Lingui, The Sacred Bonds15

Directed by Mahamat-Saleh Haroun | Chad | 2021 | 1h 28m | French w/ English subtitles | Starring Achouackh Abakar Souleymane, Rihane Khalil Alio, Youssouf Djaoro, Briya Gomdigue

In a small village in Chad, determined single mother Amina works tirelessly to provide for her 15-year old daughter Maria. However, their lives are thrown in disarray when Amina discovers that Maria is pregnant and does not want to have a child. This beautifully shot and fiercely feminist drama explores the strength of bonds between women in a male-dominated society.

Reviews

‘Breathtaking visuals and deeply moving story and performances. One of the best films of the year – astonishingly realised and lingers with you long after.’
★★★★★
Rogan Graham, Little White Lies

‘Fierce stabs of sexuality and violence cut through the stoic calm of Chadian film-maker Mahamat-Saleh Haroun’s urgent drama of survival’
★★★★
Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed Lingui, The Sacred Bonds between February 26, 2022 and March 3, 2022.

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What else is on?

Today (Thursday 19th March)

14:30

The Secret Agent 15
2h 41m | Portuguese w/ English subtitles
Carnival, communal resistance, political tensions, and a man's missing leg collide in Kleber Mendonça Filho’s slow-burning 1970s political thriller. The Oscar-nominated Wagner Moura stars in this gripping examination of Brazil’s turbulent past.

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18:00

Amakki 12A
+ Director Q&A
1h 44m | Amharic with English subtitles
In Ethiopia’s coffee-growing hills, two women share time together across a single day. This lyrical portrait of motherhood reveals hardship and the enduring bonds of love. Screening presented by Maona Art, followed by an in-person Q&A with the director.

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20:45

If I Had Legs I'd Kick You 15
1h 53m
A house filling with water. A child who won’t get better. And a husband who’s never there. Rose Byrne delivers an Oscar-nominated performance as a mother whose world is unravelling in Mary Bronstein’s darkly comic portrait of modern womanhood.

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Tomorrow (Friday 20th March)

14:15

The Secret Agent 15
2h 41m | Portuguese w/ English subtitles
Carnival, communal resistance, political tensions, and a man's missing leg collide in Kleber Mendonça Filho’s slow-burning 1970s political thriller. The Oscar-nominated Wagner Moura stars in this gripping examination of Brazil’s turbulent past.

Book here

17:45

The Testament of Ann Lee 15
2h 17m
From poverty in England to revolutionary America, Ann Lee’s spiritual vision and utopian dreams shape the lives of a newly formed religious community. Mona Fastvold’s sweeping historical epic stars Amanda Seyfried as the founder of the Shaker Movement.

Book here

20:45

Sirāt 15
1h 54m | Spanish, French & Arabic w/ English subtitles
Oliver Laxe’s intense, hallucinatory road movie follows a father and son through Morocco as they try to find a missing relative at various sprawling, illegal raves. Winner of the Jury Prize at Cannes Film Festival 2025.

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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!