FEEDBACK from our audience
Previously shown films in date order with audience feedback notes.
Please note: If you missed filling in the Feedback paper slips at the end of the last film you saw, you can now add your feedback on the Contact page.
Year 2025/6
Holy Cow
Film info:
Date shown:
France - 2024
June 2026
Synopsis
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Audience Star rating: ?%
Audience Feedback
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Urchin
Film info:
Date shown:
UK - 2025
May 2026
Synopsis
Premiering at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2025, this film received critical acclaim, especially for Frank Dilliane’s performance and Harris Dickinson’s directorial debut. The director has worked extensively with homeless people on the edge of society and presents a compassionate picture about homelessness, exploring themes of mental health, addiction and the failure of societal systems to support vulnerable individuals. Mike, a rough sleeper in London, is trapped in a cycle of self-destruction as he attempts to turn his life around. Blends of realism and dream-like sequences reflect Mike’s internal struggles.
Audience Star rating: 78%
Audience Feedback
An uncomfortable watch for our viewers, it produced the following observations:
An astonishingly strong, challenging and thought-provoking film.
While it was deeply sad and desperate and often hard to watch, it also had lighter moments.
A film that will stay with me.
A very well acted but extremely disturbing film about a man’s descent to addiction.
Imagery was confusing. All the symbolism in the film seems to be ambiguous, offering alternative interpretations.
There seems to be a correlation between ADHD and addiction in later life.
Very hard to watch; without any ongoing long term support and medical help, disintegration and self annihilation seemed inevitable.
Why is it entitled ‘Urchin’, a name one would associate with a child, possibly one in a Dickens novel or an ill-fated fairy tale? Is there another message there?
The Truffle Hunters
Film info:
Date shown:
Itay - 2021
January 2022
Synopsis
Deep in the forests of Piedmont, Italy, a handful of men, seventy or eighty years young, hunt for the rare and expensive white Alba truffle, guarding their location with absolute secrecy.
Audience Star rating: 89%
Audience Feedback
So enjoyable. Delightful, lyrical! Beautiful scenery and internal scenes. An uplifting film. Lovely glimpse into a small and possibly threatened life. An intriguing portrayal of a pastoral lifestyle.
Beautiful shots of landscapes that look like paintings by Brueghel and interior shots that are almost like tableaux, mostly of two men or a man and his dog. Left a smile on your face.
Touch
Film info:
Date shown:
Iceland - 2024
April 2026
Synopsis
Touch stretches over decades, languages, continents, and cultures, with themes of memory, aging, loss, and love.
An elderly widower and restaurant owner in Iceland is advised by his doctor to consider any unfinished business or unresolved issues he may wish to address while he still can. Kristófer decides to seek out his first love, from when he dropped out of graduate school in London and went to work in a Japanese restaurant. 60 years have passed the world is shutting down in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Audience Star rating: 88%
Audience Feedback
Whilst one viewer found the relationship ’frustratingly superficial, a bit contrived,’ much of our audience loved this film, it generating the following positive comments: Uplifting, touching, loved the blending of languages and cultures. Moving, without being overly sentimental. A poignant tale but strangely happy. Very sympathetic characters and charming love story. Utterly captivating. Liked his determination and the taste of Japanese culture. Very interesting insight into the stigma attached to victims of Hiroshima.
Crossing
Film info:
Date shown:
Georgia - 2024
March 2026
Synopsis
In this fourth feature film from director Levan Akin, Lia, a retired schoolteacher from Georgia, sets out to find her estranged and missing niece Tekla, a transgender woman, whose mother’s dying wish was for her daughter to be brought home. Accompanied by Tekla's former neighbour, the unpredictable Achi, whose mother went to work in Turkey and never returned, she travels to Istanbul to continue the search. There, they meet Evrim, a transgender legal advocate active in the city's trans community. But searching for someone who never intended to be found is harder than they expected.
Audience Star rating: 65%
Audience Feedback
Our audience submitted comments of ‘likeable, moving, well acted’ and ‘very original’. The music was enjoyed, also the scenic shots of Istanbul. The resilience of immigrants and support from fellow outsiders were remarked upon, also the interesting relationship between Lia and the accompanying teenager Achi.
