The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant15

Directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder | German | 1972 | 2h 4m | German w/ English subtitles | Starring Margit Carstensen, Hanna Schygulla, Katrin Schaake, Eva Mattes

Petra von Kant, a successful fashion designer, is engaged in a S&M relationship with her secretary Marlene, but soon finds herself drawn to a younger beautiful model. An exquisitely intense portrayal of obsession and tortured romance by legendary figure of the New German Cinema movement of the 1960s-80s, Rainer Werner Fassbinder (Ali: Fear Eats the Soul, The Marriage of Maria Braun).

Reviews

‘Offers a sensory feast that’s expanded on by the elaborate dialogue, which is poetic even as translated into English, and by the astonishingly sensual and fluid movements of the actors and the camera.’
★★★★★
Ed Gonzalez, Slant

‘A master class in the dynamic visual use of a constricted space, and proof that a tiny budget is no excuse.’
★★★★
Mike D’Angelo, The AV Club

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant between April 3, 2022 and April 6, 2022.

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What else is on?

Today (Monday 29th April)

18:00

Ratatouille PG
1h 51m
Brad Bird's five-star animated family classic (with a zero-star hygiene rating) following the highs and lows of Linguini, a clumsy aspiring chef, and his highly skilled co-cook Remy...who happens to be a rat.

Book here

20:30

Evil Does Not Exist 12A
1h 46m | Japanese w/ English subtitles
Residents of a rural village outside Tokyo oppose the development of a nearby luxury "glamping" site in this captivating eco-drama by Oscar-winning director Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car).

Book here


Tomorrow (Tuesday 30th April)

18:15

Omen 15
1h 30m | French & Swahili w/ English subtitles
Award-winning directorial debut by Belgian rapper-turned-filmmaker Baloji following a young Congolese man's fraught return to his hometown. Screenings plus intro by Maona director Tatenda Jamera.

Book here

20:30

Late Night with the Devil 15
1h 33m
A late night talk show descends into bloody chaos as an evil force is unleashed on an unsuspecting TV audience. A devilishly constructed and wickedly funny found-footage horror set in 1970s America.

Book here


Plan your visit

Our beautiful art deco inspired auditorium can be found just off East Oxford's Cowley Road. We are open 7 days a week. We open the cinema and box office 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of each film, and the Box Office then closes 10 minutes after the film starts. We don’t show adverts, just a couple of trailers, so don't be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!