Burden Of Dreams12A

Directed by Les Blank | Germany | 1982 | 1h 35m

For nearly five years, German filmmaker Werner Herzog fought to complete Fitzcarraldo, an epic tale about one man’s quest to build an opera house in the heart of the Amazon. Herzog’s vision demanded the impossible: shooting without special effects, including a real-life sequence in which a 320-ton steamship is dragged over a mountain. Documentarian Les Blank was there to capture it all. The result is an extraordinary chronicle of obsession and endurance, offering a rare glimpse into the uncompromising mind of one of cinema’s most fearless auteurs.

Presented as a double-bill with Fitzcarraldo on Saturday 26th July. Purchase tickets to both screenings (in a single transaction) and get an automatic 30% discount on the overall cost.

4K Restoration executive produced by Harrod Blank, restoration by Anthony Matt, audio restoration by Nick Bergh, color by Paul Cope, & new subtitles by Maureen Gosling. Distributed by Violet Pictures.

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We showed Burden Of Dreams between July 26, 2025 and July 26, 2025.

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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!

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