Cassandro15

Directed by Roger Ross Williams | Mexico/USA | 2023 | 1h 47m | Spanish w/ English subtitles | Starring Gael García Bernal, Roberta Colindrez, Perla De La Rosa, Joaquín Cosio, Raúl Castillo

In the lucha libre wrestling scene of Juárez, Mexico, gay luchador Saúl is tired of playing a nondescript underdog who always loses his matches. His trainer suggests he develop an exótico character — a stereotypically effeminate role that never win their bouts and that audiences love to hate. But Saúl longs to be a star and is desperate to win. Starring a fabulous lead performance by Gael García Bernal, award–winning documentary filmmaker Roger Ross Williams (Life, Animated) makes his fiction directorial debut with the real-life tale of Cassandro, the “Liberace of lucha libre”.

Reviews

‘As a portrait of a man finding himself in his profession and celebrating his true self, ‘Cassandro’ is extraordinary.’
★★★★
Gregory Ellwood, The Playlist

‘A triumph for Bernal and for Williams and all his collaborators, a film that takes on very fresh territory and suffuses all of its frames with love for all of the people in it.’
Dan Callahan, TheWrap

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed Cassandro between September 22, 2023 and September 27, 2023.

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What else is on?

Today (Tuesday 24th February)

18:00

She Taught Me Serendipity 18+
£6 for members
2h 7m | Japanese w/ English subtitles
An unexpected encounter with free-spirited Hana awakens the bored and out-of-place university student Toru to the joys of everyday life and the wonder of serendipity. But one day, fate strikes them both, changing their destiny forever.

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20:45

Breathless 12A
£6 for members
1h 30m | French w/ English subtitles
After killing a policeman, a reckless thief hides out in Paris with his American girlfriend, plotting escape. Jean-Luc Godard’s electrifying debut shattered conventions, launched the French New Wave, and remains a defining statement of cinematic cool.

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Tomorrow (Wednesday 25th February)

15:00

Ben Wheatley Filmmaking Workshop /
Are you aged 16-25, have an amazing idea for a film, but don't have the budget? Join us to hear from some young BFI Film Academy funded filmmakers, as well as special guest speaker Ben Wheatley. Tickets cost £5 (and includes entry to our Q&A screening of Bulk).

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18:00

Bulk 15
+ Director Q&A
1h 35m + 30m Q&A
When an ambitious scientist takes his string theory experiments too far, his “brane” explodes, and someone is left to deal with the consequences. Join us for a one-off screening of Ben Wheatley’s mind-bending sci-fi thriller, and a playful love letter to filmmaking.

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20:45

Nouvelle Vague 12A
1h 46m | French w/ English subtitles
Paris, 1959. Aspiring filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard sets out to make Breathless, unknowingly igniting a cinematic revolution. Directed by Richard Linklater (Boyhood), this lively, affectionate comedy-drama captures the birth of the French New Wave.

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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!