Balloon12A

Dir. Pema Tseden | Tibet | 2019 | 1h 43m | Tibetan w/ English subs | Starring Sonam Wangmo, Jinpa, Druklha Dorje, Dudul, Yangshik Tso.

Living under the newly established rule of China’s one-child policy, a Tibetan couple must be careful not to have any more children. However, their two sons find a stash of condoms and parade them around town mistaking them for balloons. Not only does this outrage the entire village, but more practically: they have no more condoms. Pema Tseden deftly examines the collision between modernity and tradition in 1980s Tibet in this wryly humorous and award-winning drama.

Reviews

‘[A] mix of tranquillity, playfulness and a touch of melancholy becomes the evocative thread that runs through this leisurely film’
★★★★ Phuong Le, The Guardian

‘You come away not knowing if what you’ve seen was comedy or tragedy. Or maybe something else entirely.’
★★★★ David Jenkins, Little White Lies

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed Balloon between October 15, 2021 and October 22, 2021.

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What else is on?

Today (Monday 27th March)

17:30

The Age of Innocence U
2h 18m
Daniel Day-Lewis stars as a wealthy lawyer who falls in love with his fiancée's beautiful cousin. A stunning 4K restoration to mark the 30th-anniversary of Martin Scorsese's exquisite period romance.

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20:30

Close 12A
1h 44m | French, Flemish & Dutch w/ English subtitles
Belgian coming-of-age story about two young boys whose friendship is put to the test as they begin a new school year. Nominated for Best International Feature at this year’s Oscars.

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Tomorrow (Tuesday 28th March)

18:00

Creature 12A
1h 28m
Shot by Oscar-winning director Asif Kapadia (Amy, Senna), this feature-length ballet film is a stunning collaboration between the English National Ballet and celebrated choreographer Akram Khan.

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20:15

Broker 12A
2h 9m | Korean w/ English subtitles
A typically offbeat and moving road-trip drama from acclaimed Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda (Shoplifters), starring award-winning South Korean actor Song Kang-ho (Parasite).

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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 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!