Free Chol Soo Lee12A

Directed by Julie Ha | USA | 2022 | 1h 26m | Starring Chol Soo Lee, Jeff Adachi, K.W. Lee, Ranko Yamada

In 1970s San Francisco, a 20-year-old Korean immigrant is convicted of a murder he didn’t commit. Sentenced to life in prison, he spends years fighting to survive behind bars, until a charismatic journalist investigates his case and ignites an unprecedented social justice movement. A powerful and prescient documentary examining a largely unknown yet hugely important moment in the history of civil rights in America.

Reviews

‘Engrossing…told with enormous sensitivity, intelligence and insight’
★★★★
Cath Clarke, The Guardian

‘Stunningly relevant…belongs in the same category as The Central Park Five, Making a Murderer, and 13th.’
★★★★
R. Colin Tait, The Playlist

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed Free Chol Soo Lee between September 17, 2022 and September 22, 2022.

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What else is on?

Today (Wednesday 17th June)

15:30

The Christophers 15
Descriptive Subtitles
1h 40m
A reclusive London artist (Ian McKellen) becomes the target of a scheme by his estranged children, who recruit a young painter (Michaela Coel) to infiltrate his home and uncover hidden works. Steven Soderbergh’s darkly comic chamber piece explores deception, legacy and artistic value.

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18:00

The Spirit of the Beehive PG
1h 38m | Spanish w/ English subtitles
In a small Spanish village under early Franco rule, a child’s fascination with Frankenstein blurs imagination and reality. Victor Erice’s celebrated classic is a landmark of Spanish cinema, revered for its poetic depiction of childhood and political shadowed history.

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20:30

Backrooms 15
1h 45m
When a patient vanishes through a strange basement doorway of a furniture showroom, his therapist follows him into a disorienting dimension. Expanding Kane Parsons’ cult online series, this feature-length adaptation stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve and bringing “liminal horror” to the big screen.

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Tomorrow (Thursday 18th June)

15:15

Eagles of the Republic 15
2h 8m | Arabic w/ English subtitles
Under pressure from Egyptian authorities, an actor reluctantly stars in a state-backed film, only to become entangled in a dangerous affair with a general’s wife. Award-winning filmmaker Tarik Saleh (The Nile Hilton Incident) delivers a satirical political thriller set amid corruption in Cairo.

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18:00

Backrooms 15
1h 45m
When a patient vanishes through a strange basement doorway of a furniture showroom, his therapist follows him into a disorienting dimension. Expanding Kane Parsons’ cult online series, this feature-length adaptation stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve and bringing “liminal horror” to the big screen.

Book here

20:30

Song 15
£6 for Members
1h 44m
After committing murder for love, painter rescues a young Malaysian woman, and the pair begin a new life performing in vaudeville. Starring Anna May Wong in her first European film, this Weimar-era melodrama blends romance and expressive dance. Presented by Rethinking Weimar Cinema.

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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!