Perth-dwellers, there is no better time than the month of February to spend your evenings watching movies in the coolness of Luna Outdoor Cinema in Leederville. Screenings commence at 7:45 PM. Here are this week’s films:
BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE, (MON, 19 FEB)
Bob Marley: One Love celebrates the life and music of an icon who inspired generations through his message of love and unity.
On the big screen for the first time, discover Bob’s powerful story of overcoming adversity and the journey behind his revolutionary music. Produced in partnership with the Marley family and starring Kingsley Ben-Adir as the legendary musician and Lashana Lynch as his wife Rita.
It is based on the life of reggae singer and songwriter Bob Marley, from his rise to fame in the mid-1970s up until his death in 1981.
FALLEN LEAVES (TUE, 20 FEB)
In modern-day Helsinki, Ansa and Holappa, two lonely souls in search of their first love, meet by chance in a local karaoke bar. However, the pair’s path to happiness is beset by numerous obstacles—from lost phone numbers to mistaken addresses, alcoholism, and a charming stray dog.
Hailed as the best-reviewed film of the 2023 Cannes Film Festival – where it topped Screen International’s prestigious critics’ poll – the beguiling new comedic romance from celebrated auteur Aki Kaurismäki (Drifting Clouds, The Other Side Of Hope) follows two lost souls who meet by chance in the Helsinki night and then try, in turbulent times, to find companionship.
Ansa (Alma Pöysti) works at a supermarket, where the job is so badly paid that she takes home expired sandwiches for dinner. Holappa (Jussi Vatanen) is a metalworker, labouring in a job so hazardous he’s sure it will kill him, so he drinks through the day, and then again at night. Meanwhile, the radio constantly carries news about the nearby war in Ukraine. One evening, against his will, Holappa is dragged to a karaoke bar by a friend. “Tough guys don’t sing”, he says. But karaoke night is also a night for romance, and when Holappa meets the shy Ansa, there’s an immediate spark. But life being what it is, a variety of obstacles conspire to get in the way…
With his trademark deadpan humour, minimalist dialogue and retro aesthetic, Kaurismäki’s latest delight showcases his unrivalled mastery for depicting down-on-their-luck characters in all their complexity, and finding humour and optimism in the unlikeliest of circumstances. In a time of economic disparity, war and uncertainty, Fallen Leaves is a valuable reminder of the importance of love and connection; once again Finland’s most-beloved director has delivered, in spades.
Finnish with English subtitles.
HUMANIST VAMPIRE SEEKING CONSENTING SUICIDAL PERSON (WED, 21 FEB)
Sasha (Sara Montpetit) is a teenage vampire with a serious problem: she’s too sensitive to kill. Unlike the rest of her clan, Sasha’s fangs don’t come out when she’s hungry or sensing fear; she needs to feel a personal connection to her prey. When her exasperated parents cut off her blood supply, Sasha’s life is in jeopardy. Luckily, Sasha meets Paul (Félix-Antoine Bénard), an actual teenager convinced he’ll never enjoy anything in life. She befriends him, introduces him to her world and its secrets, and he happily volunteers to be her next victim. their friendly agreement soon becomes a nocturnal quest to fulfill Paul’s last wishes before day breaks.
Right from their pitch-perfect prologue, Quebec filmmaker Ariane Louis-Seize and co-writer Christine Doyon place us in a heightened genre world that nods in the direction of stylists like Tim Burton and Wes Anderson.
THE ZONE OF INTEREST (THU-FRI, 22-23 FEB)
Jonathan Glazer’s (Under the Skin) breath-stopping Cannes award-winner, The Zone of Interest, is a hypnotic and strikingly original film that dismantles human darkness in the face of evil. The commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss, and his wife Hedwig (Sandra Hüller), strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden next to the camp.
“Viewers can’t turn away from this icy masterpiece; to do so would endanger your soul.” Toronto Star
“A landmark movie, hugely important, that’s unafraid of difficult ideas.” The Times UK
“The proximity to evil, and the evil that flourishes by way of silence and cooperation, permeates every frame.” Little White Lies
ROAD TO PATAGONIA: PREVIEW SCREENING (SAT, 24 FEB)
The Road to Patagonia is a stunning, intimate and unflinching series of love letters within a documentary – firstly a love between two people, and secondly between humanity and the Earth.
We follow Matty Hannon on an incredible solo adventure, to surf the west coast of the Americas by motorbike, from the top of Alaska to the tip of Patagonia. But deep in the wilderness – alone with the wolves and the bears – the journeyer’s plans unexpectedly fall to pieces. After losing everything, and on the cusp of quitting he meets the girl of his dreams, a permaculture farmer named Heather Hillier who throws caution to the wind and sells her urban farm to buy a bike of her own. Together riding south, the duo meet with Zapatista rebels, Amazonian shamans, and Mapuche leaders whose salient words crack the adventurers’ cultural veneer, leaving them with existential questions.
The 50,000km surfing odyssey becomes beautifully complicated by their decision to downshift from motorcycles to horseback, presenting a relational approach to the breathtaking landscapes and a host of challenges that ultimately become extremely rewarding. Hannon and Hillier succeed in beautifully capturing deeply human moments during the world-first expedition, and the noticeable lack of camera-crew becomes The Road to Patagonia’s strength. The theme of deep ecology underpins the entire film, visually communicated through exquisite cinematography and emotional verité sequences. Shot over 16 years, the result is an adventurous exposé on the more-than-human world, offering a physical and spiritual odyssey to better understand our place in Nature. Doors open at 6:45 p.m. for a 7:45 p.m. film start.
For further details or ticket sales use the QR code below or travel to the Luna Outdoor site.
