The Blue Caftan12A

Directed by Maryam Touzani | Morocco | 2023 | 2h 2m | Arabic w/ English subtitles | Starring Ayoub Missioui, Lubna Azabal, Saleh Bakri, Mounia Lamkimel, Abdelhamid Zoughi

Married couple Halim and Mina run a traditional caftan store in one of Morocco’s oldest medinas. Their union contains a secret which must be kept quiet due to living in a strictly conservative country, but the arrival of new apprentice threatens to upset the careful calibration of their lives. A thoughtful and intensely moving love story which sensitively navigates a country’s relationship with tradition and modernity.

Reviews

‘It’s a gentle piece of Arabic-language storytelling, one that softly, slowly enfolds the audience rather than propels them on a journey.’
★★★★
Wendy Ide, The Observer

‘The film, only the second feature that Maryam Touzani has directed, is a stunning portrayal of marital sacrifice and devotion.’
★★★★
Kevin Maher, The Times

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed The Blue Caftan between May 19, 2023 and May 25, 2023.

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What else is on?

Today (Tuesday 13th January)

18:15

Fiume o morte! 18
£6 for Members
1h 52m | Croatian & Italian w/ English subtitles
Igor Bezinović revisits D’Annunzio’s 1919 ultranationalist occupation of Fiume, blending archival footage, reenactments, and interviews. This inventive documentary interrogates memory, myth-making, and lingering fascist shadows. Winner of Rotterdam’s Tiger Award and Croatia’s Oscar submission.

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20:45

Sentimental Value 15
£6 for Members
2h 13m | Norwegian w/ English subtitles
Actress Nora confronts her estranged father, a famed director preparing a comeback, and reconnects with her sister. Old tensions and new ambitions collide, forcing them to face their past. Stellan Skarsgård and Elle Fanning star in Joachim Trier’s (The Worst Person in the World) emotionally rich story of reconciliation.

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Tomorrow (Wednesday 14th January)

15:15

Fiume o morte! 18
1h 52m | Croatian & Italian w/ English subtitles
Igor Bezinović revisits D’Annunzio’s 1919 ultranationalist occupation of Fiume, blending archival footage, reenactments, and interviews. This inventive documentary interrogates memory, myth-making, and lingering fascist shadows. Winner of Rotterdam’s Tiger Award and Croatia’s Oscar submission.

Book here

17:45

Sentimental Value 15
2h 13m | Norwegian w/ English subtitles
Actress Nora confronts her estranged father, a famed director preparing a comeback, and reconnects with her sister. Old tensions and new ambitions collide, forcing them to face their past. Stellan Skarsgård and Elle Fanning star in Joachim Trier’s (The Worst Person in the World) emotionally rich story of reconciliation.

Book here

20:45

Lurker 15
1h 41m
Isolated retail clerk Matthew infiltrates pop star Oliver’s glamorous inner circle but quickly discovers the ruthless social dynamics behind fame. Alex Russell’s directorial debut is a tense psychological thriller for the social media era, where obsession and ambition collide.

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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!