Into the wild is based on a true story and the bestselling book by Jon Krakauer. After graduating from Emory University in 1992, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless (Hirsch) abandons his possessions, gave his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhiked to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Along the way, Christopher encounters a series of characters that shape his life.
Official website:http://www.intothewild.com

LA VIE EN ROSE
SATURDAY 6TH DECEMBER 2008
Director: Olivier Dahan 2007
Runtime:140 minutes Certificate 12A

DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY
SATURDAY 3RD JANUARY 2009
Director: Julian Schnabel 2007
Runtime:112 minutes
Certificate:12A

Persepolis is the autobiographical tale of Marjane, sharing her experiences as a young girl coming-of-age in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. It is through the eyes of this precocious and outspoken nine year old that we see a peoples’ hopes dashed as fundamentalists take power – forcing the veil on women and imprisoning thousands. Though she outsmarts the “social guardians” and discovers punk, ABBA and Iron Maiden, the daily fear that permeates life in Iran is palpable, as bombs fall on Tehran during the Iran/Iraq war and those close to her fall foul of the regime... Based on Marjane’s four graphic novels, this striking animation covers her childhood in Iran, her escape to an education in Vienna and then a bittersweet return to her native country.

Juno (Ellen Page - X-MEN) is a cool, confident teenager who takes a nine-month detour into adulthood when she's faced with an unplanned pregnancy - and sets out to find the perfect parents for her baby.
With the help of her charmingly unassuming boyfriend (Michael Cera - Superbad) supportive dad (J.K. Simmons) and no-nonsense stepmom (Allison Janney) Juno sets her sights on an affluent couple (Jennifer Garner - Elektra and Jason Bateman - The Kingdom) longing to adopt their first child
Official website:http://www.foxsearchlight.com/juno

When washed-up, crooked and corrupt department store Santa, Willie T. Stokes (Billy Bob Thornton) isn't making appearances at shopping malls, he's a safecracker who makes an annual big score on Christmas Eve. But when Willie and his midget partner, Marcus (Tony Cox) come to Phoenix for their next heist, they fall under the suspicious eye of Bob (John Ritter), the store manager, and Gin (Bernie Mac), a savvy mall detective. Willie also has to deal with an
8 year old misfit who believes that the frequently-intoxicated and foul-mouthed Willie is the real Santa.
Review: Guardian films, Bad Santa

Having just carried out a particularly difficult hit in London, two hitmen seek shelter in Bruges, Belgium, only to find their views on life and death permanently altered by their interactions with the locals, the tourists, and a film crew. Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, and Ralph Fiennes star in an action comedy from director Martin McDonagh.
Official website: http://www.inbruges.co.uk

The main character in Cidade de Deus (City of God) is not a person. It is a place. Cidade de Deus is a poor housing project started in the 60's that became one of the most dangerous places in Rio de Janeiro by the beginning of the 80's. Interweaving the lives of many characters but seen through the eyes of Busca-Pé, a child growing up in a very violent environment who sees the world through an artists perspective as a keen photographer.

An un-chronological look at the life of the Little Sparrow, Edith Piaf (1915-1963). Her mother is an alcoholic street singer, her father a circus performer, her paternal grandmother a madam. During childhood she lives with each of them. At 20, she's a street singer discovered by a club owner who's soon murdered, coached by a musician who brings her to concert halls, and then quickly famous. Constant companions are alcohol and heartache. The tragedies of her love affair with Marcel Cerdan and the death of her only child belie the words of one of her signature songs, "Non, je ne regrette rien." The back and forth nature of the narrative suggests the patterns of memory and association.

BAD SANTA
FRIDAY 19TH DECEMBER 2008
Director:Terry Zwigoff 2003
Runtime:91 minutes
Certificate:15

Elle France editor Jean-Dominique Bauby, who, in 1995 at the age of 43, suffered a stroke that paralyzed his entire body, except his left eye. Using that eye to blink out his memoir, Bauby eloquently described the aspects of his interior world, from the psychological torment of being trapped inside his body to his imagined stories from lands he'd only visited in his mind.

In this comedy, Lars Lindstrom is an awkwardly shy young man in a small northern town who finally brings home the girl of his dreams to his brother and sister-in-law's home. The only problem is that she's not real - she's a sex doll Lars ordered off the Internet. But sex is not what Lars has in mind, but rather a deep, meaningful relationship. His sister-in-law is worried for him, his brother thinks he's nuts, but eventually the entire town goes along with his delusion in support of this sweet natured boy that they've always loved.

Of Time and The City is both a love song and a eulogy to the directors birthplace of Liverpool. It is also a response to memory, reflection and the experience of losing a sense of place as the skyline changes and time takes it toll.