SHREWSBURY FILM

Conflicts

To take us up to Christmas 2013, we showed five great films on the theme of conflict. They mixed great new dramas — A Hijacking from Denmark; new and revelatory documentary — The Gatekeepers from Israel; world-cinema classics — Battle of Algiers; and great films you probably haven't had a chance to see on the big-screen — Waltz with Bashir and Essential Killing.

Waltz with Bashir

18 | Israel | 2008 | Hebrew, Arabic, German, English
Documentary, Animation, Biography
Director: Ari Folman
Date Shown: Saturday 16 November 2013

One night at a bar, an old friend tells director Ari about a recurring nightmare in which he is chased by 26 vicious dogs. Every night, the same number of beasts. The two men conclude that there's a connection to their Israeli Army mission in the first Lebanon War of the early eighties. Ari is surprised that he can't remember a thing anymore about that period of his life. Intrigued by this riddle, he decides to meet and interview old friends and comrades around the world. He needs to discover the truth about that time and about himself. As Ari delves deeper and deeper into the mystery, his memory begins to creep up in surreal images.


Essential Killing

15 | Poland | 2010 | English, Polish, Arabic
Thriller, War
Director: Jerzy Skolimowski
Date Shown: Saturday 23 November 2013

A Taliban member who lives in Afghanistan is taken captive by the Americans after killing an American soldier and two contractors. He is transferred to Europe for interrogation but manages to escape from his captors and becomes an escaped convict on a continent he does not know.


The Gatekeepers

15 | Israel | 2012 | Hebrew, English
Documentary
Director: Dror Moreh
Date Shown: Saturday 30 November 2013

A documentary featuring interviews with all surviving former heads of Shin Bet, the Israeli security agency whose activities and membership are closely held state secrets.


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The Battle of Algiers

15 | Algeria | 1966 | French, Arabic, English
Crime, Drama, History
Director: Gillo Pontecorvo
Date Shown: Saturday 7 December 2013

A film commissioned by the Algerian government that shows the Algerian revolution from both sides. The French foreign legion has left Vietnam in defeat and has something to prove. The Algerians are seeking independence. The two clash. The torture used by the French is contrasted with the Algerian's use of bombs in soda shops. A look at war as a nasty thing that harms and sullies everyone who participates in it.


A Hijacking

15 | Denmark | 2012 | Danish, Swedish, English, Japanese, Somali
Drama, Thriller
Director: Tobias Lindholm
Date Shown: Saturday 14 December 2013

The cargo ship MV Rozen is heading for harbor when it is hijacked by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean. Amongst the men on board are the ship's cook Mikkel and the engineer Jan, who along with the rest of the seamen are taken hostage in a cynical game of life and death. With the demand for a ransom of millions of dollars a psychological drama unfolds between the CEO of the shipping company and the Somali pirates.


©2024 Shrewsbury Film - screening the best current and classic films from around the world.
Regular film screenings at the Hive, Shrewsbury, Shropshire. SY1 1TE
The Hive Media and Arts Centre Cinema For All Film Audience Network