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.

Classic Season: Oxford Pride Presents

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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Today (Saturday 30th May)
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15:00

Ultras 15
1h 29m
From Eastbourne Town F.C. to Raja Club Athletic in Casablanca, this documentary explores global ultras culture, where football fandom becomes identity, art and conflict. Ragnhild Ekner examines passionate supporter groups worldwide, revealing the creativity, community and tensions behind collective devotion.

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17:30

Earwig 15
+ Director Q&A
1h 55m
Director's Cuts: Lucile Hadžihalilović
In a claustrophobic post-war apartment, a man cares for a girl whose fragile condition is managed through ritual and control. An austere blend of European art cinema and psychological horror. Screening followed by an in-person director Q&A with Lucile Hadzihalilovic.

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20:30

Hokum 15
1h 47m
When novelist Ohm Bauman (Adam Scott) retreats to a remote inn to scatter his parents’ ashes, he is unsettled by rumours of a witch haunting the honeymoon suite. Damian McCarthy’s atmospheric psychological horror blends folklore, grief and eerie supernatural mystery.

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Tomorrow (Sunday 31st May)
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12:30

The Lego Movie U
Kino Kids Cinema Club
1h 40m
Kino Kids Cinema Club
Ordinary LEGO figure Emmet is mistaken for a prophesied hero. Reluctantly joining quirky allies, he embarks on a mission to stop an evil tyrant, discovering courage, creativity, and humour along the way in this colourful, action-packed animated adventure.

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15:00

Valerie and Her Week of Wonders 15
+ Introduction
1h 17m + 18m short film | Czech w/ English subtitles
Director's Cuts: Lucile Hadžihalilović
In a surreal coming-of-age journey, a girl navigates a dreamlike world of vampires, shifting identities, and religious imagery. A key Czech New Wave classic, it is celebrated for its baroque visual style and influential fusion of horror, folklore, and psychoanalysis.

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17:15

Romería 15
1h 52m | Spanish w/ English subtitles
Aspiring filmmaker Marina travels to Galicia to uncover her family’s past, following her late mother’s diary. As buried truths emerge, she confronts grief, identity and belonging in Carla Simón’s (Summer 1993, Alcarràs) warm, autobiographical drama about memory and emotional inheritance.

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20:00

Hokum 15
1h 47m
When novelist Ohm Bauman (Adam Scott) retreats to a remote inn to scatter his parents’ ashes, he is unsettled by rumours of a witch haunting the honeymoon suite. Damian McCarthy’s atmospheric psychological horror blends folklore, grief and eerie supernatural mystery.

Book here


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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!

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