Bridport Film Society

Under threat by terrorists, a group of monks living amongst an impoverished Algerian community must decide whether or not to flee. Winner of Cannes Grand Prix award and based on a true story examines the tensions between French and Islamic cultures. A moving evocation of compassion and community.

Certificate 15 (Infrequent strong violence)
Directed by Xavier Beauvois
France 2010
122 mins / French & Arabic with English subtitles

Having worked for an affluent Chilean family for over 20 years, Raquel, semi-treated as one of the family, is becoming disenchanted with her life, and is beginning to feel unwell. When her employers suggest getting another maid, to make her work load lighter, she fights tooth and nail!

Certificate 15 (Strong language)
Directed by Sebastián Silva
Chile 2009
95 mins / Spanish with English subtitles

Four cycles of time lyrically unfold in an idyllic village in Italy's mountainous region of Calabria, which seems blissfully to be almost untouched by modernity. Carried along by the rhythm of nature, the film explores the inter-connectedness of life through interactions both poetic and comedic, cultural and spiritual and by gentle inquiry into the intimate interplay between death and new birth.

Certificate U (Suitable for all)
Directed by Michelangelo Frammartino
Italy 2010
88 mins / No dialogue or subtitles

A frail young French woman with multiple sclerosis is part of a mixed group on a pilgrimage in the Pyrenean city. Director Jessica Hausner (previously a collaborator with Michael Haneke - The White Ribbon) uses black humour to take us on an unexpected journey into the rather creepy world of miracles.

Certificate U (Suitable for all)
Directed by Jessica Hausner
France / Austria 2009
96 mins / French with English subtitles

Joanna Hogg's controlled and occasionally toe-curling look at English middle class family life is beautifully filmed. Set on a tiny island in the Scillies, with only the insistent bird song as background music, we are immersed in the minutiae of the painful relationships which develop during an apparently happy family holiday.

Certificate 15 (Strong language)
Directed by Joanna Hogg
UK 2010
115 mins

In her debut feature Anusha Rizvi explores the phenomena of 'farmer suicides' and the subsequent media and political response in this comic and frequently shocking satire. The Indian outback village Peepli becomes the buzzing hub of a hungry media machine and political vultures.

Certificate 15 (Strong language)
Directed by Anusha Rizvi & Mahmood Farooqui
India 2010
95 mins / Hindi with English subtitles

This compelling psychological thriller from Korea operates on two levels: as an ingenious whodunit set in motion by a mother setting out to prove her simple-minded son is innocent of murder and as study of unswerving, if inappropriate maternal love. An arresting film with a fine central performance.

Certificate 15 (Strong language, sex and violence)
Directed by Joon-ho Bong
South Korea 2009
114 mins / Korean with English subtitles

An ex-con goes for revenge following the untimely, metaphorical death of his wife. Will his labyrinthine encounters with the state and his journeys through the mist help him come to terms with his grief? Stunningly shot, this portrait of the realities of contemporary Iran is chilling.

Certificate 15 (Strong language)
Directed by Rafi Pitts
Iran 2010
90 mins / Farsi with English subtitles

Teenager Ree, beautifully portrayed by Jennifer Lawrence, cares for her sick mother and young siblings, and contains her dysfunctional family. Their everyday worries are bleak and haunting and when money worries become so urgent the only option is for Ree to embark on a desperate search for her mythical father.

Screened in conjunction with International Womans Day on 8 March

Certificate 15 (Strong language and drug use)
Directed by Debra Granik
USA 2010
100 mins

China's unstoppable march towards capitalism within a communist state is dramatically shown through Jia Zhang-ke's docu-fictional interviews. In a huge factory that is being demolished, along with a way of life, workers tell their stories in ways that are powerful and deeply personal.

Certificate U (Suitable for all)
Directed by Zhang Ke Jia
China 2008
112 mins / Mandarin & Shanghainese with English subtitles

Herzog's idiosyncratic journey into the Chauvet cave in France, home to the oldest cave paintings ever discovered, connects us to the birth of human artistic expression. Though 32,000 years separate creation of the works and our encounter thereof, vivid resonances arise. Screened in 2D.

Certificate U (Suitable for all)
Directed by Werner Herzog
France 2010
90 mins / French, English & German with English subtitles