Film - THE SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE

Off the Wall Films presents

THE SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE (El espíritu de la colmena)

Victor Erice, Spain, 1973, 98m, PG, sub-titles

NB - Doors at 5:30pm for a 6:30pm start. Pre-screening supper, available to pre-order only, served in the Waterside 5:30 - 6:15pm. To order supper simply buy a meal ticket as listed above.

ONLINE SALES NOW CLOSED - TICKETS ON THE DOOR FROM 5:30PM.

A nod to upcoming Halloween, without going full horror! The Castillian plain, 1940, shortly after the Nationalist victory in the Spanish civil war. A travelling cinema sets up in the community hall of a remote town, where 7-yr-old Ana (Ana Torrent) is transfixed by the spectacle of James Whale’s horror film Frankenstein. The man-monster comes to haunt her thoughts, mediating her experience of a complex adult world still reeling in the aftermath of the war. Her parents are remote – father Fernando is absorbed in tending to his bees, mother Teresa in fantasising about an estranged lover. Sister Isabel is her sole companion, but she can’t resist exploiting Ana’s innocent gullibility.

Spanish auteur Victor Erice’s 1973 debut feature was immediately acclaimed as a masterpiece and its stature has not dimmed in the ensuing half century. Fastidious, gripping, beautifully lit, shot and performed, the film’s powerfully haunting visuals and music make The Spirit of the Beehive must-see cinema.

"Those who haven't seen it since the '70s may find themselves amazed all over again by its lyrical potency and grace; those who have never seen it may wonder how it can be that a film this great isn't shown somewhere all the time." – Detroit Free Press.

"Ana Torrent gives perhaps the greatest child performance of all time." – The Observer.

"Filmmaking art of the highest caliber." – Filmcritic.com.

"...a graceful, lyrical masterpiece wound around one of the most natural and engrossing performances by a child actor we've ever seen." – DVDJournal.com.

"A haunting, atmospheric film that focuses on a young girl's obsession with the Frankenstein monster" – TV Guide.

"... the finest and most beautifully wrought first film of the European '70s” - The Village Voice.

"Every magic hour, light-drenched image in Victor Erice's Spirit of the Beehive is filled with mysterious dread" – Slant Magazine.

"Expressively played by its two young leads, it's a work which memorably captures a child's perspective on the mysteries of everyday life" – BBC.com.

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Carers' tickets - we offer complimentary tickets to carers of people with disabilities. If you would like to attend the screening along with the person in your care please message  offthewall@gmx.co.uk  with your request for a ticket. Please note - you are eligible for this offer only if you are accompanied by a paying person with disabilities.