Plymouth Arts Cinema's June film lineup begins with the highly anticipated adaptation of The Salt Path, a moving tale of resilience set along the South West Coast Path. The program continues with a stellar selection of films, including Wes Anderson's The Phoenician Scheme, Ocean with David Attenborough, and powerful stories from the SAFAR Film Festival.
Where to find us
Our venue is located inside Arts University Plymouth’s main campus at Tavistock Place. Go through Arts University Plymouth’s main entrance and turn right, you will face our Box Office and Café-Bar.
Opening Times and How to Book
The Box Office and Café-bar open Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: 5-8.30pm; Wednesday: 1-8.30pm; Saturday: 1-8pm). You can call Box Office during these times: 01752 206114.
Ticket Price Changes
Standard £9.50 | Matinees £7.50 | Over 60 £8.25 | 25 & Under, Students, AUP Staff, Budget (unwaged/ low income) £4.50 | Bringing in Baby, Family screenings £4.50 | Friends 10% discount and £6.50 on Tuesdays.
The Salt Path (12A)
F-Rated
- Friday 30th May – Wednesday 11th June
Fri 30, 6pm
Sat 31, 5.30pm
Tue 3, 8.30pm
Wed 4, 11am (Bringing in Baby), 2.30pm (Descriptive Subtitles) & 6pm
Thu 5, 8.30pm
Fri 6, 6pm (South West Coast Path Association Fundraiser) + Intro
Sat 7, 2.30pm
Tue 10, 6pm
Wed 11, 8.30pm
Dir. Marianne Elliott, UK, 2024, 115 mins. Cast. Gillian Anderson, Jason Isaacs, James Lance, Hermione Norris.
What do you do when you’re in your 50s, lose all your worldly possessions, and receive a devastating medical diagnosis? You decide to walk the South West Coast Path, a 630-mile trek, equivalent to climbing Mount Everest four times.
Raynor and Moth Winn, are the couple who decided to travel the south west’s famously gorgeous, rugged coastline in search of solace after a combination of crises in their lives, as captured in Raynor’s prize-winning memoir of the same name. Though emotionally and physically challenging, the journey also proves exhilarating and liberating, giving them a renewed vitality and a deeper connection to both the natural world and each other. Featuring understated performances from Anderson and Isaacs and a screenplay by Plymouth-born Rebecca Lenkiewicz, The Salt Path is an affecting, beautiful portrait of mid-life loss and rebirth.
The Return (15)
- Friday 30th May – Thursday 5th June
RESCHEDULED SCREENINGS FOLLOWING CANCELLATIONS IN APRIL
Fri 30, 8.30pm
Sat 31, 8pm
Tue 3, 6pm
Wed 4, 8.30pm
Thu 5, 6pm
Dir. Uberto Pasolini, Greece/Italy/France, 2025, 116 mins. Cast. Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Charlie Plummer, Angela Molina.
The Return tells the story of the mythical Greek hero, Odysseus (Fiennes) who, after 20 years away, washes up on the shores of Ithaca, haggard and unrecognisable. The King has returned from the Trojan War, but much has changed in his kingdom. His beloved wife Penelope (Binoche) is a prisoner in her own home, hounded by suitors vying to be king and planning the death of Telemachus, the son he never knew. Shattered by his experience of war, Odysseus must rediscover his strength in order to win back all that he has lost.
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (15)
- Friday 6th – Saturday 7th June
Fri 6, 8.30pm
Sat 7, 8pm
Dir. David Lynch, US, 1992, 134 mins. Cast. Kyle Maclachlan, David Lynch, Sheryl Lee, Grace Zabriskie, David Bowie, Harry Dean Stanton, Madchen Amick.
Grab yourself a damn fine coffee and continue to celebrate the work of the late, great Lynch with us. In the town of Deerfield, Washington FBI Agent Chester Desmond disappears whilst hunting for the murderer of Teresa Banks. In Philadelphia, the mysterious appearance of Agent Philip Jeffries leads FBI Bureau Chief Gordon Cole to put Agent Dale Cooper on the case. A year later, teenager Laura Palmer leads a double life in Twin Peaks, Washington, battling against her inevitable fate. An illuminating, lore-infested prequel to the Twin Peaks series, with Lynch going down a darker, harder-edged road in film than TV had allowed. The film has been reassessed as one of the masterpieces of Lynch’s career. Take this chance to give it another watch on the big screen where it truly belongs.
