Author Archives: carol.small@me.com

Jayne Hooper

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Wild Tales

Wild Tales is a 2014 Spanish-language black comedy anthology film. The film is composed of six standalone shorts with a common theme of catharsis, violence and vengeance and has an ensemble cast. Wild Tales is based on Szifron’s understanding of Western capitalist society as a cage, and depicts the moment at which some people become so frustrated by their surroundings they cannot behave in the socially expected manner. 

Woman At War

Woman at War is a 2018 Icelandic-Ukrainian comedy-drama film. Halla, a choir conductor and eco-activist, plans to disrupt the operations of a Rio Tinto aluminium plant in the Icelandic highlands, purposely damaging electricity pylons and wires to cut their power supply. One day, a long-forgotten application to adopt an orphan child from Ukraine is approved …

Our Little Sister

Our Little Sister is a Japanese drama based on Akimi Yoshida‘s manga series Umimachi Diary. Three sisters, Sachi Kōda, Yoshino Kōda and Chika Kōda, live in the house of their grandparents in Kamakura. Their parents are divorced. One day, they receive news of the death of their father, whom they have not seen in fifteen years. At the funeral, they meet their half-sister, fourteen year old Suzu Asano …

June 2023

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Kerry has proposed three films (see below) for us to watch this month (see below). Nominations have now closed and out of 17 people who voted, 17 people voted for Amal. Quite a clear-cut decision and enough to make you think that those elections in North Korea may not have been rigged after all!

This month we will be showing the film outside – so please make sure you have insect repellent and something warm to wear for later in the evening. We will ask for a €2 contribution to defray the cost of wine and nibbles (see below).

When the film ends those who wish to leave can do so, but for those who would like to stay and discuss the film we will rearrange the chairs and provide wine and nibbles to ensure a convivial atmosphere for discussion underneath the stars.

Amal

Autorickshaw driver Amal is content with the small, but vital, role he serves – driving customers around New Delhi as quickly and safely as possible. But his sense of duty is tested by an eccentric, aging billionaire, who, moved by Amal’s humility, bequeaths him his entire estate before passing away. With only one month to discover and claim the inheritance, Amal’s struggles with duty and wealth are threatened by all those around him – from a young injured beggar girl and a lovely store merchant, to the danger of the old man’s upper-caste friends and siblings, all seeking to claim their share of the riches.

Stella

Stella (Greek: Στέλλα) is a 1955 Greek film is a retelling of Carmen featuring Melina Mercouri. The film was directed by the Greek Cypriot Michael Cacoyannis and written by Cacoyannis and Iakovos Kambanelis. The music was composed by Manos Hadjidakis and Vassilis Tsitsanis.

The Last Samurai

Capt. Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) is an American military officer hired by the Emperor of Japan to train the country’s first army in the art of modern warfare. As the government attempts to eradicate the ancient Samurai warrior class in preparation for more Westernized and trade-friendly policies, Algren finds himself unexpectedly affected by his encounters with the Samurai, which places him at the center of a struggle between two eras and two worlds.

May 2023

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Theresa has proposed three films (see below) for us to watch this month. Nominations have now closed and the overwhelming favourite was … Rembetiko.

We had to purchase the DVD of the film (the version available on YouTube is unsuitable for watching on the silver screen) and so we shall be asking for a €2 contribution to defray the cost.

A discussion about the film has often been mooted but has proved difficult to arrange. On this occasion we propose to have a five minute break at the end of the film. Those who wish to leave can do so during the break, but for those who would like to stay and discuss the film we will rearrange the chairs and provide wine and nibbles to ensure a convivial atmosphere for discussion.

Brian and Charles

Brian is a lonely inventor in rural Wales who spends his days building quirky, unconventional contraptions that seldom work. Undeterred by his lack of success, he soon attempts his biggest project yet. Using a washing machine and various spare parts, he invents Charles, an artificial intelligence robot that learns English from a dictionary and has an obsession with cabbages.

Rebetiko

The story of a group of Rembetes, singers and musicians of the Greek equivalent to the blues, in the early decades of the 20th century, seen through the eyes of a young female singer. Unfortunately (as you can see), I’m unable to embed a YouTube clip from the film – but you should be able to click and visit the clip yourself.

The Woman King

In the 1800s, a group of all-female warriors protects the African kingdom of Dahomey with skills and fierceness unlike anything the world has ever seen. Faced with a new threat, Gen. Nanisca trains the next generation of recruits to fight against a foreign enemy that’s determined to destroy their way of life.

April 2023

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Chris has proposed three films (see below) for us to watch this month. Please nominate the film of your choice by posting a comment below on this page. Nominations close on 15th April.

As an optional extra we can meet for an after-film discussion the following afternoon at 15:00 at Hades in Agios Nikolaos.

Catherine Called Birdy

The year? 1290. In the Medieval English village of Stonebridge, Lady Catherine (known as Birdy) is the youngest child of Lord Rollo and the Lady Aislinn. Her playground is Stonebridge Manor, a house that, like the family, has seen better days. Financially destitute and utterly greedy, Rollo sees his daughter as his path out of financial ruin by marrying her off to a wealthy man for money and land. But Birdy, like all the great teen heroines, is spirited, clever and adventurous – and ready to put off any suitor that comes calling in increasingly ingenious ways. Her imagination, defiance and deep belief in her own right to independence put her on a collision course with her parents. When the most vile suitor of all arrives, they are presented with the ultimate test of love for their daughter.

