Plymouth Arts Cinema December Film Programme

It's going to be a fantastic month at Plymouth Arts Cinema with releases such as Conclave, No Other Land, All We Imagine As Light, Nightbitch, Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers and Gladiator II.  

There are also plenty of events to help you get into the festive mood like Paddington in Peru, Elf, It's a Wonderful Life, a new magic and mentalism show with David Magus, and The Wild Robot. 

     

Where to find us

Our venue is located inside Arts University Plymouth’s main campus at Tavistock Place. Go through Arts University Plymouth’s main entrance and turn right, you will face our Box Office and Café-Bar.

                                       

Opening Times and How to Book
The Box Office and Café-bar open Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: 5-8.30pm; Wednesday: 1-8.30pm; Saturday: 1-8pm). You can call Box Office during these times: 01752 206114.

Standard £9.00 | Matinees £7.00 | Bringing in Baby £4 | Over 60s £7.75 | 25 & Under, Students, AUP Staff, Budget - Unwaged and low income £4 | Friends 10% discount and £6 on Tuesdays. Please bring relevant ID if you are eligible for a discount.

         

Dahomey (PG)

MUBI GO | F-Rated

Friday 29^th November – Wednesday 4^th December

• Fri 29, 6pm
• Sat 30, 8pm
• Wed 4, 8.30pm

Dir. Mati Diop, France/ Senegal, 2024, 68 mins. In French and English with English subtitles. With. Gildas Adannou, Habib Ahandessi, Joséa Guedje.

From acclaimed filmmaker Mati Diop (Atlantics), Dahomey is a poetic and immersive work of art that delves into real perspectives on far-reaching issues surrounding appropriation, self-determination and restitution. Set in November 2021, the documentary charts 26 royal treasures from the Kingdom of Dahomey that are due to leave Paris and return to their country of origin: the present-day Republic of Benin. Using multiple perspectives Diop questions how these artefacts should be received in a country that has reinvented itself in their absence. Winner of the coveted Golden Bear prize at the 2024 Berlinale, Dahomey is an affecting though altogether singular conversation piece that is as spellbinding as it is essential.

                    

Anora (18)

Programmer’s Pick

Friday 29^th November – Thursday 5^th December

• Fri 29, 8pm
• Sat 30, 5pm
• Tue 3, 8pm
• Wed 4, 2.30pm & 5.30pm
• Thu 5, 8.15pm

Dir. Sean Baker, US, 2024, 139 mins. Cast. Mikey Madison, Paul Weissman, Lindsey Normington.

Sean Baker (Florida Project, Red Rocket) presents a modern-day Cinderella story about Ani, a young sex worker from Brooklyn, meeting Vanya, the spoiled son of a Russian oligarch, who offers her a glamorous new life of possibility and incredible wealth.

Ani’s wild ride and fairytale is soon threatened when news of their whirlwind marriage gets back to Russia, resulting in Vanya’s parents flying to New York to manage the situation.

Both wildly entertaining and heartbreaking, Anora takes audiences on a freewheeling, rambunctious adventure that escalates to dizzying levels. Drawing comparisons to Pretty Woman, it constantly plays with genre and audience expectations. But what shines through most, as it does in all of his films, is Baker’s love for and unwillingness to judge his characters.

Winner of the 2024 Cannes Palme d’Or.

     

No Dogs or Italians Allowed – FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL

Saturday 30^th November – Tuesday 3^rd December

• Sat 30, 3pm
• Tue 3, 6pm

Dir. Alain Ughetto, France / Italy, 2022, 71 mins. In French & Italian with English subtitles. Recommended age: 12+

In a blend of tragedy and comedy, Alain Ughetto portrays the harsh conditions of an Italian mountain village. The men of the family must do seasonal work in the French Alps or fight in colonial and world wars, while the women and children work in the fields. When the Fascists come to power in Italy, the Ughettos decide to emigrate to the neighbouring country. The beautiful stop-motion technique strikes a balance between heart-rending moments and endearing nuances, coupled with a necessary dose of humour.

