Deftly pivoting from tense realism to outright horror, Xavier Legrand’s drama deservedly won the first-time feature director at the Venice Film Festival’s Best Director awards.
Divorced Miriam is seeking sole custody of her son Julien to protect him from a father she claims is violent.
Antoine pleads to the judge that his son has been turned against him by his vindictive mother.
The judge is unsure who is telling the truth, so grants joint custody.
Julien becomes a hostage to the conflict and is pushed to the edge to prevent the worst from happening.
Screening second is a delightful comedy, Normandy Nude (M), set in the charming town of Le Mele-Sur-Sarthe, Normandy, which is in a crisis.
Farm prices have plummeted because of a flood of imports and farmers are threatened with foreclosure.
With little national media coverage things seem hopeless until a famous American photographer turns up.
He sees a rare opportunity for the perfect shoot, but has to convince the townsfolk to participate. BUT, there is a catch.
These films will screen on Saturday, February 9, at 7pm and on Sunday, February 10, at 6pm.
Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe star in Boy Erased (MA15+), screening on the weekend of February 16 and 17.
The taboos between faith and homosexuality are canvassed in this sensitively directed and shocking expose about conversion therapy.
Australian writer and director Joel Edgerton takes a hard look at the issues involved in treating same-sex attraction as a disease in the true story of 19-year-old Jared, son of a Baptist pastor in a small American town.
His views are not the same as his parents.
As a consequence, Jared is faced with an ultimatum — attend a conversion therapy program, or be permanently exiled and shunned by his family, friends and faith.
This forces him to struggle to find himself while being forced to question every aspect of his identity.
Lady Bird (M) is the second film screening in the double bill.
A nurse works tirelessly to keep her family afloat after her husband loses his job.
She also maintains a turbulent bond with her teenage daughter ‘‘Lady Bird’’ who is just like her — loving, strong-willed and deeply opinionated.
Anyone who’s lived within the emotional cyclone known as adolescence will recognise the vertiginous highs and lows of Lady Bird.
The candy bar always opens half an hour before screening, and the cinema volunteers have stocked the freezers with the famous home-made Swanpool choc-top ice-creams.
●For more information, visit www.swanpoolcinema.com.au or phone the cinema on (03)57682415.