Ivan’s Childhood12A

Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky | Soviet Union | 1962 | 1h 35m | Russian w/ English subtitles | Starring Nikolai Burlyayev, Nikolai Grinko, Valentin Zubkov

Determined to avenge his family’s death at the hands of the Nazis, 12-year-old Ivan joins a Russian partisan regiment as a spy on the eastern front. Andrei Tarkovsky’s Venice Golden Lion-winning debut feature is an eerie journey through the shadows of one boy’s war-ravaged youth and one of the most unforgettable depictions of the impact of war on children.

Classic Season: Directorial Debuts

Reviews

‘Tarkovsky pays full attention to the squalor and pity of war but never loses his sense of poetry.’
★★★★★
Geoffrey Macnab, The Independent

‘Audacious, coldly lucid postwar Russian classic…Unmissable’
★★★★★
Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed Ivan’s Childhood between January 9, 2022 and January 12, 2022.

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Today (Friday 17th April)
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15:15

Two Prosecutors 12A
1h 58m | Russian & Ukrainian w/ English subtitles
Soviet Union, 1937. Amidst rampant injustice, a prisoner’s letter reaches prosecutor Alexander Kornyev, igniting a pursuit of truth in a totalitarian system. Sergei Loznitsa’s gripping historical drama, based on Georgy Demidov’s novel, starkly explores stifling Soviet bureaucracy and state oppression.

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18:00

The Magic Faraway Tree U
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20:30

Dead Man's Wire 15
1h 46m
In 1977, businessman Tony Kiritsis takes a mortgage broker hostage with a deadly “dead man’s switch,” demanding millions and an apology. Gus Van Sant’s tense, darkly comic thriller brings this bizarre true story to life with Bill Skarsgård, Al Pacino, and Colman Domingo.

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Tomorrow (Saturday 18th April)
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14:30

The Magic Faraway Tree U
1h 50m
The Thompson children discover a magical tree leading to fantastical lands. Facing quirky inhabitants and wondrous adventures, they reconnect and grow closer. Enid Blyton’s beloved classic comes to life in this enchanting adaptation starring Andrew Garfield, Nicola Coughlan, and Claire Foy.

Book here

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17:00

Dead Man's Wire 15
1h 46m
In 1977, businessman Tony Kiritsis takes a mortgage broker hostage with a deadly “dead man’s switch,” demanding millions and an apology. Gus Van Sant’s tense, darkly comic thriller brings this bizarre true story to life with Bill Skarsgård, Al Pacino, and Colman Domingo.

Book here

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20:00

High Fidelity 15
Record Store Day screening
1h 54m
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Rob Gordon’s Chicago record store struggles as heartbreak drives him to recount his top five breakups. Stephen Frears’ witty, BAFTA-nominated romantic comedy stars John Cusack in a funny, poignant journey through love, music, and reluctant adulthood.

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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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