Step into a world of daring narratives that challenge conventions and celebrate human resilience. This curated selection spans 1893 Cornwall to contemporary airports, exploring forbidden love in repressive societies, quiet acts of rebellion, and the unearthly power of women who refuse to be silenced.
Featuring outstanding performances and striking visual storytelling, these five bold films fearlessly examine moral compromise, cultural expectations, and invisible struggles. From absurdist fantasy to the raw authenticity of local lives, each offers something unexpected – moments that question, move, and transform.
Join us for an unforgettable evening of boundary-pushing cinema.
THE PEARL COMB, 2024
Director: Ali Cook
In 1893, an endearing Cornish fisherman’s wife captures the attention of the medical profession as the first person to ever cure someone of Tuberculosis. A doctor, hell bent on proving a woman’s place is in the home and not practising medicine, is sent to investigate her miraculous claim – only to discover the source of her unearthly power.
BARRICADE, 2022
Director: Alice Johannessen
After experiencing a traumatic event on her school bus, Aleena bottles up her anger until a chance connection triggers a small act of rebellion. A powerful short exploring trauma, resilience, and finding one’s voice in the face of adversity.
EMPTY YOUR POCKETS, 2024
Director: Tara Aghdashloo
Hassan is a young airport customs officer who must secure an advance on his salary to afford his mother’s medication. As the dark side of his job becomes more clear, Hassan must decide what matters to him the most, and what cost he is willing to pay.
TWO PEOPLE EXCHANGING SALIVA, 2024
Directors: Alexandre Singh & Natalie Musteata
An absurdist tragedy set in a repressive society where kissing is punishable by death, and people pay for things by receiving slaps to the face. Angine, an unhappy woman, shops compulsively in a department store. There, she becomes fascinated by an ingenuous salesgirl. Despite the prohibition of kissing, the two become close, raising the suspicions of a jealous colleague.
TANK, 2024
Director: Garath Whyte
A surreal trip into the internal struggles of a young woman experiencing long-term health issues. The journey emphasises the importance of being compassionate and understanding towards those who are struggling with invisible illnesses, focussing on how the power of love and acceptance can help those who are suffering.