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Philharmonia Orchestra Messiaen Celebrations
From 4th February to 23rd October, The Philharmonia Orchestra is mounting a significant celebration of the 100th Anniversary of Messiaen’s birth(1908-1992) at Southbank Centre
Showing in London
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A SecretClaude Miller (2006)As an adult, François (Amalric) puzzles over his boyhood self, a nervous child haunted by fantasies of a phantom brother. François comes to explore the history of a family struggling to survive during the Occupation, and forced to decide between declaring and concealing their Jewish identity. François's elegant mannequin mother is played by Cécile de France, but behind the image of an ideal French family is the story of another child, another mother (Sagnier) and a tragic tale of emotional rivalry. |
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CaramelNadine Labaki (2006)A romantic comedy centered on the daily lives of five Lebanese women going in Beirut. |
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Daft Punk's ElectromaThomas Bangalter, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo (2006)"Hero Robot No. 1" and "Hero Robot No. 2" are the robotic forms of Daft Punk. They drive a 1987 Ferrari 412 through the Southwestern US to a town in Inyo County, California. The town's population is also made up of robots. Robot No. 1 and Robot No. 2 go to a high-tech facility where liquid latex is poured over their heads. The latex is shaped into human-like faces with the aid of prosthetic appliances. When they leave the facility, the locals are shocked by their new appearance and they are chased out of town. Forced to wonder a deserted wilderness together the Robots begin to despair. Robot No. 1 gives up. With the help of his companion, he self-destructs. Left alone, Robot 2 looks for ways to follow suit. Eventually he self-immolates and we watch him, in slow motion, walk through the dark salt plains. |
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Flight of the Red BalloonHou Hsiao Hsien (2006)Suzanne (Juliette Binoche) is charming but she is a mother snowed under by obligations. With her puppet shows, the classes she teaches and the two children, Simon and Louise, that she has been raising alone since their father left, she hasn't got a minute to herself. To help her, she takes in a young Taiwanese babysitter, Song Fang, who is a student at Paris University. On his way home from school, Simon, who is 7 years old, leads her through the streets and cafés of his neighborhood. Soon, Song Fang and Simon share an imaginary world: a strange red balloon follows them, even in the exhibition space of the Musée d'Orsay. While Suzanne is caught up in a court case involving her tenant downstairs, who refuses to leave, every day, Son Fang becomes more important in her life. In the end, it is Song Fang's Asian perspective that helps Suzanne get to grips with her life. |
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Heartbeat DetectorNicolas Klotz (2007)Simon works as the in-house psychologist at a chemical firm in Paris. The company has a recruitment policy based on his assessment of potential employees, and he organises motivational workshops for the staff. He is something of a company man, self-assured, ambitious, trusted by his superiors. When one of those superiors gives him the assignment of assessing the mental health of the firm's director, it leads Simon to some disturbing revelations which radically challenge his beliefs and perceptions. |
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PersepolisMarjane Satrapi, Vincent Paronnaud (2005)Marjane, a rebellious, independent child is brought up by her intelligent, loving parents, with frequent visits from her wise, feisty grandmother. The family is hopefull that the end of the Shah's reign will bring new freedoms and prosperity, but the religious crack down and war with neighbouring Irak show they couldn't be more wrong. |
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Purple NoonRene Clement (1959)Crime/ drama A wonderful thriller with Delon as the beautiful psychopath of Patricia Highsmith's novel. A great suspense with outstanding actors. |
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Son of RambowGarth Jennings (2007)The story takes place in 1980s Britain, where young Will Proudfoot is raised in isolation among the Brethren, a puritanical religious sect in which music and TV are strictly forbidden. Whilst in school he forms an unexpected friendship with school trouble-maker and outcast, Lee Carter over a mutual love of a pirated copy of Rambo: First Blood. After seeing the film, Will and Lee decide to set in motion their very own Rambo film. Their ultimate plan is to deliver a succession of home-made videos to their young classmates. The plan goes well and their popularlity increases until the arrival of French exchange student, Didier Revol, threatens their friendship and forces them to look a little closer at reality. |
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Terror's AdvocateBarbet Schroeder (2007)Communist, anti-colonialist, right-wing extremist? What convictions guide the moral mind of Jacques Vergès? Barbet Schroeder takes us down history’s darkest paths in his attempt to illuminate the mystery behind this enigmatic figure. As a young lawyer during the Algerian war, Vergès espoused the anti-colonialist cause and defended Djamila Bouhired, ‘la Pasionaria’, who bore her country’s hopes for freedom on her shoulders and was sentenced to death for planting bombs in cafes. He obtained her release, married her and had two children with her. Then suddenly, at the height of an illustrious career, Vergès disappeared without trace for eight years. He re-emerged from his mysterious absence, taking on the defense of terrorists of all kinds, from Magdalena Kopp and Anis Naccache to Carlos the Jackal. He represented Historical monsters such as Nazi lieutenant Klaus Barbie. From the lawyer’s Inflammatory and provocative cases to his controversial terrorist links, Barbet Schroeder follows the winding trail left by this ‘devil’s advocate’, as he forges his unique path in law and politics. The filmmaker explores and questions the history of ‘blind terrorism’ and leads us towards shocking revelations that expose long-hidden links in history. |
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The Diving Bell and the ButterflyJulian Schnabel (2007)The autobiographical story of French journalist Jean-Dominique Bauby, who suffered a devastating stroke. His body was left paralysed, however his mind remained active. |
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Welcome to the sticksDany Boon (2007)Phlippe Abrams is manager of the post office in Salon-de-Provence. He is married to Julie, whose depressive nature makes his life impossible. To please her, Philippe tries to cheat the system in order to obtain a transfer to the Cote d'Azur. But he is uncovered so he is to be transferred to Bergues, a small town in the North. |
