The Story of Looking15

Directed by Mark Cousins | UK | 2021 | 1h 30m | Starring Mark Cousins

As filmmaker and author Mark Cousins prepares for surgery to repair and restore his failing eyesight, he begins to consider the role that looking plays in his life – and what life might be like without it. In this deeply personal documentary, Cousins guides us through the riches of the visible world, presenting a kaleidoscope of extraordinary imagery exploring what it means to look at movies and the world around us.

Reviews

‘A treasure trove of insight about what it means to look – really look – at the world about us, and at art and movies, and not to take any of it for granted.’
★★★★★ Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

‘Fascinating, thought-provoking stuff, told in Cousins’ engaging, typically impish way’
★★★★ Ian Freer, Empire Magazine

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed The Story of Looking between October 30, 2021 and November 5, 2021.

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What else is on?

Today (Monday 9th February)

18:00

Rental Family 12A
1h 50m
In Tokyo, a drifting American actor finds unexpected purpose working for a “rental family” agency, hired to play stand-in roles for strangers. Brendan Fraser, fresh from his Oscar win for The Whale, stars in this quietly moving story about belonging and human connection.

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20:30

The History of Sound 15
Descriptive subtitles
2h 8m
Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor star as two young musicians who fall in love through American folk music, then reunite after World War I to preserve disappearing songs. From the director of Living, a tender, melancholic romance about the power off music and memory.

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Tomorrow (Tuesday 10th February)

18:00

The Hotel of My Dream 18+
£6 for members
1h 38m | Japanese w/ English subtitles
Rookie novelist Kayoko struggles with her career. Holding a grudge over the harsh criticisms from prominent literary figure Munenori, she sets out to take revenge on him — but her misfortune continues. Can she claim her position in the literary world?

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20:30

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple 18
£6 for members
1h 49m
In a ravaged Britain, a world-changing discovery and a deadly personal encounter expose a new truth: other survivors may be more terrifying than the infected. Directed by Nia DaCosta, this ferocious follow-up is darker, bloodier, and brutally intense.

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!