The ending caused some dissension; one member saying they ‘Never quite understood the ending. Wanted more’, whilst another ‘Really liked the sad ending.’
When Autumn Falls
Film info:
Date shown:
France - 2025
February 2026
Synopsis
From prolific film-maker François Ozon, an intriguing mystery drama about a suspected murder, blending melancholy, and quiet suspense.
Set against the backdrop of autumn, in a peaceful village in Burgundy, we witness the loneliness of an ageing woman with secrets and regrets. Retiree Michelle enjoys a quiet life filled with gardening, church visits, and companionship with her longtime friend MarieClaude, whose son is serving a prison sentence. A crucial incident, that we never witness, becomes the film’s emotional and narrative turning point.
The film was loosely inspired by a similar incident in Ozon’s own childhood, or possibly also by the Rendell short story Means of Evil, which Michelle is shown reading.
Audience Star rating: 83%
Audience Feedback
The post film discussion raised the following:
Did she do it or not? The question of whether Michelle was acting maliciously or if she just picked the wrong mushrooms is never entirely answered, and it does provide the desired unease. Blank stares into space suggest dementia is setting in, but on the other hand there are also hints that she may be in more control than it seems
The clunky English translation of the original French title was remarked upon – it was suggested that from Quand vient l’automne, surely ‘When Fall Comes’ or, , ‘When Autumn Comes’, would be better although one viewer felt the title was right’ Autumn did actually fall at the end of the film.
It was felt there was a touch of the supernatural – some liked this, some didn’t.
Interesting reflection about parent-son/daughter relationships. Full of traps, misconceptions, disappointments, the plot a bit forced but enjoyable
The dark sense of humour that quietly lingers throughout the film added a quirky note.
Further comments: A brilliant piece of cinema, with first-rate acting and lovely scenery that complement the story. A beautifully made film dealing with a lot of issues very sensitively. Was engrossed from the start. Clever and at the same time emotionally charged. A rich colour palette, the location choices are excellent, the atmosphere is compelling.
American Graffitti
Film info:
Date shown:
USA - 1973
February 2026
Synopsis
American Graffiti, still one of the highest grossing films of all time, tells the story of a handful of high school graduates as they cruise through the streets of California on their final night, the last of summer 1962, during which they have to make decisions about their future. Made in 1973, it was advertised with the tag line, ‘Where were you in ‘62?’
Audience Star rating: 81%
Audience Feedback
Background and interpretation to the film was given by speaker Brian Edgar, Honorary Research Associate of Exeter University. Points raised and discussed included:
- was 'American Graffiti a love letter to an imaginary past or the writing on the wall for the youth rebellion of the 1960s? Brian suggested ‘It can be both!!
- it’s regularly called a ‘coming of age’ film, although none of the characters actually come of age. It’s often said to ‘seal off’ the events of 1962 from the later developments that destroyed the ‘innocence’ of that time, but in fact it’s full of hints of what was to come that would change America and the world forever.
- it’s the kind of film that simply wouldn’t be made today because of complaints that “nothing happens”, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
- alongside the characters themselves, American Graffiti also examines the culture of 1960s America and the rock ‘n roll lifestyle that came alongside it. It’s almost a time capsule for how drastically culture was changing at this point in time.
This extra event was much applauded by attendees. The speaker’s presentation was adjudged to be thought provoking, interesting and informative, and benefited from enlightenment on Lucas's background and his superb interpretations of the 'cruising' era in early 60's California and the subsequent decade of a changing society.
Audience further comments: Film has moments of brilliance and cinematic clarity. A member who went to school in the USA in 68/69 said the big issues for youth were Race, Vietnam and civil rights. It was noted that cruising was a white occupation.
Overall opinion : A great film bursting with youthful spontaneous action, powerfully illustrated with classic American cars and music of the early 60’s.
A New Kind of Wilderness
Film info:
Date shown:
Norway - 2024
January 2026
Synopsis
A documentary from Norwegian film-maker Silje Evensmo Jacobsen, charting the journey of an off-grid family shattered by bereavement. It won the Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema Documentary at the Sundance film festival in 2024.
