Casablanca Beats12A

Directed by Nabil Ayouch | Morocco | 2021 | 1h 42m | Starring Anas Basbousi, Ismail Adouab, Zineb Boujemaa, Meryem Nekkach

A charismatic ex-rapper arrives in Casablanca to start a new job at an arts centre, teaching hip-hop to a small group of young people. Encouraged by their new teacher, the students try to free themselves from the weight of traditions and to express themselves through hip-hop culture. An ensemble cast of mostly non-professional actors give this uplifting story of self-discovery a powerful sense of urgency and authenticity.

Reviews

‘Has an infectious energy that pulls us into the ever-changing worlds of its characters. Crucially, it does so in a manner that is both enticing and accessible…’
★★★★
Mark Kermode, The Guardian

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed Casablanca Beats between June 11, 2022 and June 16, 2022.

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What else is on?

Today (Thursday 19th March)

11:30

“Wuthering Heights” 15
Parent + Baby screening
2h 16m
In 18th-century Yorkshire, brooding outsider Heathcliff falls for Catherine, the daughter of his master, igniting a destructive love story of obsession. Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie star in Emerald Fennell’s (Saltburn) sensual adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic novel.

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14:30

The Secret Agent 15
2h 41m | Portuguese w/ English subtitles
Carnival, communal resistance, political tensions, and a man's missing leg collide in Kleber Mendonça Filho’s slow-burning 1970s political thriller. The Oscar-nominated Wagner Moura stars in this gripping examination of Brazil’s turbulent past.

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18:00

Amakki 12A
+ Director Q&A
1h 44m | Amharic with English subtitles
In Ethiopia’s coffee-growing hills, two women share time together across a single day. This lyrical portrait of motherhood reveals hardship and the enduring bonds of love. Screening presented by Maona Art, followed by an in-person Q&A with the director.

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20:45

If I Had Legs I'd Kick You 15
1h 53m
A house filling with water. A child who won’t get better. And a husband who’s never there. Rose Byrne delivers an Oscar-nominated performance as a mother whose world is unravelling in Mary Bronstein’s darkly comic portrait of modern womanhood.

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Tomorrow (Friday 20th March)

14:15

The Secret Agent 15
2h 41m | Portuguese w/ English subtitles
Carnival, communal resistance, political tensions, and a man's missing leg collide in Kleber Mendonça Filho’s slow-burning 1970s political thriller. The Oscar-nominated Wagner Moura stars in this gripping examination of Brazil’s turbulent past.

Book here

17:45

The Testament of Ann Lee 15
2h 17m
From poverty in England to revolutionary America, Ann Lee’s spiritual vision and utopian dreams shape the lives of a newly formed religious community. Mona Fastvold’s sweeping historical epic stars Amanda Seyfried as the founder of the Shaker Movement.

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20:45

Sirāt 15
1h 54m | Spanish, French & Arabic w/ English subtitles
Oliver Laxe’s intense, hallucinatory road movie follows a father and son through Morocco as they try to find a missing relative at various sprawling, illegal raves. Winner of the Jury Prize at Cannes Film Festival 2025.

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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 only show a few adverts – less than most cinemas – and we only play a couple of trailers, so please don’t be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!