Young Frankenstein

A young neurosurgeon (Gene Wilder) inherits the castle of his grandfather, the famous Dr. Victor von Frankenstein. In the castle he finds a funny hunchback called Igor, a pretty lab assistant named Inga and the old housekeeper, frau Blucher -iiiiihhh!-. Young Frankenstein believes that the work of his grandfather is only crap, but when he discovers the book where the mad doctor described his reanimation experiment, he suddenly changes his mind…

The Straight Story

A retired farmer and widower in his 70s, Alvin Straight (Richard Farnsworth) learns one day that his distant brother Lyle (Harry Dean Stanton) has suffered a stroke and may not recover. Alvin is determined to make things right with Lyle while he still can, but his brother lives in Wisconsin, while Alvin is stuck in Iowa with no car and no driver’s license. Then he hits on the idea of making the trip on his old lawnmower, thus beginning a picturesque and at times deeply spiritual odyssey.

March 2023

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Andrea and Mario have proposed three films (see below) for us to watch this month. Nominations have now closed and the selection is … V for Vendetta, which won by a single vote over both The Duellists and The Lives of Others.

  • Location:  Carol & Jayne’s House, Agios Nikolaos (see below).
  • Date: Saturday, 25th March
  • Time: 19:00 onwards for a 19:30 start.

After last month’s great success – Babette’s Feast – many people expressed a desire to discuss the film, after some time for overnight reflection. So this month as an optional extra we can meet for an after-film discussion the following morning at 10:30 at Hades in Agios Nikolaos.

Carol & Jayne’s house is directly opposite Vrahos Apartments and immediately next to Stephanou Inn in Agios Nikolaos. It’s the new house, set back about 40 metres from the road. Parking is limited, so please use one of the car parks in the village: it’s only a 2 minute walk. You are welcome to bring drinks and nibbles, but please ensure that you take any rubbish back home with you.

The Lives Of Others

In 1983 East Berlin, dedicated Stasi officer Gerd Wiesler (Ulrich Mühe), doubting that a famous playwright (Sebastian Koch) is loyal to the Communist Party, receives approval to spy on the man and his actress-lover Christa-Maria (Martina Gedeck). Wiesler becomes unexpectedly sympathetic to the couple, then faces conflicting loyalties when his superior takes a liking to Christa-Maria and orders Wiesler to get the playwright out of the way.

The Duellists

Armand d’Hubert (Keith Carradine) and Gabriel Féraud (Harvey Keitel) are French soldiers under Napoleon. A trivial quarrel between d’Hubert and Féraud escalates into a lifelong grudge, and, as war rages on, the officers repeatedly challenge one another to violent sword and pistol duels. After 15 years, both men have distinguished themselves through their service and become generals, however, their mutual hatred never ceases, even when the initial cause of their rivalry is forgotten.

V for Vendetta

Following world war, London is a police state occupied by a fascist government, and a vigilante known only as V (Hugo Weaving) uses terrorist tactics to fight the oppressors of the world in which he now lives. When V saves a young woman named Evey (Natalie Portman) from the secret police, he discovers an ally in his fight against England’s oppressors.

Mae and Jort

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Mae & Jort have proposed three films for us to watch this month.

Pranzo di Ferragosto

An affable bachelor, Gianni (Gianni Di Gregorio), who still lives with his elderly mother (Valeria De Franciscis), has coasted through life and has no complaints about that. But coasting also means not paying the bills for his condo, and the landlord, Alfonso (Alfonso Santagata), has had enough. He makes Gianni an offer — Alfonso wants to go on holiday, and will forget about the bills if Gianni takes care of his mother. Soon, Gianni is taking care of several mothers and trying to stay afloat.

Perfetti Sconosciuti

On the evening of a total eclipse of the moon, seven close friends gather for a dinner party. Early in the meal, one of the friends, a relationship therapist named Eva, says that she is convinced that many couples would separate if they saw the messages on each other’s phones. As the friends debate this contention, they agree—some of them reluctantly—to play a game. They will each place their phone on the table and they will share their messages and calls with the rest of the group.

Les Femmes du 6e étage

Set in Paris in 1962, the story alternates between two different worlds. One is a traditional wealth family in a comfortable apartment, whose lives are devoted to making money and meaningless socialising. The other is the underpaid and overworked domestic servants living in cramped conditions above them. As few French people want such work, the jobs are taken by Spanish women, eager to escape the poverty and oppression of Francoist Spain, who bring with them their native solidarity and human warmth.

February 2023

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Pamela has proposed three films (see below) for us to watch this month. Nominations have now closed and the selection is … Babette’s Feast!

Please bring warm clothing – Kerry tells me the heating will be on, but better safe than sorry – and something soft to sit on.

Saving Grace

Saving Grace. British comedy starring Brenda Blethyn and Craig Ferguson. Set in Cornwall, the film tells the story of a middle aged widow whose irresponsible husband left her in an enormous debt, forcing her to grow cannabis in her greenhouse along with her gardener Matthew to avoid losing her house.

Some Like It Hot

Some Like It Hot. Two struggling musicians witness the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre and try to find a way out of the city before they are found and killed by the mob. The only job that will pay their way is an all girl band so the two dress up as women. In addition to hiding, each has his own problems; One falls for another band member but can’t tell her his gender, and the other has a rich suitor who will not take No, for an answer. The film is widely regarded as one of the best films of all time.

Babette’s Feast

Babette’s Feast. Beautiful but pious sisters Martine (Birgitte Federspiel) and Philippa (Bodil Kjer) grow to spinsterhood under the wrathful eye of their strict pastor father on the forbidding and desolate coast of Jutland, until one day, Philippa’s former suitor sends a Parisian refugee named Babette (Stéphane Audran) to serve as the family cook. The film won the 1987 Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards and the BAFTA Film Award for Best Foreign Language Film.