The Penguin Lessons (12A)
- Saturday 7th – Thursday 12th June
(RESCHEDULED SCREENINGS FOLLOWING CANCELLATIONS IN APRIL)
Sat 7, 5.30pm
Wed 11, 2.30pm
Thu 12, 8.30pm
Dir. Peter Cattaneo, UK/Spain, 2025, 112 mins. In English with some subtitles. Cast. Steve Coogan, Bjorn Gustafsson, Jonathan Pryce, Vivian El Jaber.
This poignant dramedy from Peter Cattaneo follows an Englishman’s personal and political awakening after he adopts a penguin during a cataclysmic period in Argentine history.
Buenos Aires, 1976: Tom arrives to begin a teaching job at a prestigious English boarding school. Argentina is fraught with political violence, and despite the headmaster’s exhortations the school keep calm and carry on, it is temporarily shut down by the military coup d’état. Travelling to Uruguay, Tom encounters a penguin drenched in oil from a spill, and against his better judgment, rescues the bird. In doing so, he unlocks its undying loyalty, and after sneaking the flightless beast back to Argentina, begins a strange and beautiful friendship with the penguin that sees it become an unwitting agent of change for Tom and eventually, the whole school.
Love and Rage: Munroe Bergdorf (15)
- Tuesday 10th – Wednesday 11th June
Tue 10, 8.30pm
Wed 11, 6pm
Dir. Olivia Cappuccini, US, 2025, 82 mins.With. Munroe Bergdorf, Reece King, Kim Butler, Justin Girdler.
From director Olivia Cappuccini, this is an intimate portrait of trailblazer Munroe Bergdorf—model, trans activist, and author. Weaving past and present, it explores her journey, activism, and the balance between personal needs and public responsibility. Through Munroe’s story, the film sparks a universal conversation on identity, feminism, race, and hope.
Tickets £11. Tickets can only be booked online on the Cinematik website:
Thank You for Banking with Us! - SAFAR Film Festival 2025
شكرًا لأنك تحلم معنا
F-rated
Friday 13 June, 6pm
Dir. Laila Abbas, Palestine/Germany/Saudi Arabia/Qatar/Egypt, 2024, 92 mins. In Arabic with English subtitles. Cast. Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum.
In Ramallah, estranged sisters Mariam and Noura reunite after their father's death leaves a substantial sum in the bank. Under Islamic inheritance law, their absentee brother is entitled to a larger share. Determined to claim what they believe is rightfully theirs, the sisters embark on a tense, overnight mission to secure the funds before the authorities are notified.
Laila Abbas's debut feature is a sharp, darkly humorous exploration of sisterhood and resistance against patriarchal norms. The film has garnered critical acclaim, winning the El Gouna Star for the Best Arab Film and earning nominations at the Critics Awards for Arab Films.
Thank You for Banking with Us! offers a compelling look at contemporary struggles for gender equality in the Arab world.
The Phoenician Scheme (15)
- Friday 13th – Thursday 19th June
Fri 13, 8.30pm
Sat 14, 8pm
Tue 17, 6pm
Wed 18, 6pm
Thu 19, 8.30pm
Dir. Wes Anderson, US, 2025, 101 mins. Cast. Benicio Del Toro, Mia Threapleton, Michael Cera, Riz Ahmed, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Hope Davis, Tom Hanks.
One of the most anticipated films of the year, Wes Anderson returns with an all-star ensemble in this tale of comedic espionage and intrigue.
Zsa-zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro) is the richest man in Europe and facing an onslaught of threats to his life after appointing his nun daughter Liesl (Mia Threapleton) as his heir.
