On Wednesday 21st September, Abergavenny Film Society, the longest running in Wales, will launch its new season of fourteen films.
The Society was established in 1978 by a group of friends with a common interest in World Cinema and independent films. Our 2016-2017 programme has been chosen carefully to provide opportunities to see outstanding foreign and English language films in a friendly, social environment.
Our new programme includes two winners of the coveted Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or. Dheepan (2015) tells the story of a former Tamil Tiger soldier who tries to set up a new life in Paris. Veteran British director Ken Loach, won the award in 2016 with his acclaimed film, I, Daniel Blake and his latest venture explores the human consequences of policies in the UK welfare system. The new season includes one other acclaimed recent release in the English language. Room is a suspenseful, exciting and absorbing story of human determination in the most difficult of situations.
We are pleased to be able to screen a divinely eccentric film from Belgium. The Brand New Testament is an irreverent and flamboyant observation of the absurdity of organised religion. Catherine Deneuve features alongside an amorous gorilla.
Our forthcoming season features two Japanese films. Our Little Sister is a sublime and elegant production that focuses on the lives of four young women. In December, we will present When Marnie Was There. This is an outstanding example of classic Japanese hand-drawn animation. We also have a powerful documentary essay from Chile. The Pearl Button takes us on a journey through Chile’s history as defined by its long indented coastline and the darker aspects of General Pinochet’s brutal regime.
Rams, from Iceland, is an eccentric, chilly and darkly comic portrait of rural farm life whilst Mon Roi is an intoxicating love story from France, starring Vincent Cassell and Emmanuelle Bercot.
Other Oscar-nominated and prize-winning films include Theeb, from Jordan, The Lesson, from Bulgaria and Mustang from Turkey. We will also be showing Embrace of the Serpent (Colombia) and Pedro Almodovar’s Julieta (Spain). All foreign language films have English subtitles.
Fortnightly screenings take place on Wednesdays, at 7:30, at the Melville Centre, Penypound, NP7 5UD. Doors open at 6.45 and non-members are very welcome. Members are guaranteed a seat if they arrive by 7:20 and spare seats are available for non-members aged 16 or over on a first come first served basis. Membership of the Society is open to everyone aged 16 and over. Contact Carol Phillips 01600 780263. Programmes may be found from the beginning of September at Abergavenny Library and the Borough Theatre or visit our website www.abergavennyfilmsociety.com
Abergavenny Film Society is a member of the British Federation of Film Societies (Registered Charity 276633), is operated by volunteers and is a non profit-making organisation.
Dave Price
