28th of July "The Twilight Samurai" (Japan, 2002)

The twilight Samurai (129 minutes) is the first in a trilogy of samurai dramas directed by Yoji Yamada, better known for the much loved Tora-san movies of which he made 48. The Twilight Samurai follows the life of a poor low-ranking samurai in the 19th-century and focuses on his everyday struggles with financial hardship and conflicted emotions and loyalty. There is still some action and violence but with more realism than chanbara style samurai dramas and there is something more profound in the story. Hiroyuki Sonada, better known to Western audiences as Ujio in the Hollywood movie The Last Samurai, plays the lead role. For more click here. This film night will be cohosted with the Film Group set up by Atsuko Betchaku. For this please visit http://japaneseinstitute.jimdo.com/ (see Film Group). Director:Yôji Yamada Writers: Shûhei Fujisawa (novel), Yôji Yamada(screenplay) Stars: Hiroyuki Sanada, Rie Miyazawa and Nenji Kobayashi

21st of August "Nicaragua: No Pasaran" (Austria, 1984)

'No Pasaran' will be hosted by the Nicaragua Learning Exchange, as part of a project funded by the European Commission's Youth in Action Programme.

'No Pasaran' (74 mins)

In 1979 the Nicaraguan Revolution triumphed, ending the 43-year rule of the corrupt Somoza dictatorship and giving hope to national liberation movements around the world. Ex-members of Somoza's feared National Guard regrouped, and began a guerrilla campaign to overthrow the new Sandinista-led Popular Front government. The United States saw the revolution as the spread of Communism on the American continent, and began supporting the so-called 'Contras' in their fight against the Sandinistas.

Developments in the 'Contra War' were reported internationally, and the United States launched a huge information campaign to justify its involvement. In 1984, Australian filmmaker David Bradbury spent six months in Nicaragua researching the Sandinista movement and the role of the United States in a war that went on to last the entire decade, claiming an estimated 30,000 lives.

Further information: http://www.frontlinefilms.com.au/videos/nicaragua.htm

"Of Gods and Men" (Algeria/Frence, 2010)

Of Gods and Men is a 2010 French drama film directed by Xavier Beauvois, starring Lambert Wilson and Michael Lonsdale. Its original French title is Des hommes et des dieux, which means "Of Men and of Gods" and refers to a motto from the Bible shown at the beginning of the film. It centers on the monastery of Tibhirine, where nine Trappist monks lived in harmony with the largely Muslim population of Algeria, until seven of them were kidnapped and assassinated in 1996 during the Algerian Civil War.

Largely a tale of a peaceful situation between local Christians and Muslims before becoming a lethal one due to external forces, the screenplay focuses on the preceding chain of events in decay of government, expansion of terrorism and the monks' confrontation with both the terrorists and the government authorities that led up to their deaths. Principal photography took place at an abandoned monastery in Morocco, with careful attention to authenticity.

The film premiered at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival where it won the Grand Prix, the festival's second most prestigious award. It became a big critical and commercial success in its domestic market. It won both the Lumière Award and César Award for Best Film.

For more information about the film click here.

Director: Xavier Beauvois

Writers: Xavier Beauvois (adaptation) (dialogue), Etienne Comar (scenario)
Stars:Lambert Wilson, Michael Lonsdale and Olivier Rabourdin
This film is suggested and will be hosted by Nicola.

7th of July "Tampopo" (Japan, 1985)

In this humorous paean to the joys of food, the main story is about trucker Goro who rides into town like a modern Shane to help Tampopo set up the perfect fast-food noodle restaurant. Woven into this main story are a number of smaller stories about the importance of food, ranging from a gangster who mixes hot sex with food to an old lady terrorizing a shopkeeper by compulsive squeezing of his wares.

Director: 

Jûzô Itami

Writer: 

Jûzô Itami

Stars:

 Ken Watanabe, Tsutomu Yamazaki and Nobuko Miyamoto

This film will be hosted by Atsuko Betchaku from  Japanese Institute of Scotland.

Find more about this film here.