No Dogs or Italians Allowed has won several international film awards, including a European Film Award for Best Animated Feature Film and the Jury Prize at the Annecy Film Festival.

Manon’s Pick – this film has been selected by our Operations Manager Manon, who hails from France. “This stop-motion gem is a touching and tender tribute to the filmmaker’s family history. And a gentle reminder of the reasons which push people to climb mountains and cross borders in the hope of a better life…”

             

BFI NETWORK Short Film Showcase + Q&A

• Thu 5 Dec 6pm-7.15pm (free)

Join us, and get inspired, at this evening of eclectic regional shorts that explore identity and place; from horror on a strawberry farm to a neon-soaked trans sci-fi. Find out how these highly original films were supported and part-funded by BFI NETWORK, and hear from writer-director Corinne Walker in a post-screening Q&A. For more information on training and support for south west-based filmmakers visit:

https://watershed.co.uk/filmhub/making-films/

 Content warning: strobing effect.

Age guidance: 15+

          

Yes, Madam! (18) – Art of Action

• Friday 6th December, 8.30pm

Dir. Corey Yuen, Hong Kong, 1985, 94 mins. In Cantonese with English Subtitles. Cast. Michelle Yeoh, Cynthia Rothrock, John Sham.

Claimed as the film which kick-started the “Girls with Guns” craze that ruled the international Asian action cinema scene throughout the late ’80s and catapulted the careers of two of the most badass women fighters in film history.

When a foreign dealer is assassinated in Hong Kong and a valuable microfilm is stolen, Inspector Ng (Michelle Yeoh) of the Hong Kong police is sent to investigate, but her trail goes cold thanks to a bunch of bumbling thieves – Panadol, Aspirin and Strepsil – stealing away some important evidence. Against her will, Ng is forcefully paired with Scotland Yard detective Inspector Carrie Morris (Cynthia Rothrock), but soon enough the stolen microfilm attracts the attention of mob leader Mr. Tin and his minions.

This screening is part of Art of Action: Kicking It a season that celebrates the women who have advanced action cinema both on and off-screen.

The season is supported by National Lottery and BFI Film Audience Network (FAN).

Season Pass: Get a discount (each ticket for £6) when you book tickets for the 3 films in the Art of Action season at the same time.

         

Paddington in Peru (PG)

Friday 6^th – Wednesday 11^th December

• Fri 6, 6pm
• Sat 7, 11am (Bringing in Baby & Family Friendly) & 2.30pm
• Wednesday 11, 11am (Bringing in Baby & Family Friendly)

Dir. Dougal Wilson, UK, 2024, 107 mins. Cast. Ben Whishaw, Olivia Colman, Hugh Bonneville, Antonio Banderas, Julie Walters, Emily Mortimer, Jim Broadbent.

Grab your marmalade sandwiches and escape on an adventure through the Amazon rainforest with Paddington Bear and the Brown family as they set out on an emotional homecoming journey to reunite with his beloved Aunt Lucy in Peru.

When he receives a letter from the Reverend Mother, the guitar strumming nun who runs the Home for Retired Bears, informing him that Aunt Lucy misses him dearly, Paddington knows he simply must visit her as soon as possible. With his shiny new British passport in hand, Paddington embarks on an epic journey.

Retaining the life-affirming heart which made the previous two Paddington films instant family classics, this joyous third big screen outing for Ben Whishaw’s kind and polite bear is a thrillingly swashbuckling, imaginatively adventurous ode to the unbreakable bonds of family, featuring scene-stealing support from Olivia Colman and Antonio Banderas in the all-star cast.

                  

No Other Land (15)

Programmer’s Pick

Saturday 7^th - Thursday 12th December

• Sat 7, 5.30pm
• Tue 10, 6pm
• Wed 11, 8.30pm
• Thu 12, 8.30pm

Dir. Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Occupied Palestinian Territory, 2024, 95 mins. In Arabic with English subtitles.

