Mystery International Film Screening

Welcome to the latest edition of Manchester Central Library’s International Film Club’s Mystery Screening series.

This event is for individuals aged 15 and over.

Event Details:

• Doors open: 17:00
• Introduction to the film: 17:20
• Film starts: 17:30
• Entry: Pay what you can (recommended donation of £3)
• Popcorn: FREE!
• Drinks: Grab a coffee, tea, or soft drink from the fully stocked café!

The Mystery Film Clubs screenings at Manchester Central Library specialise in showing a wide and eclectic range of films from all over the world. These are the sorts of films unlikely to be seen anywhere else, underseen and under-loved masterpieces from every single point of the globe. There’s no delineation by genre, place or year, all that matters is the quality of the film.

This month’s choices are:

Clearcut (1991, Canada)

A roaring cult classic of Canadian cinema, a supernatural revenge thriller with big moral questions and furious anger as Polish director Ryszard Bugajski confronts the limits of liberal pacifism. With an incredible central performance from Graham that oscillates between trickster spirit and revolutionary spectre, the viewer is forced to confront their own views of heroism and justice.

Le Franc (1994, Senegal)

A man buys a lottery ticket and to protect it glues it to his wall, when the ticket wins he finds he has to transport both the door and the ticket to claim his prize. This simple image is used to explore themes of global economic catastrophe. Conceived in response to the 1994 devaluation of the West African CFA franc, the film transforms structural violence into slapstick surrealism. The protagonist is a spiritual successor to Chaplin’s The Tramp, with all the tragedy and comedy that entails.

Electra, My Love (1974, Hungary)

Experience the unique cinematic stylings of Miklós Jancsó, in a film with some of the most spellbinding staging and shots ever conceived. Epic Greek Tragedy on the Hungarian plains presented in its entirety through only twelve extended shots. Movement replaces montage: bodies, horses, flags, and crowds swirl in ritualised patterns that mirror cycles of uprising and repression. A whirl of film as dance, theatre and ritual.