Desert Hearts18

Directed by Donna Deitch | USA | 1986 | 1h 31m | Starring Helen Shaver, Patricia Charbonneau, Audra Lindley, Andra Akers, Gwen Welles

A strait-laced literature professor leaves New York to get away from her husband and file for divorce. Out on the West Coast, in Reno, she soon catches the eye of a free-spirited young woman. A groundbreaking release in 1985, Donna Deitch’s swooning romantic drama was made on a shoestring budget and went on to become an important touchstone for lesbian cinema.

Reviews

‘The story is not sensationalistic, although its love scene could not be more emotional. It`s a gentle story of someone being brought in from the cold.’
Gene Siskel, Chicago Tribune

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed Desert Hearts between June 20, 2022 and June 22, 2022.

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What else is on?

Today (Friday 28th August)

15:30

On the Sea 15
1h 51m
In rural North Wales, mussel harvester Jack has been married to Maggie for over half his life, troubled by a son who rejects the family trade. When he meets Daniel, an itinerant deckhand, attraction creates an impossible dilemma. Directed by Helen Walsh.

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18:15

Tony 15
1h 46m
In a chaotic restaurant kitchen during the summer of 1975, Tony stumbles into a job that will shape his life. Dominic Sessa (The Holdovers) stars as chef Anthony Bourdain in this biographical drama, directed by Matt Johnson (Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie).

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20:45

Thief 18
+ Introduction
1h 59m
Professional safecracker Frank wants one last big score before he walks away from crime for good, but the underworld won't let him go easily. Starring James Caan, Michael Mann's directorial debut is a tightly controlled, hyper-real crime thriller.

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Tomorrow (Saturday 29th August)

15:15

Lady 15
1h 35m
Self-described "aristocracy's answer to the Kardashians", Lady Isabella has everything but loneliness to fill. When a filmmaker arrives to document her estate, her hunger for attention takes a strange turn. Sian Clifford (Fleabag) stars in this riotous mockumentary.

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17:30

Dog Day Afternoon 15
2h 10m
When a Brooklyn bank robbery goes wrong, small-time crook Sonny holds hostages as police, crowds and live TV cameras gather outside. Based on a real story, Sidney Lumet's tense thriller stars Al Pacino and remains a defining film of 1970s American cinema.

Book here

20:15

Tony 15
1h 46m
In a chaotic restaurant kitchen during the summer of 1975, Tony stumbles into a job that will shape his life. Dominic Sessa (The Holdovers) stars as chef Anthony Bourdain in this biographical drama, directed by Matt Johnson (Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie).

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!