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.

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What else is on?

Tomorrow (Sunday 31st May)

12:30

The Lego Movie U
Kino Kids Cinema Club
1h 40m
Ordinary LEGO figure Emmet is mistaken for a prophesied hero. Reluctantly joining quirky allies, he embarks on a mission to stop an evil tyrant, discovering courage, creativity, and humour along the way in this colourful, action-packed animated adventure.

Book here

15:00

Valerie and Her Week of Wonders 15
+ Introduction
1h 17m + 18m short film | Czech w/ English subtitles
In a surreal coming-of-age journey, a girl navigates a dreamlike world of vampires, shifting identities, and religious imagery. A key Czech New Wave classic, it is celebrated for its baroque visual style and influential fusion of horror, folklore, and psychoanalysis.

Book here

17:15

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

20:00

Hokum 15
1h 47m
When novelist Ohm Bauman (Adam Scott) retreats to a remote inn to scatter his parents’ ashes, he is unsettled by rumours of a witch haunting the honeymoon suite. Damian McCarthy’s atmospheric psychological horror blends folklore, grief and eerie supernatural mystery.

Book here


Monday 1st June

17:45

Hokum 15
1h 47m
When novelist Ohm Bauman (Adam Scott) retreats to a remote inn to scatter his parents’ ashes, he is unsettled by rumours of a witch haunting the honeymoon suite. Damian McCarthy’s atmospheric psychological horror blends folklore, grief and eerie supernatural mystery.

Book here

20:15

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


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!