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 (Wednesday 3rd June)

15:00

Romería 15
1h 52m | Spanish w/ English subtitles
Aspiring filmmaker Marina travels to Galicia to uncover her family’s past, following her late mother’s diary. As buried truths emerge, she confronts grief, identity and belonging in Carla Simón’s (Summer 1993, Alcarràs) warm, autobiographical drama about memory and emotional inheritance.

Book here

17:45

Our Land 12A
1h 31m
Across England, the Right to Roam movement stages “mass trespass” events to reclaim access to the countryside, clashing with landowners over ownership and stewardship. Orban Wallace’s documentary explores this timely conflict, questioning who has the right to access nature.

Book here

20:00

Saving Face 15
1h 33m
Wil hides her sexuality from her traditional family, only to discover her mother is keeping secrets too. Set in multicultural New York City, Alice Wu’s warm, quietly groundbreaking debut explores family, identity, and unexpected solidarity across generations.

Book here


Tomorrow (Thursday 4th June)

15:30

Our Land 12A
1h 31m
Across England, the Right to Roam movement stages “mass trespass” events to reclaim access to the countryside, clashing with landowners over ownership and stewardship. Orban Wallace’s documentary explores this timely conflict, questioning who has the right to access nature.

Book here

17:45

Romería 15
1h 52m | Spanish w/ English subtitles
Aspiring filmmaker Marina travels to Galicia to uncover her family’s past, following her late mother’s diary. As buried truths emerge, she confronts grief, identity and belonging in Carla Simón’s (Summer 1993, Alcarràs) warm, autobiographical drama about memory and emotional inheritance.

Book here

20:30

Blade Runner 15
1h 58m
In a smog-choked 2019 Los Angeles, ex–blade runner Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is forced back into service to hunt rogue replicants created by the Tyrell Corporation. Ridley Scott’s landmark sci-fi noir blends dystopian world-building, philosophical themes and Vangelis’ iconic synth score.

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!