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 (Saturday 27th July)

15:15

Sleep 15
1h 35m | Korean w/ English subtitles
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17:30

The Conversation 12A
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20:00

Kinds of Kindness 18
2h 44m
A man takes control of his life. A woman searches for a spiritual leader with a unique ability. A man's missing wife returns. Three stories come together in Yorgos Lanthimos' dark comedy, starring Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, and Willem Dafoe.

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Tomorrow (Sunday 28th July)

14:00

The Conversation 12A
1h 54m
A surveillance expert is hired to follow a couple and becomes obsessed with their cryptic conversations in Coppola's neo-noir thriller exploring technology and privacy. Palme d'Or winner, now restored in 4K for its 50th anniversary.

Book here

16:30

Kinds of Kindness 18
2h 44m
A man takes control of his life. A woman searches for a spiritual leader with a unique ability. A man's missing wife returns. Three stories come together in Yorgos Lanthimos' dark comedy, starring Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, and Willem Dafoe.

Book here

20:00

Orlando, My Political Biography 12A
1h 39m | French w/ English subtitles
Virginia Woolf’s 1928 novel Orlando acts as an inspiration in filmmaker and philosophers Paul B. Preciado’s award-winning documentary illustrating how life, poetry, and gender converge in the lives of trans people from past and present.

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!