This inspired, picture-postcard ensemble spy comedy, is co-written with longtime Anderson collaborator Roman Coppola (The Darjeeling Limited, Moonrise Kingdom), decorated with a typically magnificent cast which includes Michael Cera, Riz Ahmed, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Richard Ayoade, Jeffrey Wright, Scarlett Johansson and Benedict Cumberbatch.
Exhibition on Screen: Michelangelo: Love and Death (PG)
- Saturday 14th – Wednesday 25th June
Sat 14, 2.30pm
Wed 25, 6pm
Dir. David Bickerstaff, UK, 2025, 91 mins. Cast. Michelangelo, Peter Abrahams, Cristine Acidini.
The spectacular sculptures and paintings of Michelangelo seem so familiar to us, but what do we really know about this renaissance genius? Who was this ambitious and passionate man? A virtuoso craftsman, Michelangelo’s artistry is evident in everything he touched. Beautiful and diverse works such as the towering statue of David, the deeply moving Pietà in the Papal Basilica of St. Peter and his tour-de-force, the Sistine Chapel ceiling still leave us breathless today.
Spanning his 89 years, Michelangelo – Love and Death, takes a cinematic journey from the print and drawing rooms of Europe, through the great chapels and museums of Florence, Rome and the Vatican to explore the tempestuous life of Michelangelo.
We go in search of a greater understanding of this most charismatic figure, his relationship with his contemporaries and his valuable artistic legacy.
Hallow Road (15)
- Saturday 14th – Wednesday 18th June
Sat 14, 5.30pm
Tue 17, 8.30pm
Wed 18, 2.30pm & 8.30pm
Dir. Babak Anvari, US, 2025, 80 mins. Cast. Rosamund Pike, Matthew Rhys, Megan McDonnell.
Two parents receive a distressing late-night call from their teenage daughter, who has just accidentally hit a pedestrian. They jump in their car, racing to get there before anyone else stumbles across the scene. As they head deeper into the night, disturbing revelations threaten to tear the family apart as they soon realize they might not be the only ones driving down Hallow Road. With two incredible central performances, this is a propulsive thriller from British-Iranian filmmaker Babak Anvari (Under the Shadow).
Flashing/flickering lights: This work contains flashing images which may affect viewers who are susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy.
SAFAR Film Festival 2025: The Tale of Daye's Family (12A) + Reclaim the Sea: The Film
- Thursday 19 June, 5.30pm
5.30pm: Reclaim the Sea: the Film (30 mins)
Reclaim the Sea: the Film follows a group of young women refugees and asylum seekers who, after being settled by the Home Office in Britain's Ocean City, find themselves surrounded by water, many can't swim and may have sea trauma. Set up by passionate surfers Tigs & Rebecca, we hear how Reclaim the Sea uses a therapeutic approach to teach water confidence, swimming, surfing and paddle boarding. Working in sea rescue herself inspired Tigs to want to create the charity with Rebecca, whose advocacy work at Devon & Cornwall Refugee Service spurred her on. We also follow one young woman Olga as she anxiously awaits her papers to stay in the UK and another Ingrid from South America who is so keen on her new found love, paddle boarding, that she embarks on an instructor training course. But really it's just a short story about humanity and our love for nature and freedom, and how much we can help each other when we just show we care.
Find out more and donate: www.reclaimthesea.org.uk
6pm: The Tale of Daye’s Family
Dir. Karim El Shenawy, Egypt, 2024, 104 minutes. In Arabic with English subtitles. Cast. Aseel Omran, Islam Mubark, Haneen Saeed, Mohammed Mounir, Badr Mohammad.
Daye is a 14-year-old albino boy from Nubia with a golden voice, who dreams of becoming a singer like his idol, Mohamed Mounir. Bullied for his unique appearance by peers, and abandoned by his father, Daye is determined to stay upbeat. When he gets the unique opportunity to audition for The Voice, Daye and his family embark on the perilous journey from Aswan to Cairo.
Despite their path being fraught with challenges - including a stolen car, lost savings, fleeing from the police, and lacking any means of communication - they also receive help from unexpected quarters, including a friendly firefighter – and an inspiring encounter with Mounir himself.
This unique and often hilarious tale is a testament to the power of music, resilience, hope, and the unbreakable bond of family over adversity.
