Sink into a bean bag and join us on a 12-hour cinematic journey through the mind-expanding and world-bending genre of science fiction.
Vesper directed by Kristina Buožytė and Bruno Sampe
Inspired by the current exhibition SCI-FI: Mythologies Transformed, our relaxed cinema will be screening a selection of international cult classics that focus on female and non-binary heroes.
If you’re interested in eco-warriors, dream machines, floating brains and anti-colonialist computer hackers, block out your calendar for a full day of action-packed sci-fi adventures.
Come down with friends or embark on a solo mission to explore alternative futures and imaginary realms. Our Candy Bar will keep you fuelled all day long with free popcorn and vegan candy.
Please note that the films will be screened in a range of languages including in Japanese, English, French, Swahili Kinyarwanda and Kirundi, with English subtitles.
The screening is for audiences aged 15 and above. The rating and the content notes for each session are listed below.
Free – booking essential.
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984) – screening at 11 am
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
Rated PG – Moderate violence
Japanese audio, English subtitles
Distributed by Crunchyroll
“Loving the trees, speaking to insects, the bird people who fly in the wind, descending onto the golden field…” Courageous warrior Princess Nausicaä and her brave companions, strive to restore the bond between humanity and the earth. This 1984 Japanese animated post-apocalyptic film is written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away; My Neighbor Totoro). Created before Studio Ghibli was founded, it is often regarded as one of the greatest animated films of all time.
The City of Lost Children (1995) – screening at 1 pm
Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Rated M – Moderate violence
French audio, English subtitles
When the dreams of children are being stolen for scientific experiments, it’s up to one courageous young girl & her strong-man friend to save them. From the French director Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amélie) this film features a dark and absurd world of fantastic inventions, cyclops criminals, pickpocketing kids and a very wise floating-brain.
Mars Attacks (1996) – screening at 3 pm
Directed by Tim Burton
Rated M - Low level violence
English audio, English subtitles
Sci-Fi films have always predicted technology advancements and cultural shifts. Have they also predicted what will happen when MARS ATTACKS?! This star-studded spoof from director Tim Burton (Edward Sissorhands; Coraline) feels a little too (sur)real as political figures make contact with the red planet.
Vesper (2022) – screening at 5pm
Directed by Kristina Buožytė and Bruno Samper
Rated MA - Strong science fiction themes and violence
English audio, English subtitles
One seed can change everything. After the collapse of Earth's ecosystem, Vesper, a strong-willed 13-year-old girl, uses her survival skills to subsist in the decaying remnants of the collapsed world. Forced into a dangerous adventure, Vesper must rely on her wits and bio-hacking abilities to unlock the key to creating an alternate future.
Neptune Frost (2021) – screening at 7pm
Directed by Anisia Uzeyman & Saul Williams
Rated M - Coarse language
Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Swahili, English and French with English subtitles
From their camp in an otherworldly e-waste dump, a group of anti-colonialist computer hackers takeover the authoritarian regime exploiting the region’s natural resources. Set in a post-civil war Rwanda spanning past, future, and present times, this film is an afro-futurist musical that explores the boundaries of gender, sexuality and power.
Paprika (2006) – screening at 9pm
Directed by Satoshi Kon
Rated M - Moderate animated violence and sexual themes
Japanese audio, English subtitles
Entering into a dream within a dream within a dream, this Japanese anime epic dives headfirst into a technicolor world of surreal imagination, taking those captured to the brink of insanity. Guided by Paprika, scientists must locate a stolen experiential technology that infiltrates the subconscious. But are they in too deep, lost within their own minds?