The Shadow Scholars + Q&ACert-TBC

Directed by Eloise King | UK | 2024 | 1h 37m

Oxford professor Patricia Kingori delves into the hidden, multi-billion-dollar “fake essay” industry, where an estimated 40,000 highly educated Kenyans earn a living by writing academic papers for students around the world. These “shadow scholars” help students in countries like the UK secure degrees and launch lucrative careers, all without doing the work themselves. Travelling to Nairobi to meet the ghostwriters, Patricia exposes this invisible workforce and questions the true value of academic qualifications in a world where degrees can be bought.

One-off screening followed by a Q&A with Professor Patricia Kingori (University of Oxford) and Carli Coetzee (President of the African Studies Association). 

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed The Shadow Scholars + Q&A between September 16, 2025 and September 16, 2025.

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What else is on?

Today (Sunday 27th September)

20:00

The Incomer 12A
1h 42m
A man and his sister survive on a remote Scottish island, hunting seabirds and retelling ancestral stories, until a council worker arrives to move them to the mainland. Domhnall Gleeson stars in Louis Paxton's Sundance award-winning comedy.

Book here


Tomorrow (Monday 28th September)

17:45

Women on the Verge of a Nervous 15
1h 29m | Spanish w/ English subtitles
Pepa’s frantic search for her vanished lover spirals into a whirlwind of jealous fiancées, hostage-taking terrorists, and absurd chaos. Almodóvar’s breakthrough comedy dazzles with surreal humour, bold melodrama, and a riot of colour, energy, and eccentricity.

Book here

20:00

Just an Illusion 12A
1h 59m | French w/ English subtitles
Paris, 1985: 12-year-old Vincent navigates friendship, first love and a fractious family. A heart-warming comedy with strong performances from Louis Garrel and Camille Cottin, set to an infectious 1980s soundtrack.

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!