The Tale of Daye’s Family received its world premiere as the opener of Red Sea International Film Festival and its European premiere at Berlinale. SAFAR is proud to present the UK premiere of the film.
Jane Austen Wrecked My Life (15)
- Friday 20th – Thursday 26th June
Fri 20, 8.30pm
Sat 21, 8pm
Wed 25, 2.30pm & 8.30pm
Thu 26, 8.30pm
Dir. Laura Piani, France/UK, 2025, 98 mins. In French and English with English subtitles. Cast. Camille Rutherford, Pablo Pauly, Charlie Anson.
Agathe, hopelessly clumsy and full of contradictions, dreams of experiencing love akin to a Jane Austen novel. Instead, she finds herself stuck in desperate singlehood, spending her days working in the legendary British bookshop, Shakespeare & Co in Paris, rather than pursuing her own ambitions of becoming a novelist. But when an unexpected invitation to the Jane Austen Writers' Residency in England lands in her lap, Agathe is in for an eye-opening and life-changing experience. Encouraged to confront her insecurities and explore her true romantic, sexual and creative nature, in part thanks to her eccentric co-residents, Agathe realises it’s time to stop wasting her sentimental life and take control in this uplifting and heart-warming throwback to classic romance.
It is Jane Austen’s 250th birthday this year and what better way to celebrate than with this delight!
NT LIVE: A Streetcar Named Desire (2025 Encore) (15)
- Saturday 21st – Tuesday 24th June
Sat 21, 3pm
Tue 24, 6.30pm
Dir. Benedict Andrews, UK, 2025, 203 mins. Cast. Ben Foster, Vanessa Kirby, Gillian Anderson.
Gillian Anderson (Sex Education), Vanessa Kirby (The Crown), and Ben Foster (Lone Survivor) lead the cast in Tennessee Williams’ timeless masterpiece, returning to cinemas.
As Blanche’s fragile world crumbles, she turns to her sister Stella for solace – but her downward spiral brings her face to face with the brutal, unforgiving Stanley Kowalski.
From visionary director Benedict Andrews, this acclaimed production was filmed live during a sold-out run at the Young Vic Theatre in 2014.
A State of Passion (18) + Intro - SAFAR Film Festival 2025
حالة عشق
- Thursday 26 June, 6pm
Documentary | F-Rated
Dir. Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi, Palestine/Jordan, 2024, 90 mins. In Arabic (with English subtitles) and English.
The screening will be introduced by Waleed Abdallah from The Give Back Project. After 43 horrific days working round the clock under constant bombardment in the emergency rooms of Gaza’s Al Shifa and Al Ahli hospitals, British-Palestinian reconstructive surgeon, Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah, emerged to find himself as a face of Palestinian resistance.
With news footage of him pale and shell-shocked reverberating around the world, he spoke of a catalogue of horrors from lacerated bodies, to amputations without anesthetics, orphaned children with no surviving family, and the deliberate targeting of medics and hospital facilities.
This was Ghassan’s sixth and most horrific Gaza “war”. Why does he do it? Where does he find the strength to face it again and again? How does it impact his family? How do they process the risks he takes? The answer lies simply in their shared passion: Palestine, a passion they articulate through their support of his perilous humanitarian work.
Filmmakers Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi, close friends of the Abu Sittahs, share that same passion. They were waiting anxiously for Ghassan to emerge from Gaza, following a long and terrifying journey through the night, to meet him in Amman. Determined to capture his raw emotions they began filming him the moment he arrived through the door. Following him to Beirut, Amman, London, Kuwait, and Dubai, they and he explore their common State of Passion.
Premiering at the 2024 Cairo International Film Festival and awarded the Saad Eldin Wahba Award for Best Arabic Film, A State of Passion offers a deeply human perspective on the cost of survival and the ongoing fight for dignity.
Content notes: this film contains graphic footage of war including torture, injury, surgery and views of dead bodies.
