As Leeds enters the school holidays, we’re also firmly on the Road to the Oscars, with the 98th Academy Awards set for March 15.
This month, our screen becomes a showcase for the world’s most celebrated cinema, featuring no fewer than 15 standout titles (and that’s just our recommendations), including major nominees like the record-breaking Hamnet and the stunning Brazilian thriller The Secret Agent.
Whether you’re looking to catch an award-winner before the big night or seeking a creative escape for the kids, the cinema has once again curated a program that brings the best of the global stage to the heart of LS6.
For more information on the screenings, including times and bookings, you can visit the Hyde Park Picture House website for more details, including how to become a member of the cinema.
1. Wuthering Heights (15)
Emerald Fennell’s provocative new adaptation of Emily Brontë’s masterpiece reimagines the Yorkshire moors as a site of Gothic frenzy and destructive obsession. Starring Jacob Elordi as a brooding, long-haired Heathcliff and Margot Robbie as the ecstatic Catherine Earnshaw, the film leans into the raw, visceral nature of their inseparable bond. | Submitted
2. The Secret Agent (15)
Brazilian filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho painstakingly recreates the Recife of the 70s dictatorship years in this sprawling, colourful spy thriller like no other. Winner of Best Director and Best Actor at Cannes, the film follows a disillusioned professor who becomes entangled in a web of political corruption and espionage during the height of Carnival. | Provided
3. Little Amélie or the Character of Rain (PG)
This Oscar-nominated animated feature adapts Amélie Nothomb’s celebrated novel, offering a whimsical and poignant look at early childhood. The story follows a Belgian toddler born in Japan who, on her third birthday, experiences a profound turning point in her perception of the world. | Provided
4. Hamnet (12A)
Directed by Academy Award winner Chloé Zhao and based on the best-selling novel by Maggie O’Farrell, Hamnet is a historical drama that focuses on the domestic life of William Shakespeare and his wife, Agnes Hathaway. The film avoids the spotlight of the London stage, instead staying grounded in the rural beauty of Stratford-upon-Avon as the couple grapples with the heartbreaking loss of their young son. | IMDB
5. My Father’s Shadow (12A)
Marking a historic milestone as the first Nigerian film to screen at Cannes, Akinola Davies Jr.’s My Father’s Shadow is a transcendental coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of Nigeria’s turbulent 1993 elections. Two young brothers travel from their village to the pulsating, high-contrast world of Lagos to visit their distant father, only to find themselves caught in the middle of a looming political crisis. | Provided
6. The Chronology of Water (18)
In her feature directorial debut, Kristen Stewart delivers a raw and unflinching adaptation of Lidia Yuknavitch’s memoir. Starring Imogen Poots in a powerhouse performance, the film navigates the jagged memories of a woman processing a childhood defined by trauma and an adulthood fuelled by addiction and artistic fury. | Provided