Landmark
Co-curated with the Asian Film Archive, Landmark showcases recent restorations of classic films, with a special focus on Jafar Panahi this year.
Diving into geopolitics from the late 1970s to the 2000s, these 13 canonical works of world cinema are powerful, incisive allegories of their respective environments, revealing the cracks in cultures and societies that reverberate across time. Together they stand as a testament to the enduring power of the moving image, where histories and legacies continue to speak to the present.
Opening Film
Stars in Broad Daylight
An allegory of the Ba’athist regime told through the dissolution of the Ghazi family amid wedding chaos.
Ossama Mohammed / Syria / 1988 / 105 min / NC16 (Some Sexual References) / Asian Premiere
Jafar Panahi in Focus: Double Bill 1
7 Dec, Sat 9:30PM / 103 min / PG / Oldham Theatre
In these two films, Jafar Panahi paints a concise picture of how imposed religious values and inequalities shape a society.
The Accordion
A pair of siblings must recover their stolen accordion to continue supporting their family.
Jafar Panahi / Iran / 2010 / 8 min / PG
Crimson Gold
After a series of humiliating encounters, a war veteran becomes convinced that the only way to move up in life is through crime.
Jafar Panahi / Iran / 2003 / 95 min / PG
Jafar Panahi in Focus: Double Bill 2
8 Dec, Sun 2:00PM / 108 min / PG / Oldham Theatre
This double bill, with two decades between them, sheds light on the everyday life of women in Iran’s patriarchy, which remains deeply entrenched even today.
The Circle
The stories of Iranian women intersect to reveal the brutal realities of a society that denies them agency.
Jafar Panahi / Iran, Italy / 2000 / 90 min / PG
Hidden
A gem concealed beneath layers of patriarchy yearns for the light of liberation and recognition.
Jafar Panahi / Iran / 2020 / 18 min / PG
Jafar Panahi in Focus: Double Bill 3
8 Dec, Sun 8:00PM / 97 min / PG13 (Some Mature Content) / Oldham Theatre
Jafar Panahi’s films have long incurred the wrath of the Iranian government. Panahi tells his story in this double bill exploring the weight of political repression against the need for artistic expression.
This Is Not A Film
Even when under house arrest, Jafar Panahi continues to wield the art of filmmaking as protest in this documentary masterpiece.
Jafar Panahi, Mojtaba Mirtahmasb / Iran / 2011 / 76 min / PG
Where Are You, Jafar Panahi?
A delicate portrait of the fragility of expression and the enduring fight for personal and artistic truths.
Jafar Panahi / Iran / 2016 / 21 min / PG13 (Some Mature Content)
Feature Films
Barking Dogs Never Bite
Aggravated by the incessant barking of a dog in his neighbourhood, a young man sets out on a frantic mission to put an end to it.
Bong Joon-ho / South Korea / 2000 / 106 min / PG / International Premiere
Bona
A young woman runs away from home to follow a bit player in low-budget films.
Lino Brocka / Phillipines / 1980 / 86 min / NC16 (Coarse Language and Some Nudity) / Singapore Premiere
Sambizanga
On the cusp of Angola’s independence, a woman treks across Luanda to seek and demand the release of her incarcerated husband.
Sarah Maldoror / Angola / 1972 / 97 min / PG13 (Some Violence and Brief Nudity) / Southeast Asian Premiere
The Dupes
In the 1950s, three Palestinian refugees put their faith in a smuggler to cross the desert border into Kuwait.
Tewfik Saleh / Syria / 1972 / 107 min / NC16 (Some Mature Content) / Southeast Asian Premiere
The Man Who Left His Will on Film
In 1970s Japan, a student radical witnesses his comrade’s suicide and becomes obsessed with decoding a reel of film he left behind.
Nagisa Oshima / Japan / 1970 / 94 min / R21 (Sexual Scenes and Nudity) / Asian Premiere
Vive L’Amour
In cold, urban Taipei, the lives of three lonely people converge as they unwittingly inhabit the same luxury apartment.
Tsai Ming-liang / Taiwan / 1994 / 118 min / M18 (Sexual Scenes) / Singapore Premiere