Movingly captured by a Palestinian-Israeli collective, this award-winning film spotlights the gradual erasure of Palestinian activist Basel Adra’s community, as he forms an unlikely alliance with Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham, in an effort to document the ongoing occupation. Basel, from Masafer Yatta, has been fighting his community's mass expulsion by the Israeli occupation since childhood. In this film, he documents the largest single act of forced transfer ever carried out in the occupied West Bank. For over half a decade Basel and Yuval fight against the expulsion while growing closer. Their complex bond is haunted by the extreme inequality between them: Basel, living under a brutal military occupation, and Yuval, unrestricted and free.

No Other Land was co-created during the darkest, most terrifying times in the region, as an act of creative resistance to Apartheid and a search for a path towards equality and justice.

              

Exhibition on Screen

Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers (12A)

Tuesday 10^th – Thursday 12^th December

• Tue 10, 8.30pm
• Wed 11, 2.30pm (Descriptive Subtitles)
• Thu 12, 6pm

Dir. David Bickerstaff, UK, 2024, 90 mins.

200 years after its opening and a century after acquiring its first Van Gogh works, the National Gallery, London is hosting the UK’s biggest ever Van Gogh exhibition. Van Gogh is not only one of the most beloved artists of all time, but perhaps the most misunderstood.

This film is a chance to reexamine and better understand this iconic artist. Focusing on his unique creative process, Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers explores the artist’s years in the south of France, where he revolutionised his style. Van Gogh became consumed with a passion for storytelling in his art, turning the world around him into vibrant, idealised spaces and symbolic characters.

Poets and lovers filled his imagination; everything he did in the south of France served this new obsession. In part, this is what caused his notorious breakdown, but it didn’t hold back his creativity as he created masterpiece after masterpiece. Explore one of art history’s most pivotal periods in this once-in-a-century show.

Made in close collaboration with the National Gallery.

            

Conclave (12A)

Friday 13^th – Friday 20^th December

• Fri 13, 5.45pm
• Sat 14, 5.15pm
• Tue 17, 8.30pm
• Wed 18, 2.30pm (Descriptive Subtitles)
• Fri 20, 8.30pm

Dir. Edward Berger, UK, 2024, 120 mins. Cast. Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, Isabella Rossellini, John Lithgow.

The Pope has died. Cardinal Lawrence must lead the Conclave to select the new leader of the Catholic world. But as high-ranking cardinals gather, he discovers sides have been drawn and secrets that might destroy a future pope, perhaps even the Church itself, threaten to be revealed.

Following his Oscar-winning success with All Quiet on the Western Front, Edward Berger presents us with another tale of conflict, albeit one where battles are waged in hushed tones in hallowed hallways. Fiennes, Tucci and John Lithgow make the most of Peter Straughan’s (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) screenplay, based on Robert Harris’ 2016 novel, albeit with Isabella Rossellini almost stealing the film as the formidable Sister Agnes.

               

Nightbitch (15)

F-Rated | Programmer’s Pick

Friday 13^th – Thursday 19^th December

• Fri 13, 8.30pm
• Sat 14, 8pm
• Tue 17, 6pm
• Wed 18, 8.30pm
• Thu 19, 6pm

Dir. Marielle Heller, US, 2024, 98 mins. Cast. Amy Adams, Scoot McNairy, Zoe Chao.

Mother (Adams) puts her career on hold to parent her young toddler. The transformation of her feelings, sense of self and relationship to the world spark a change in her that is as liberating as it is radical. Adapted from Rachel Yoder’s acclaimed 2021 novel, this is a modern feminist fable that plays on traditional tropes to examine the role of motherhood in a society where women still battle to ‘have it all’.

Heller (The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Can You Ever Forgive Me?), once again proves to be one of the most exciting filmmakers with this fabulous genre-bending exploration of motherhood and Adams gives a career-best performance. 

        

All We Imagine As Light (15)

F-Rated | Programmer’s Pick

Saturday 14^th – Friday 20^th December

• Sat 14, 2.30pm
• Wed 18, 6pm
• Thu 19, 8.30pm
• Fri 20, 6pm

Dir. Payal Kapadia, France/India, 2024, 118 mins. In Malayalam and Hindi with English subtitles. Cast. Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chaya Kadam.