When photographer Maria Vatne died in 2019 of cervical cancer aged 41, her family had to come to terms with not just the loss of a parent but a whole lifestyle, including their home. The director utilises Maria’s blog recording her idyllic wilderness existence living on a farm in Norway with her British husband Nik Payne and their three home schooled children and an elder daughter from her previous partner.
Audience Star rating: 84%
Audience Feedback
The film generated a lively and interesting post film discussion. Praise included: a well made compelling and interesting film. A gorgeously photographed documentary, evolving from a portrait of an alternative lifestyle to a profound study of grief and healing, A sad but beautiful film providing an amazingly intimate insight into the strength, resilience and gradual recovery of this very special family after their loss. A story of pain and a work of heartbreaking optimism. Gentle, kind and full of hope.
The structure of the film was talked about; its odd approach to time, sometimes jumping months ahead without any acknowledgment, and changes of pace which some people found difficult. Also, it was felt that the documentary could appear a touch staged at times. It was wondered as to whether the film was made to help with the family’s reduced financial circumstances and, also, what impact being filmed had on the family’s ability to cope and even on the decisions Nik made. It was noted that the cow being skinned and cut up did not bother the children, not the case of many of the film’s audience.
It appears from the blog that what you see in the film is not quite the whole story. However, this really didn’t spoil enjoyment of the film.
Reality
Film info:
Date shown:
USA - 2023
January 2026
Synopsis
On a Saturday afternoon, in June 2017, Reality Winner, a 25-year-old US National Security Agency (NSA) translator is confronted at her Georgia home by FBI agents and her life quickly begins to unravel. A debut film for theatre director Tina Satter, the script is drawn exclusively from the actual recording made by devices attached to the wrists of the FBI men who interrogated Reality.
Although she claims she has no idea why they want to talk to her, Reality is compliant, consenting to the questioning without a lawyer. Much of the film takes place in a single room and the tension arises from the imbalance between Reality and the grimly imposing men. The camera concentrates on Reality; the pressure on her increasing, giving the viewers a sense of how caged she would have felt in this situation.
Audience Star rating: 84%
Audience Feedback
A compelling and beautifully made production, difficult to watch. A remarkable insight into American politics and government department controls, holding a tremendous relevance to American society and the Trump era - the event took place one year after Trump’s first inauguration as President. All the more powerful for using the exact transcripts from the actual day. Great acting from the lead actress Sydney Sweeney. A terrific film, an essential watch, absolutely gripping, powerful, chilling, a terrifying ‘behind the scenes’ insight into conscientious whistle blowing and the ramifications for being courageous and principled.
The Marching Band
Film info:
Date shown:
France - 2025
December 2025
Synopsis
An uplifting tale from French film-maker Emmanuel Courcol, director and co-writer,
Set near Lille, in France, The Marching Band is at heart the story of two brothers, Thibaut and Jimmy who, having been separately adopted as children, had grown up in wildly different circumstances, unaware of each other's existence. How the two very different brothers bond over music, develop a relationship and work together in an atmosphere of protests around the closure of the factory, which is the heart of the little town near Lille, is the core story of this movie.
The soundtrack plays a central role in shaping the film’s emotional landscape, particularly Ravel’s Boléro, which recurs throughout. Like the piece itself, the film gradually builds toward harmony, bringing together the brothers and the small-town marching band at the heart of the story. Professional actors are mixed in with real marching band musicians, and together they give realistic portrayals of the marching band players. The Marching Band perfectly blends humour, a heartwarming story, and sharp social commentary. It became one of France’s highest-grossing films for 2025 and also earned seven César Award nominations.
Audience Star rating: 91%
Audience Feedback
This film was generally much appreciated by our audience who found it ‘great, heartwarming, joyful and entertaining; avoided the usual cliches but did have a closing sequence shamelessly and cheerfully manipulative. Further comment was: ‘The narrative prompted reflection on the nature versus nurture debate’. And ‘The two main brother characters demonstrated a remarkable combination of musical and emotional acting’.
The Outrun
Film info:
Date shown:
UK - 2025
November 2025
Synopsis
Set in the Orkney Islands, this film, based on the book by Amy Liptrot, is an exceptional portrayal of addiction and its impact on relationships. It celebrates rebirth, the spirit of a curious mind, and the restorative powers of nature and solitude as a cure for turmoil and loneliness. Rona is an alcoholic, and has lost complete sense of control, sometimes in potentially life-threatening episodes. The film explored themes of escapism, both through alcohol and faith, centred around Rona’s journey towards recovery, drawing parallels with the legend of the Selkie.
