Our films are hosted at Chester Picturehouse in their 218-seat Screen 1 and are shown in the original language with English subtitles where necessary.
Film Society membership costs only £10 for the season, and member tickets for each film must be bought in person, either in advance or on the night, for £5 on the production of your 2025/26 Chester Film Society membership card (either digital or printed).
18th September 2025
I’m Still Here
Cert 15 | 2h 17m | Original title: Ainda Estou Aqui
Country: Brazil, 2024
Director: Walter Salles
Stars: Fernanda Torres, Valentina Herszage, Selton Mello
Language: Portuguese (with English subtitles)
Please note that this film be will be shown in Screen 3
Brazil 1971: a country in the grip of a military dictatorship. A mother is forced to reinvent herself when her family’s life is shattered by an act of arbitrary violence. Based on Marcelo Rubens Paiva’s best-selling memoir. “Carried along by Fernanda Torres’ superb performance, I’m Still Here poignantly explores a nation’s upheaval through one family’s search for answers.” (Rotten Tomatoes)
In Portuguese | Cert 15
More on IMDB | Watch the trailer on Youtube | Film notes for I’m Still Here (pdf)
Audience Score: 8.63
Comments:
Excellent; Beautiful film; Powerful; Well acted; Soundtrack good; Sad; Incredible
Good and Great choice
A beautiful film well portrayed by the amazing characters and well acted
A story to be known by all; Emotional but an incredible film
9th October 2025
Misericordia
Cert 15 | 1h 42m | Original title: Miséricorde
Country: France, 2024
Director: Alain Guiraudie
Stars: Félix Kysyl, Catherine Frot
Language: French (with English subtitles)
A man visits his childhood village for the funeral of a family friend and upends the lives of the local eccentrics in the French director’s weird and earthy return to form. “Navigating a diabolical story with fleet-footed tonal mastery, Misericorida is another superb foray into the dangers of desire” (Rotten Tomatoes)
More on IMDB | Watch the trailer on Youtube | Film notes for Misericordia (pdf)
Audience Score: 6.8
Comments:
Didn’t like the violence, but an intruguing film with unexpected turn to the plot.
Well cast. Good camera work.
The fungi did it!
Could only be a French film!
Very weird, but very French!
Enjoyable
Truly bizarre!!
30th October 2025
The Girl with the Needle
Cert 15 |2h 3m | Original title: Pigen med nålen
Country: Denmark, 2024
Director: Magnus von Horn
Stars: Vic Carmen Sonne, Trine Dyrholm, Besir Zeciri
Langauge: Danish (English subtitles)
Copenhagen 1919. A young woman worker finds herself unemployed and pregnant. She meets Dagmar, who runs an underground adoption agency. A strong connection grows, but her world shatters when she stumbles on the truth behind her work. “Threading its grim tale through sumptuous black-and-white photography, The Girl with the Needle is a haunting parable made with superb craft.” (Rotten Tomatoes)
More on IMDB | Watch the trailer on Youtube | Film notes for The Girl With The Needle (pdf)
Audience Score: 7.76
Comments:
Excellent – how much can one woman endure?
Harrowing, amazing, acting.
Gripping and disturbing.
Black and white very effective.
Interesting. Shocking twist
Frightening
Beautifully made.
Pretty bleak subject matter!
20th November 2025
Santosh
Cert 15 | 2h 8m |
Country: India, 2025
Director: Sandhya Suri
Stars: Shahana Goswami, Sunita Rajwar, Nawal Shukla
Language: Hindi (English subtitles)
Newly widowed Santosh inherits her husband’s job as a police constable in the rural badlands of Northern India. When a girl’s body is found, she’s pulled into the investigation under the wing of charismatic feminist inspector Sharma. “Shahana Goswami bristles with unforgettable intensity in Santosh, a nervy procedural that asks the hard questions about a culture’s social hierarchy.” (Rotten Tomatoes)
More on IMDB | Watch the trailer on Youtube | Film notes for Santosh (pdf)
Audience Score:
Comments:
11th December 2025
The Marching Band
Cert 15 | 1h 43m | Original title: En fanfare
Country: France, 2025
Director: Emmanuel Courcol
Stars: Benjamin Lavernhe, Pierre Lottin, Sarah Suco
Language: French (English subtitles)
Two long-lost brothers, an orchestra conductor and a worker at a struggling factory, find common ground in their talent and love for music in this French comedy-drama. “This film may not surprise, but it’s a sincere and uplifting tale that is in tune with the spirit of underdog crowd-pleasers Brassed Off and The Full Monty.” (Linda Marric)
More on IMDB | Watch the trailer on Youtube | Film notes for The Marching Band (pdf)
Audience Score:
Comments:
Part Two of the 2025-26 Season will be announced in early December