Subscribe to watch - 14-day free trial, then £4.99 a month
My 20th Century
Ildikó Enyedi's magical tale of twin girls born in Budapest at the very moment that Edison’s wondrous electric light-bulb is unveiled to the world.
Drama 1989 99 mins
Director: Ildikó Enyedi
Overview
From Ildikó Enyedi (whose On Body and Soul scooped four major prizes at the 2017 Berlin Film Festival) this magical film spins a tale of twin girls, Dóra and Lili, born in Budapest at the very moment that Edison’s wondrous electric light-bulb is unveiled to the world. Separated in childhood, the sisters’ lives follow radically different paths: one grows up to a naïvely idealistic, bomb-toting anarchist, the other a pampered, hedonistic courtesan – until they meet once again on the Orient Express on New Year’s Eve 1899…
This dazzling film portrays the birth of modernism, a daring world of revolutionary ideas and inventions that promised enchantment and inspired wonder. Shot in luminous monochrome by cinematographer Tibor Máthé, the film echoes the magic and exuberance of early cinema. Celebrating the enthralling technological marvels as well as the political and sexual upheavals of the time, this film reclaims the birth of the twentieth century as a miraculous moment to be alive.
strong sex, nudity, sex referencesRelated
Drama
Embrace of the Serpent Embrace of the Serpent
Action and Adventure 2015 124 mins Director: Ciro Guerra
The spirit of Werner Herzog and Apocalypse Now imbue this majestic Oscar-nominated odyssey through the heart of the Amazon.
Betty Blue Betty Blue
Drama 1986 185 mins Director: Jean-Jacques Beineix
Jean-Jacques Beineix’s story of a volatile, highly sexual relationship was one of the most successful French films of the 1980s.
Beyond the Horizon Beyond the Horizon
Drama 2019 88 mins Director: Delphine Lehericey
Under the relentless summer sun, Gus’s childhood is coming to an end as the long-awaited thunderstorms sweep across the exhausted countryside, taking a whole world with them in Delphine Lehericey sizzling rural coming-of-age drama.
Honey Cigar Honey Cigar
Drama 2020 99 mins Director: Kamir Aïnouz
Selma, 17, grows up in a bourgeois and secular Berber family. After meeting Julien, the dashing young man she's attracted to, she realises for the first time how restrictive the rules of her patriarchal family are.
Nadia, Butterfly Nadia, Butterfly
Sport 2020 107 mins Director: Pascal Plante
At 23, Nadia decides to retire from professional swimming and a life of sacrifice. After one final race the hidden excesses of the Olympic Village offer Nadia her first breath of freedom.
All Hands on Deck! All Hands on Deck!
Comedy 2021 96 mins Director: Guillaume Brac
A group of young adults, from different cultures and social backgrounds, meet during a shared summer in the southeast of France and embark on a on romantic adventure together.
Classic Cannes Festival
The Lunchbox The Lunchbox
Drama 2013 105 mins Director: Ritesh Batra
Mismatched lunchboxes lead to an unlikely romance in this exquisite Indian drama, brimful of tantalising food and elegantly delivered wisdom.
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
Fantasy 2010 109 mins Director: Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Apichatpong's Cannes prizewinner, about an ailing man revisiting his past, is a measured, lyrical evocation of mysterious beauty and quiet humanity.
Paris, Texas Paris, Texas
Drama 1984 145 mins Director: Wim Wenders
The late, great Harry Dean Stanton's finest role came as the near-mute Travis, on a journey across America to reunite his family, in Wim Wenders' moving tale of loss and redemption.
Hidden Hidden
Drama 2004 113 mins Director: Michael Haneke
A literary TV chat-show host (Daniel Auteuil) discovers the drawbacks to celebrity when he and his wife (Juliette Binoche) start receiving anonymous messages in the form of videos of their home and naively violent drawings.
Mulholland Dr. Mulholland Dr.
Thriller 2001 142 mins Director: David Lynch
David Lynch’s beautifully baffling, surreal psychological thriller.
Jesus of Montreal Jesus of Montreal
Drama 1989 120 mins Director: Denys Arcand
Denys Arcand's brilliant and provocative drama follows an actor whose unorthodox passion play faces accusations of blasphemy.
New
Embrace of the Serpent Embrace of the Serpent
Action and Adventure 2015 124 mins Director: Ciro Guerra
The spirit of Werner Herzog and Apocalypse Now imbue this majestic Oscar-nominated odyssey through the heart of the Amazon.
Betty Blue Betty Blue
Drama 1986 185 mins Director: Jean-Jacques Beineix
Jean-Jacques Beineix’s story of a volatile, highly sexual relationship was one of the most successful French films of the 1980s.
The Epic of Everest The Epic of Everest
Non-Fiction 1924 87 mins Director: J.B.L. Noel
Premiere. A breathtaking and poignant account of the valiant 1924 British assault on the awe-inspiring peak, beautifully restored by the BFI.
Beyond the Horizon Beyond the Horizon
Drama 2019 88 mins Director: Delphine Lehericey
Under the relentless summer sun, Gus’s childhood is coming to an end as the long-awaited thunderstorms sweep across the exhausted countryside, taking a whole world with them in Delphine Lehericey sizzling rural coming-of-age drama.
The Monopoly of Violence The Monopoly of Violence
Documentary 2020 89 mins Director: David Dufresne
As anger and resentment grows in the face of social inequalities during the Yellow Vests movement in France, many citizen-led protests are being repressed with ever-increasing police violence.
Gallant Indies Gallant Indies
Documentary 2020 109 mins Director: Philippe Béziat
By bringing together urban dance and opera singing, 30 hip-hop, krump, break, voguing dancers reinvent Jean-Philippe Rameau's baroque masterpiece, Les Indes Galantes.