Maona presents: Mapantsula15

Directed by Oliver Schmitz | South Africa | 1988 | 1h 43m | Zulu w/ English subtitles | Starring Thomas Mogotlane, Thembi Mtshali, Peter Sephuma, Marcel Van Heerden, Eugene Majola

A small-time hustler navigating the streets of Soweto finds himself entangled in anti-apartheid protests. When singled out by the local police, he faces a pivotal decision: prioritise personal gain or join the movement against racism. A quintessential example of guerrilla filmmaking, Oliver Schmitz’s 1988 cult-classic crime drama has finally emerged in stunning 4K resolution after years of suppression. Screenings marking the 30th anniversary of South African Freedom.

These screenings will be introduced by Dr Robert Freeman. Robert is a lecturer in English, and affiliate of New College, Oxford. He writes on African film, literary value, and the history of cultural institutions.

Reviews

‘The film starts as a racy gangster melodrama with an unusually pungent low-life city background, then builds inexorably to a moral reckoning, a ferocious, unforgettable denouement.’
Michael Wilmington, The LA Times

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed Maona presents: Mapantsula between May 21, 2024 and May 22, 2024.

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What else is on?

Today (Thursday 29th October)

15:15

Extra Geography 15
Descriptive Subtitles
1h 34m
In their final year at an early-2000s boarding school, two best friends set themselves a mission: to fall in love with their geography teacher. Molly Manners' freewheeling comedy drama is a funny, warm-hearted portrait of female friendship.

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17:30

Digger 15
2h 9m
The most powerful man in the world is in a frantic race to prove he's humanity's saviour before the disaster he unleashed destroys everything. Tom Cruise heads up an all-star cast in Oscar-winner Alejandro González Iñárritu's sharp comic satire.

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20:30

Florence Park Talks: Robyn Cowen
BBC football commentator Robyn Cowen gives a talk and audience Q&A at the UPP. Tickets cost £10 each and proceeds will be donated to the #SaveTheUPP campaign and Oxford United in the Community, a local mental health charity.

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Tomorrow (Friday 30th October)

15:45

Shaun the Sheep: The Beast Of Mo U
1h 20m
Just before Halloween, the clumsy Farmer ruins the pumpkin patch. Shaun's science experiments to fix it go wrong when a wild beast appears in the woods. Shaun the Sheep returns in a monstrously fun family adventure as Aardman turns 50.

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18:00

The Social Reckoning 15
1h 52m
Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen teams up with a Wall Street Journal reporter to expose the social network's darkest secrets. Aaron Sorkin follows up The Social Network with this true-story legal thriller, starring Jeremy Allen White, Mikey Madison and Jeremy Strong.

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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!