The Diving Bell and the Butterfly12A

Directed by Julian Schnabel | France | 2007 | 1h 52m | French w/ English subtitles | Starring Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner, Marie-Josée Croze

The true story of Elle France editor Jean-Dominique Bauby, who, in 1995 at the age of 43, suffered a stroke that paralyzed his entire body, except his left eye. Using that eye to blink out his memoir, Bauby eloquently described the aspects of his interior world, from the psychological torment of being trapped inside his body to his imagined stories from lands he’d only visited in his mind.

Followed by a post-screening discussion with University of Oxford neuroscientists organised by The Oxford Science and Ideas Festival 2021. 

Reviews

‘Nothing in director Julian Schnabel’s career so far has anticipated the sweetness, sadness, maturity and restraint of this lovely movie.’
★★★★★ Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

‘A poignant reflection on what it means to be alive and, visually, a true cinematic experience.’
★★★★ Alan Morrison, Empire Magazine

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed The Diving Bell and the Butterfly between October 23, 2021 and October 24, 2021.

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What else is on?

Today (Tuesday 21st July)

17:45

Everybody to Kenmure Street 12A
+ Q&A / £6 for Members
1h 39m
Oxford Stand Up to Racism presents a special Q&A screening of Felipe Bustos Sierra immersive and rousing documentary film about residents of Pollokshields in Scotland rising up against UK Home Office enforcement officers to stop the deportation of their neighbours.

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20:30

Toy Story 5 PG
£6 for Members
1h 42m
Bonnie has a new tablet — and suddenly, Buzz, Woody, Jessie and the gang are facing their greatest challenge yet: a kid who'd rather swipe a screen than pick up a toy. Disney and Pixar's long-awaited fifth instalment pits beloved characters against the digital age.

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Tomorrow (Wednesday 22nd July)

15:15

Toy Story 5 PG
Descriptive Subtitles
1h 42m
Bonnie has a new tablet — and suddenly, Buzz, Woody, Jessie and the gang are facing their greatest challenge yet: a kid who'd rather swipe a screen than pick up a toy. Disney and Pixar's long-awaited fifth instalment pits beloved characters against the digital age.

Book here

17:45

The Last Viking 15
1h 56m | Danish w/ English subtitles
Fresh from prison, Anker needs his brother Manfred to reveal where they buried their heist money. There's one problem: Manfred now believes he is John Lennon. Mads Mikkelsen throws himself into the chaos of Anders Thomas Jensen's latest gleefully unhinged Danish black comedy.

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20:30

Nirvanna the Band...the Movie 15
1h 40m
Two hopeless Toronto musicians accidentally travel back to 2008, where their only route home is tracking down a discontinued soft drink. Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol bring their cult guerrilla TV series to the big screen with anarchic, wildly inventive results.

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 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!