The lives of three women intersect and overlap in a haunting drama that sees the city of Mumbai play a central role in this beautiful film from director-screenwriter Payal Kapadia.

Prabha, Anu and Parvaty are employees at a hospital in Mumbai. They grapple daily with the opportunities and hardships of existence in the city. Balancing an immersive style with a touch of the surreal, Payal Kapadia’s Cannes Grand Prix-winning drama captures the many shades of working-class life in Mumbai. The result is a profound and deeply humanist meditation on urban migration and dislocation.

        

It's a Wonderful Life (U)

Restored Classic | Relaxed | Descriptive Subtitles

• Saturday 21^st December, 2.30pm

Dir. Frank Capra, US, 1946, 130 mins. Cast. James Stewart, Donna Reed, Gloria Grahame.

Is it even Christmas if you haven’t seen this film for the 408th time? Escape the last-minute shopping panic and settle down at PAC with a complimentary mince pie and the best Christmas film ever.

The old ones really are the best and no Christmas is complete without a visit from an angel, or in this case an angel in training. Angel Clarence is sent down from heaven to help desperate George Bailey as he battles to grasp what is important in life. As Clarence shows George what the world would be like if he had never been born George learns how loved and valued he is by all who surround him.

And don’t forget, every time a bell rings an angel gets its wings. Happy Christmas one and all.

               

David Magus - Egregore

• Saturday 21st December, 7pm

Tickets £10

Suggested age 16+

An egregore is a thought form, a nonphysical entity that arises from the collective thoughts and memories of a group of people. Watch as it grows and gains energy and life of its own.

Join David Magus for his new live show and experience a theatrical fusion of ancient folk magic and modern illusions. Using a captivating form of magic called mentalism, David's live performance focuses on the audience’s thoughts, intuition and imagination.

This is an intriguing blend of magic, mysticism and mythology and is a unique experience you will never forget.

Please note PAC Friends memberships discounts and complimentary tickets are not eligible for this special event.

              

The Wild Robot (U)

Thursday 2nd - Saturday 4th January

• Thu 2, 2.30pm (Family Friendly, relaxed, Bringing in Baby), & 5.30pm (Standard Screening)
• Fri 3, 11am (Family Friendly, relaxed, Bringing in Baby)
• Sat 4, 2.30pm (Standard Screening)

Dir. Chris Sanders, US, 2024, 102 mins. Cast. Lupita Nyong'o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill, Catherine O'Hara, Matt Berry.

Family Friendly/ Relaxed/ Bringing in Baby Screenings
All Tickets £4, with a FREE drop in colouring workshop before the screenings. These are relaxed screenings especially for families with the sound lowered and the lights left on a little. Babies are welcome!

Standard Screenings
Families are welcome to attend these screenings, but please note there is no workshop, cinema lights are off during the film and our standard prices apply.

From Director Chris Sanders (How To Train Your Dragon) comes a new adaptation of a literary sensation, Peter Brown’s beloved, award-winning, #1 New York Times bestseller, The Wild Robot.

The epic adventure follows the journey of a robot —ROZZUM unit 7134, “Roz” for short — that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt to the harsh surroundings, gradually building relationships with the animals on the island and becoming the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling.

             

Gladiator II (15)

Friday 3^rd – Wednesday 8^th January

• Fri 3, 7pm
• Sat 4, 5pm
• Tue 7, 8pm
• Wed 8, 2.15pm (Descriptive Subtitles)

Dir. Ridley Scott, UK/US, 2024, 148 mins. Cast. Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington.

From legendary director Ridley Scott, Gladiator II continues the epic saga of power, intrigue, and vengeance set in Ancient Rome. 

Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honour to return the glory of Rome to its people.

                     

For further inspiration, content and news visit our dedicated Christmas in Plymouth page or sign-up to our newsletter. 

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In partnership with GWR, Destination Plymouth’s lead travel partner