skc's - Favourites List

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From the celebrated Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky comes his most autobiographical work and one that is regarded by many as his magnum opus.

Reflecting upon his own childhood and the destiny of the Russian people, 'Mirror' is a sublime expression of memory, imagination, thoughts and dreams intertwined with real life and family relationships. A transcendent, inspired and multilayered masterpiece that continues to grow in stature, 'Mirror' has an exceptional resonance and rewards countless viewings.

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A determined 12-year-old boy named Ivan joins a Russian partisan regiment as a scout due to his uncanny ability to slip quickly through enemy lines undetected.

But as his missions become increasingly dangerous he is pulled from duty, something which he is quick to protest against because Ivan has an ulterior motive - to avenge the death of his family at the hands of the Nazis. Andrei Tarkovsky's first feature film is regarded as one of the most accomplished cinematic debuts and launched the career of the most influential and admired Russian filmmaker in history.

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A childless, affluent couple from Italy comes to a provincial Russian children’s home to find a child for adoption. The orphanage is a harsh place, run by two rival internal factions.

Alongside the official, adult administration, run by a corrupt headmaster (played by Yuri Itskov) with the help of greedy adoption broker Madam (Maria Kuznetsova), there is a shadow children’s gang operating out of the institution’s boiler room. When the couple singles out six-year-old ragamuffin Vanya Solntsev (Kolya Spiridonov) as their prospective choice, the other orphans give Vanya a new nickname: The Italian. But Vanya has other plans. He decides to track down his birth mother and after stealing his records he sneaks out of the orphanage. Fearing that Vanya will make them lose a very lucrative adoption deal, the orphanage headmaster joins forces with Madam to find the runaway child by any means necessary.

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Whilst touring in France, a young couple (Rex and Saskia) stop for a break at a roadside service station. Saskia (Johanna ter Steege) leaves Rex (Gene Bervoets) to browse around the shops and vanishes leaving no clues as to her whereabouts.

Three years later Rex begins to receive taunting postcards from Saskia's supposed abductor and is drawn into a terrifying battle of cat and mouse in his desperate quest to discover the fate of his missing lover.

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Sarah Lancashire stars as Catherine Cawood, a police sergeant in a small town where drunkards, drug addicts and teenage pregnancies are a way of life. Her world is turned upside down when the man she thinks is responsible for her daughter's death - Tommy Lee Royce - is released from prison.

Meanwhile, quiet middle-class accountant Kevin Weatherill feels underappreciated and underpaid at work. Desperate to give his daughters a decent education, he asks for a pay rise so he can send them to private school. But when his wealthy boss Nevison refuses, something finally snaps for Kevin and he enlists the help of local drug lord Ashley to kidnap Nevison's daughter and hold her for ransom. Things quickly spiral out of control when Ashley involves Tommy Lee in the plan. How far will any of them go to get what they really want?

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The Color of Paradise is a fable of both a simple child's innocence and a complex look at faith and humanity. Visually magnificent and wrenchingly moving, the film tells of the story of a blind boy, Mohammed, whose inability to see the world only enhances his ability to feel its powerful forces.

From acclaimed director Majid Majidi, The Color Of Paradise continues a strong tradition of Iranian cinema with this very effecting look at a child's definition of the world and his role in it.

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When a man stumbles on a bloody crime scene, a pickup truck loaded with heroin, and two million dollars in irresistible cash, his decision to take the money sets off an unstoppable chain reaction of violence. Not even west Texas law can contain it.

Based on the novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Cormac McCarthy.

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A mende fisherman.

Amid the explosive civil war overtaking 1999 Sierra Leone, these man join for two desperate missions: recovering a rare pink diamond of immense values and rescuing the fisherman's son, conscripted as a child soldier into the brutal rebel forces ripping a swath of torture and bloodshed across the alternately beautiful and ravaged countryside. Directed by Edward Zwick, this urgent, intensely moving adventure shapes gripping human stories and heart-pounding action into a modern epic of profound impact.

The stand-out film of the 2011 Berlin Film Festival and winner of the Golden Bear is a suspenseful and intelligent drama that details the manipulations and confrontations brought into play when a couple's marriage painfully breaks down.

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Aspiring champion swimmer Kuba lives a normal, uneventful life at home with his mother and girlfriend. But Kuba has also been growing more curious about some of the boys at the gym. At a gallery opening one night, he meets Michal. Kuba drops his training program and begins to dream of another life.

Meanwhile, Michal takes on the task of convincing his mother and distant father that his lifestyle is not just a passing fancy. Kuba comes to recognize he has never experienced feelings as deep as those he has for Michal. It takes all the courage he can muster to face those who love him and dive in.

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Following his expulsion from school for bad behaviour, Erik is sent to an exclusive boarding school. Latching on to his last chance to graduate, Erik promises, both for his and his family's sake, to do all he can to stay out of trouble.

But though he is well equipped for the tough regime of respect the school affords, his silent defiance in the face of the school's all powerful senior pupils brings only punishment to Erik and his fellow classmates. As the battle of wills between himself and brutal school captain Silverhielm reaches its peak, Erik realises that all evil needs is for good men to do nothing. And for every friend who has faced the tyranny of the college, Erik finally decides to fight back...

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Prescient and timely, "Suicide Room" deals with a young gay man's coming of age in a truly gritty heart-stopping way. Moody, dark and handsome Dominik is tormented by homophobic classmates after video footage of his drunken kiss with school bully Alex is spread across the internet.

Grappling with the public humiliation, Dominik seeks solace in an avatar based virtual network 'Suicide Room' where he meets a pink-haired avatar - providing him with an outlet he had so desperately sought. Quickly drawn into her murky world, with his depression worsening, Dominick finds himself in a fight for his very existence.

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In 1961 Yuri Gagarin blasted off from Vostok to become the first man in space. It was a mission fraught with danger as he rocketed into unknown territory and an uncertain fate.

Part of an elite squad of cosmonauts Gagarin rose through the ranks, his awe-inspiring bravery setting him apart as the best of the best. At last the untold story of this visionary pioneer is brought to the screen in 'Gagarin', an awe-inspiring story of what can happen when you reach for the stars.

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Academy Award Winner Russell Crowe stars as Noah in the film inspired by the timeless story of courage, sacrifice and hope.

Also starring Emma Watson, Anthony Hopkins and Jennifer Connelly, this visually stunning, action-packed adventure from acclaimed director Darren Aronofsky is hailed as "a one-off creation of colossal proportions".

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When Miron's beloved wife Tanya passes away he asks his best friend Aist to help him assist in her burial according to the rituals of the Meryan people, an ancient Finno-Ugric tribe from West-Central Russia.

The two men set out on a road trip across the boundless landscape, accompanied only by two small caged birds. Along the way Miron shares intimate memories of his conjugal life but as they reach the banks of the sacred lake where they will forever part with the body, he realises he wasn't the only one in love with Tanya...