121 min / Wolof, French / CW: moderate sex references, nudity, rude humour

Set in a dystopian future in 2022 (relative to its time), the film follows a murder investigation in a world deprived of natural resources intensified by overpopulation and greenhouse effects. Come and catch this classic’s imagination of the present and see how it holds up!

1973 / 97 min / English / CW: n/a

Directed by David Lynch (Muholland Drive, Eraserhead), the film is set in a color-infused criminal underworld, in which the protagonist accidentally stumbles upon a human ear and is determined to investigate. Come to relive this classic or enjoy some sexy dream-like sequences!

1986 / 120 min / English / CW: sexual violence, strong sex, violence

Alfonso Cuarón’s modern masterpiece is set in a dystopian (startlingly) near future, a world in which humans can no longer procreate. Theo, a disillusioned bureaucrat, is tasked with delivering the last pregnant woman in a socially and morally barren society to safety. With mesmerising and immersive long takes, tense set pieces, and a vivid reflection of the evils of our own world, this universal story was made to be appreciated in a communal space, on a big screen.

2006 / 109 min / English / CW: Strong bloody violence

Featuring an ensemble cast of Kirsten Dunst, Kirstie Alley, Ellen Barkin (and Allison Janney & Amy Adam’s debut role), the film centers a small-town beauty pageant contest and the deathy lengths the contestants go to secure the crown. Come along if you’re looking for a black comedy, a social commentary, or a cult-classic mocumentary!

1999 / 98 min / English / CW: discrimination and offensive language

Starring an all-female camaraderie by Pedro Almodóvar (The Skin I Live In, All About My Mother), the film illustrates a lively and hilarious story about an interrupted suicide, also featuring a melodramatic couple, terrorist accomplices, and spiked gazpacho. Tune in for a short and silly black dramedy!

1988 / 88 min / Spanish / CW: suicide references

Branded as a “ramen western”, this hilarious film details two truck drivers who serendipitously joins the ramen catering business and embarks on a journey discovering “the art of soup making”. Come along for the appreciation of shared food experiences and get ready for a delicious turn of events!

1985 / 115 min / Japanese / CW: Strong sex, violence

Directed by Gregg Araki, the first winner of the Cannes Festival Queer Palm, this coming-of-age tale features a gusting prostitute (Joseph Gorden-Levitt) and an alien abduction conspiracist (Brady Corbet), and their journey of self-discovery. Prepare yourselves for a steadily devastating insight into childhood trauma with a strangely hopeful message in the end. 

2004 / 105 min / English / CW: Contains child sexual abuse theme and strong sexual violence

Submitted for Oscar’s Best International Film, this film is a subtle and moving tale about a dying grandmother and a grandson scheming to inherit her house before she dies. The film tenderly portrays the nuanced power dynamics in an Asian household, themes of legacy and conflict in values, and provides an emotional outlook on understanding our relatively disconnected family members and processing the passing of beloved ones.

2024 / 125 min / Thai /CW:N/A

In Sean Baker’s highest grossing film yet, Ani, a young sex worker from Brooklyn, gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch.

2024 / 139 min / English / CW: strong sex, drug misuse