The Ballad of Wallis Island (12A)
- Friday 27th June – Thursday 3rd July
Fri 27, 6pm
Sat 28, 2.30pm
Tue 1, 6pm
Wed 2, 11am (Bringing in Baby) & 6pm & 8.30pm
Thu 3, 6pm
Dir. James Griffiths, UK, 2025, 99 mins. Cast. Tom Basden, Carey Mulligan, Tim Key.
Eccentric lottery winner Charles (Tim Key) dreams of getting his favourite musicians, former folk duo McGwyer Mortimer (Tom Basden and Carey Mulligan), back together. The fantasy becomes real when the bandmates and former lovers agree to play a private show at his home on the remote but picturesque Wallis Island. But old tensions resurface as Charles tries desperately to salvage his dream gig...
A delightfully comforting, feel-good watch.
Tornado (15)
- Friday 27th June – Thursday 3rd July
Fri 27, 8.30pm
Sat 28, 8pm
Tue 1, 8.30pm
Thu 3, 8.30pm
Dir. John Maclean, UK, 2025, 91 mins. Cast. Tim Roth, Takehiro Hira, Koki, Douglas Russell, Jack Lowden.
Tornado could be described as a Scottish samurai adventure crossed with a spaghetti western.
Set in the rugged landscape of 1790’s Britain, Tornado is caught in a perilous situation when she and her father’s travelling puppet show crosses paths with a ruthless criminal gang led by Sugarman (Tim Roth) and his ambitious son Little Sugar (Slow Horses’ Jack Lowden). The gang are robbed of two bags of gold whilst watching the puppet show, which leads to them setting off on a brutal expedition to find Tornado, reclaim their loot and punish the thief. What follows is a thrilling, violent tale of adrenaline-fueled action, as Tornado (armed with her father's Samurai training) fights to escape a violent death.
Ocean With David Attenborough (PG)
- Saturday 28th June – Wednesday 2nd July
Sat 28, 5.30pm
Wed 2, 2.30pm
Dir. Colin Butfield, Toby Nowlan, Keith Scholey, UK, 2025, 98 mins. With. David Attenborough.
Ocean with David Attenborough takes viewers on a breathtaking journey showing there is nowhere more vital for our survival, more full of life, wonder, or surprise, than the ocean.
The celebrated broadcaster and filmmaker reveals how his lifetime has coincided with the great age of ocean discovery. Through spectacular sequences featuring coral reefs, kelp forests and the open ocean, Attenborough shares the importance of why a healthy ocean keeps the entire planet stable and flourishing. Stunning immersive cinematography showcases the wonder of life under the seas and exposes the realities and challenges facing our ocean, from destructive fishing techniques to mass coral reef bleaching.
Yet this story is one of optimism, with Attenborough pointing to inspirational stories from around the world to deliver his greatest message: the ocean can recover to a glory beyond anything anyone alive has ever seen.
Kneecap
- Friday 4th – Saturday 5th July
Fri 4, 6pm
Sat 5, 8pm
Dir. Rich Peppiatt, Ireland, 2024, 105 mins. English and Irish Gaelic with English subtitles. Cast. Móglaí Bap, Mo Chara, DJ Próvai, Michael Fassbender.
Seeing the Kneecap gig in Plymouth this week? Why not remind yourself of their unique sound by coming to see the film first! And if you want to see them, but with a genteel glass of wine and slightly lower decibels than the gig, come and watch the film instead!
Of the 80,000 native Irish speakers, 6,000 live in the North of Ireland and three of them became a rap group called Kneecap. Childhood best friends Liam and Naoise live chaotic lives in modern day Belfast. When they inadvertently cross paths with JJ Ó Dochartaigh – a frustrated schoolteacher and Irish language activist – the trio form an unexpected bond and Kneecap is formed: an anti-establishment musical experiment. Raucous, infectious and unapologetically rude, Kneecap tells the real-life story of how this anarchic Belfast trio became the unlikely figureheads of a civil rights movement to save and reinvigorate their mother tongue. Enthusiastically performed by the rappers themselves backed by Irish actors including Michael Fassbender, Josie Walker and Simone Kirby.
"It is simply the best movie ever made about being young in Belfast" – Critic's Notebook
This work and its trailer contain flashing images which may affect viewers who are susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy.
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