This October, we have programmed a season of screenings and events linked with Oxford University’s city-wide project ‘Kafka’s Transformative Communities’ marking the centenary of Franz Kafka’s death. The season includes a rare outing for Hidden director Michael Haneke’s adaptation of The Castle (featuring an introduction by Guardian chief film critic Peter Bradshaw), and a screening of Steven Soderbergh’s recently re-cut version of his 1991 Kafka biopic entitled Mr. Kneff, screening in the UK for the very first time.
The Castle (+ intro by Peter Bradshaw)
Wednesday 16th October 6.15pm
Mr Kneff
Friday 18th October 8.30pm
Kafka
Tuesday 22nd October 6.15pm
Use the film links underneath to find out more information and to book tickets.
The season is a collaborative effort between Professor Carolin Duttlinger (Professor of German Literature and Culture at Wadham College, Oxford University, co-director of the Oxford Kafka Research Centre and principal investigator on Kafka’s Transformative Communities), Andrew Pulver (film journalist at The Guardian), and the Ultimate Picture Palace. The screening of The Castle has been sponsored by the Austrian Cultural Forum, London.
Directed by Palme d’Or winner Michael Haneke (The White Ribbon) and originally aired on Austrian television in 1997, join us for a rare big-screen outing of this icy adaptation of Franz Kafka’s The Castle, introduced by critic Peter Bradshaw.
Thirty years after it’s initial release, Steven Soderbergh re-edited his Kafka biopic to create “a silent film with sound and music.” After premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2021, we are excited to present Mr Kneff, screening in the UK for the very first time.
Set in Prague in 1919, insurance salesman Franz Kafka is pulled into a nightmarish world of intrigue and danger. This fictional reimagining of Kafka’s life is directed by Steven Soderbergh (Sex, Lies, and Videotape) and stars Jeremy Irons.
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 don’t show adverts, just a couple of trailers, so don't be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!