Back to the movies
‘Films can make you dream. They allow you to imagine a different world. It’s why I decided to become a filmmaker. I wanted that, even though it seemed impossible.’
Nadine Labaki – actress, director and activist
Oh how we have missed the movies – yes we still had out little screens at home, but there is nothing like watching something on the big screen and luxuriating in beautiful sound and projection and all that goes with a session at the cinema. It’s magical!
Not only is it good for our entertainment, it is good for the film industry, which has really suffered in many places over the last 18 months with blockbusters that rely on a great opening weekend to recoup some of their outlay having had to postpose premieres until… the never never… in the hope that they can, at some stage, get an audience.
And it’s not only international companies and Hollywood who have suffered. One local filmmaking company had three-and-a-half years of hard work left in limbo by COVID-19 and have had to reschedule until March next year. Things are pretty tricky.
But, now that going to a show is part of the NSW roadmap, both Ballina Cinemas and The Palace Cinema in Byron Bay are putting on the good stuff to get you back into the movie groove.
Next week we’ll be giving you all the news on the Italian Film Festival at Palace Cinema Byron Bay, but this week they are featuring a special event – Craft Beer and Lamb on Thursday – where they invite you to step into the wonderful and slightly terrifying world of Lamb, A24’s newest supernatural folktale.
Lamb is a vivid, impossibly original story about an Icelandic couple who make an eerie discovery in their sheep barn.
María (Noomi Rapace) and Ingvar (Hilmir Snaer Gudnason) live with their herd of sheep on a beautiful but remote farm. When they discover a newborn baby with the head of a lamb (yes, really) in their barn, they decide to adopt and raise the child as their own.
The unexpected prospect of a new family brings them much joy, but they soon face the consequences of defying the will of nature. Lamb showcases the unwavering nature of a parent’s love amidst dark and mysterious animal-human relations.
Winner of the Un Certain Regard – Prize of Originality at the Cannes Film Festival, Lamb is a bold, atmospheric experience from debut feature director Valdimar Jóhannsson.
Join the Palace crew for a complimentary beer of choice from their 4 Pines range (including Brookvale Ginger beer!) then kick back and enjoy the beautiful oddity that is Lamb.
Palace Cinemas Byron Bay
Thursday, October 14 at 7pm.
$18 Palace Movie Club (Max 2)
$15 Student Movie Club (Max 2 – 18+ only)
$23 General Admission.
$20 Concession / Student
*Craft Beer & Cinema event restricted to those over the age of 18+ only. Proof of age will be requested, in line with responsible service of alcohol.
For more information about what’s coming up at Palace Cinema, visit: www.palacecinemas.com.au/cinemas/palace-byron-bay.
Ballina Fair Cinemas have a charming tale that kids and grownups will love.
Ainbo is about a girl who was born and grew up in the deepest jungle of the Amazon, Colonia, that rests on the back of the most powerful Mother Spirit in the Amazon, Turtle Motelo Mama. One day Ainbo discovers that her homeland is being threatened and realises that there are other humans in the world besides her people.
As she fights to save her paradise from greed and the exploitation of children, from logging, and illegal mining, she begins to struggle to reverse this destruction and the impending evil of the Yucuruna, the darkness that lives in the Amazon. Guided by her mother’s spirit, Ainbo is determined to save her land and save her people before it’s too late. Ainbo starts on Thursday.
If you are looking for something for actual grownups, you can’t go past Respect, the life story of legendary R&B singer, Aretha Franklin that follows her rise, from a child singing in her father’s church choir, to her international superstardom – it’s the remarkable true story of the music icon’s journey to find her voice. Respect stars Jennifer Hudson, a woman with literally dozens of awards for both singing and acting (her awards actually have their own Wikipedia page). The film is directed by Liesl Tommy in her feature directorial debut.
For more information about what’s coming up at Ballina Fair Cinemas, visit: ballinafaircinemas.com.au.
