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?

Today (Tuesday 9th June)
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18:00

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1h 17m
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20:15

The Christophers 15
£6 for Members
1h 40m
A reclusive London artist (Ian McKellen) becomes the target of a scheme by his estranged children, who recruit a young painter (Michaela Coel) to infiltrate his home and uncover hidden works. Steven Soderbergh’s darkly comic chamber piece explores deception, legacy and artistic value.

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Tomorrow (Wednesday 10th June)
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14:45

Rose of Nevada 15
1h 54m
When a long-lost fishing boat returns to a Cornish village, hope rises for renewal. Nick and newcomer Liam join a voyage, but return transformed and caught in a haunting time loop. Shot on grainy 16mm, Mark Jenkin (Bait) delivers a haunting, mind-bending folktale.

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17:30

Orphan 15
2h 13m | Hungarian w/ English subtitles
In Budapest, 1957, a Jewish boy awaiting his father’s return from the camps is confronted by a mysterious man claiming to be his real parent. Oscar-winner László Nemes (Son of Saul) directs this powerful drama about identity, trauma and postwar Hungary.

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20:30

Reflection in a Dead Diamond 15
1h 27m | French & Italian w/ English subtitles
When a mysterious woman vanishes from the room next door, an ageing former spy living on the Côte d’Azur is drawn back into a world of fractured memories and buried secrets. Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani’s stylised thriller blends espionage, psychological intrigue and grindhouse homage.

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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!

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