The Ascent12A

Directed by Larisa Shepitko | Soviet Union | 1977 | 1h 50m | Russian & German w/ English subtitles | Starring Boris Plotnikov, Vladimir Gostyukhin, Sergey Yakovlev, Lyudmila Polyakova, Viktoriya Goldentul

During World War II, two Soviet partisans embark on a desperate mission for supplies, only to face betrayal, capture, and a brutal moral reckoning. Directed by Larisa Shepitko, The Ascent is a stark and deeply spiritual war film, blending harrowing realism with allegorical weight. Winner of the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival in 1977, it remains one of cinema’s most profound explorations of sacrifice and faith.

Reviews

‘Larisa Shepitko’s final film before her untimely death at 41, The Ascent is a lyrical evocation of the costs of moral and spiritual fortitude in times of great despair.’
★★★★★ Derek Smith, Slant Magazine

Book tickets

Sunday 21 June

2.45pmBook tickets
Tuesday 23 June

£6 for Members

6.00pmBook tickets

What else is on?

Today (Saturday 2nd May)

17:30

Father Mother Sister Brother 15
1h 50m
Acclaimed director Jim Jarmusch weaves stories across New Jersey, Dublin and Paris, where siblings reunite amid family tensions and tragedy. Starring Adam Driver, Cate Blanchett and Vicky Krieps, this Golden Lion-winning triptych blends quiet humour with poignant insight.

Book here

20:15

Miroirs No. 3 15
1h 26m | German w/ English subtitles
A young piano student survives a car crash and is taken in by a woman whose intense care turns deeply unsettling. Starring Laura Beer and directed by Christian Petzold, this haunting psychological complex drama probes trauma, memory and hidden pasts.

Book here


Tomorrow (Sunday 3rd May)

12:45

How to Train Your Dragon PG
Kino Kids Cinema Club
1h 39m
Shy Viking Hiccup must face a dragon as a rite of passage but instead befriends one. Together, they challenge fear, fight for peace, and unite humans and dragons in this heartfelt, humorous, and action-packed computer-animated adventure.

Book here

15:00

Man of Iron 12A
2h 32m | Polish w/ English subtitles
Blurring fact and fiction, Andrzej Wajda depicts workers’ protests and political awakening in 1980s Poland, as a journalist confronts propaganda, ethics, and social change. Part of Kinoteka On Tour – Polish Film Festival.

Book here

18:15

Miroirs No. 3 15
1h 26m | German w/ English subtitles
A young piano student survives a car crash and is taken in by a woman whose intense care turns deeply unsettling. Starring Laura Beer and directed by Christian Petzold, this haunting psychological complex drama probes trauma, memory and hidden pasts.

Book here

20:30

Father Mother Sister Brother 15
1h 50m
Acclaimed director Jim Jarmusch weaves stories across New Jersey, Dublin and Paris, where siblings reunite amid family tensions and tragedy. Starring Adam Driver, Cate Blanchett and Vicky Krieps, this Golden Lion-winning triptych blends quiet humour with poignant insight.

Book here


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!