Audience Star rating: 88%
Audience Feedback
For the audience it ‘was not easy to watch; really brought home how difficult it is to live with addition, to witness her disintegration the repeated and very graphic depiction of her destructive behaviour, and attachment to her father’. A convincing portrait of a real recovery, I was waiting for the crash and it never came.’
Whilst one viewer found it ‘too long and repetitious’, most were ‘captivated, nevertheless’, and rated it ‘wonderful, beautiful, stunning, powerful ‘. Atmospheric it was – as per one comment - ‘You could feel the weather and the drink!’
The acting was much praised and it felt as if the support actors especially on Papay were the real people who lived there.
Other feedback included …Visually very beautiful (colours and movement – sound). Humorous enough to balance it. Different, encompassed lots of topics - addiction, mental health, isolation and climate change.
Unlike most films about addiction which follow a linear path, the Outrun with its angular, fractured structure, feels like a refreshingly unconventional spin on a sadly familiar theme.
I'm Still Here
Film info:
Date shown:
Brazil/France - 2024
October 2025
Synopsis
Winner of the Academy Award for best international feature, ‘I’m Still Here’ is based on a memoir by one of the real family portrayed, who co-wrote the screenplay. Director Walter Salles knew the Paiva family – so this was very personal, and the considerable family archive of photos and home videos was an invaluable resource.
Set in the 1970s as Brazil faces the tightening grip of a military dictatorship, Rubens, a former congressman, is abducted from his beachfront home. Men with guns and sour faces arrive at the door. They've come, they say, to take Rubens to make a statement. Who they are and to where he has been removed remain a mystery. His wife, Eunice Paiva, a mother of five, is left to reinvent herself and her family. The film then follows the subsequent developments and after effects.
Audience Star rating: 94%
Audience Feedback
Praise from viewers included: amazing, excellent, very moving, powerful, unhurried, brilliant in every way, thought provoking, poignant.
Further comments were: A superb film. Brilliantly welding original film from Brazil with modern techniques to create a realistic atmosphere. All the acting was superb, especially the mother.
The film was both engaging and sobering. It offered a powerful representation of events from recent history and the profound impact they had had on one family, drawing the audience into their experiences and emotions.
What resonated with me was the remarkable resilience and resourcefulness portrayed by Eunice.
A harrowing story told in a compelling but reticent way. Difficult to watch, this film will stay with me for a long time.
Ama Gloria
Film info:
Date shown:
France - 2023
September 2025
Synopsis
Although a film of barely over 80 minutes; it leaves a huge impression - all the insecurities of a child losing those most important to her - beautifully and heartbreakingly portrayed.
Gloria, from Cape Verde, is like a lot of nannies who have to leave their own children to go to other countries and raise the children of people with more money. In Paris she cares for Cleo whose mum died when she was a baby. Cleo’s father is gentle but remote, still reeling from grief, so it's Gloria who is the sun in Cleo's life. Then Gloria’s mother dies and she goes home to look after her own children.
Invited to spend summer in Cape Verde until a new nanny is found, Cleo is delighted when reunited with Gloria but finds her busy with family and own affairs, and so has to confront the reality that she no longer has a claim to be the centre of Gloria’s world.
Dreamlike sequences of animated artwork in watery tones periodically punctuate the film, showing Cléo’s way of seeing the world.
Audience Star rating: 87%
Audience Feedback
For most - ‘great graphics and so colourful’, although a couple found them overlong and distracting.
The acting was much praised, particularly that of the little girl who although just six years old at the time of filming gave a performance so open and natural.
Further praise from the audience included: ‘absolutely fantastic; totally immersive; a beautiful film that captures the way a child is very much the centre of their own universe; very moving; a fascinating topic rarely addressed’.
However for some it was all ‘a little bit too twee - we could see where this was going from the very first scene.’
Especially thought provoking for anyone who had or knew others who have employed nannies in these circumstances; perhaps the message is - employ a local nanny?