The Dam12A

Directed by Ali Cherri | Sudan | 2023 | 1h 20m | Arabic w/ English subtitles | Starring Maher El Khair, Mudathir Musa, Santino Aguer Ding, Abo Algassim Sir Alkhatim, Ayman Sharif

Each evening after work, a Sudanese bricklayer wanders into the desert to work on a mysterious construction made out of mud. While the Sudanese people rise to claim their freedom, his creation starts to take a life of its own. Lebanese artist and filmmaker Ali Cherri’s quietly political first feature is an enigmatic and allegorical film with flourishes of magical realism.

Reviews

‘The Dam is an enigmatic and often eerie mood piece which incorporates elements of the supernatural as it weaves a poignant political allegory of revolution.’
Andrew Murray, The Upcoming

‘Eerie, hallucinatory tale of Sudan on the brink’
Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed The Dam between June 9, 2023 and June 15, 2023.

Join our mailing list and we'll make sure you always know what's on and when.

What else is on?

Today (Saturday 13th June)

14:45

Eagles of the Republic 15
2h 8m | Arabic w/ English subtitles
Under pressure from Egyptian authorities, an actor reluctantly stars in a state-backed film, only to become entangled in a dangerous affair with a general’s wife. Award-winning filmmaker Tarik Saleh (The Nile Hilton Incident) delivers a satirical political thriller set amid corruption in Cairo.

Book here

17:45

The Lodger PG
+ Live Score
1h 30m
A serial killer is on the loose in London and a detective is assigned to the case. Viola player and filmmaker Hugo Max presents his fourth UK tour accompanying Alfred Hitchcock’s 1927 silent masterwork The Lodger with live score.

Book here

20:15

Backrooms 15
1h 45m
When a patient vanishes through a strange basement doorway of a furniture showroom, his therapist follows him into a disorienting dimension. Expanding Kane Parsons’ cult online series, this feature-length adaptation stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve and bringing “liminal horror” to the big screen.

Book here


Tomorrow (Sunday 14th June)

12:30

Muppet Treasure Island U
Kino Kids Cinema Club
1h 40m
Join the Muppets on a rollicking pirate adventure after Jim Hawkins discovers a mysterious treasure map. Packed with sea shanties, mutiny, buried treasure, and chaos, this lively retelling of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic delivers family entertainment.

Book here

14:45

The Spirit of the Beehive PG
1h 38m | Spanish w/ English subtitles
In a small Spanish village under early Franco rule, a child’s fascination with Frankenstein blurs imagination and reality. Victor Erice’s celebrated classic is a landmark of Spanish cinema, revered for its poetic depiction of childhood and political shadowed history.

Book here

17:15

Eagles of the Republic 15
2h 8m | Arabic w/ English subtitles
Under pressure from Egyptian authorities, an actor reluctantly stars in a state-backed film, only to become entangled in a dangerous affair with a general’s wife. Award-winning filmmaker Tarik Saleh (The Nile Hilton Incident) delivers a satirical political thriller set amid corruption in Cairo.

Book here

20:00

Skateboard Film Club Cert-TBC
£6 tickets
1h 35m
A skate film night featuring the Oxford premiere of Polar’s latest full-length You Got It My Boy Jamie.., alongside work from Skateboard Café, Pass~Port and Krooked. Curated by Keen Distribution with Skateboard GB, it showcases leading modern skate filmmakers and brands.

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!