In the early 1970s, the military dictatorship in Brazil reaches its height. The Paiva family – Rubens, Eunice, and their five children – live in a beachside house in Rio, open to all their friends. One day, Rubens is taken for questioning and does not return.
An intense film based on the true story of Eunice Paiva, a mother and activist coping with the forced disappearance of her husband, the dissident Brazilian politician Rubens Paiva. Despite being the target of an unsuccessful boycott by the Brazilian far-right, within 3 months of its release, the film surpassed 5 million admissions.
A beautiful film that portrays the strength of an individual fighting back; a triumph of humanity over state terror.
Portugese, French with english Subtitles. 135 minutes. Director Walter Salles. Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (2025) . Golden Globe; Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama for Fernanda Torres
Mumbai is more than a city. It’s an ever-expanding universe. Night shots of the thronged streets in this exquisite drama.
Having captured the teeming collision of lives, Kapadia gently guides us to follow three nurses. Nurse Prabhais a veteran at the busy urban hospital where all three work; her younger colleague Anu (newly arrived from the south of India, is caught up in the first thrill of romance with her Muslim boyfriend. And Pavartya cook in the hospital kitchen, is facing eviction from a home that is due to be demolished to sate the voracious appetite of gentrification.
These are ordinary lives, with small sadnesses, twinging regrets and sparks of joy. In the second half of the film, when the women leave Mumbai to accompany Pavarty back to her coastal village, the skies lift, the air clears and the picture takes on a lyrical, dreamlike quality.
Primarily Malayalam and Hindi with English subtitles. 2h3m Director Payal Kapadia. Cannes Grand Prix 2024.
Acclaimed conductor Thibaut has leukaemia and needs a bone marrow donor. Learning he was adopted, he finds an older brother, a musician and factory worker. Their reunion sparks a fraternal, musical journey amidst the town’s factory closure. It has echoes of Brassed Off with its exploration of the impact of unemployment on a whole community. This is a delightful, at times hilarious, other times poignant, exploration of who we are and where we come from.
French with English subtitles. 103m. Directed by Emmanuel Courcol
Young widow Santosh inherits her late husband’s position as a police officer in the rural badlands of India, becoming the centre of a gripping story of moral conflict from British-Indian director Sandhya Suri.
Taken under the mentorship of Sharma, a charismatic and authoritative senior female inspector, Santosh soon finds herself investigating the brutal murder of a low-caste girl. The case draws her deep into a harsh world of crime and corruption, forcing her to confront both the failures of the system and her own place within it—mirroring the uncomfortable reckoning the audience undergoes alongside her.
Already a BAFTA-nominated writer-director, Suri makes her feature debut with Santosh. Premiering in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes 2024, the film earned critical acclaim and was developed with support from the Sundance Screenwriters and Directors Labs.
Hindi with English subtitles. 2h. Directed by Sandhya Suri
70-year-old Mahin has been widowed for 30 years and her two children live abroad. She is living a lonely life in Tehran. But one day, she decides to join her friends for the afternoon tea and finds a new spark in her heart. She meets someone who makes her feel alive again, and the evening brings unpredictable surprises and memories. She bakes her favourite cake, believing that she may have found love at her late age.
The female directors were banned from leaving Iran to attend it’s premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival. They were held in Evin prison awaiting trial for propaganda against the regime.
Persian with English subtitles. 97m Directed by Maryam Moghaddam & Behtash Sanaeeha
A personal view by guest critic Beth Travers
Ah yes, My Favourite Cake – though I would have appreciated a slice or two to comfort me after this film. It is a gut-wrenching portrayal of loneliness and isolation of two, single 70-year-olds living in the hustle of modern-day Tehran. This award-winning Iranian film follows seventy-year-old Mahin and her attempt to revitalise her life after the loss of her husband. From a hilarious depiction of female friendships, to heroism in the face of the oppressive Iranian morality police, co-directors Maryam Moghadam and Behtash Sanaeeha beautifully capture a revival of love and romance.
The question arises from the beginning of the film – is it possible to find love once again at such an age? Mahin proves quite easily that it is, even under the constraints of the Islamic Republic regime. She determinedly sets her heart on rediscovering life with a partner, unabashedly inviting cab driver and military veteran, Faramarz (played by Esmail Mehrabi ) into her home for some of her “favourite cake”. Admittedly I felt dazzled by her boldness, Lili Farhadpour magically captured that universal excitement and enjoyment of female pursuit typically associated with young, carefree (and predominantly western) women. She proved the desire to be seen and for physical touch never dies as we grow older.
Esmail won my heart with his loveable, charming smile and dance moves that had viewers (such as myself) crying on their sofas still with no cake in sight…
