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Despite the temporary closure of cinemas in the United Kingdom, there are still plenty of new and fascinating films being released for viewers to enjoy at home through various streaming platforms and channels. With our weekly new releases article, we'd like to highlight some of these films as well as informing you, the audience, where you can view them.
During lockdown, virtual cinemas have become an online space where you can enjoy new releases from the safety of your home whilst supporting your favourite independent cinemas around the country. Not all new releases will offer this as an option but it is certainly worth checking to ensure that cinemas continue thriving long after lockdown has eased.
New films in virtual cinemas this week
76 Days; Quo Vadis, Aida?
This week brings a documentary that feels incredibly important at this crucial period of history, particularly around the way we disseminate information. Told with great intimacy, 76 Days takes place in the now famous city of Wuhan during the very early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and follows a number of locals as they try to navigate through a new and unstable world that has begun to form around them. Devastating but necessary, it serves a purpose as both an historical artefact and a raw montage of human resilience.
76 Days has been given a 12 certificate and is now available virtually via Dogwoof's virtual cinema as well as Curzon Home Cinema
Moving away from the present and looking back into the past, Quo Vadis, Aida? is nevertheless a story that has got lost in the annals of time, especially in terms of cinema. Set over one day in 1995, it follows Aida, a Bosnian translator for the United Nations, as she attempts to protect her family from the encroaching forces of the Serbian Bosnian Army whilst also navigating the political maze that is slowly closing in around her. Told with urgency and honesty, this is both a gripping film and a scathing indictment of a political and military movement that ended in tragedy for millions of Bosnian people.
Quo Vadis, Aida? has been given a 15 certificate. It is released on Friday 22 January and can be viewed on Curzon Home Cinema
New film guides
Schindler's List; The Boy In the Striped Pyjamas; The Book Thief
Our film guides are specifically written to utilise alongside screenings at film clubs, in classrooms or on a one to one basis in order to promote discussion and learning through cinema. The film guides below all relate to specific age groups in the classroom and work well in both an online or home learning environment. This new group of film guides have been specifically built in anticipation of Holocaust Memorial Day on 27 January.
Schindler's List
One of the most famous historical films of all time, Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List was not only critically acclaimed but also a huge hit at the global box office. Shot almost entirely in black and white, the story of a German businessman who risks everything to save the lives of hundreds of Jewish men and women is as enthralling and impactful as ever, truly highlighting both the sincere struggle and triumph through adversity that many experienced in Germany at the time. Our film guide touches upon some of the more complex elements of the film as well as examining some other figures who could be considered the heroes of World War Two.
Schindler's List can be ordered by Into Film members through our DVD service or streaming options can be found via FindAnyFilm.
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
One of the best Holocaust-related films for younger audiences (aged 11+) to learn from, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is not only an excellent entry point into examining the historical and social impact of such a massive tragedy but also smartly positions the unfolding nature of war through the eyes of children, often a running theme when it comes to stories about the Holocaust. The film itself charts the relationship of two boys on opposing sides of the fence, quite literally, as the German son of a Nazi commanding officer befriends a boy being held prisoner in a nearby concentration camp.
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas can be ordered by Into Film members through our DVD service or streaming options can be found via FindAnyFilm.
The Book Thief
A young girl's passion for books helps her and the people she loves find a respite from the horrors of Nazi Germany in this moving drama that again looks at the regime from a child's viewpoint. Originally illiterate when she was sent to live with foster parents Hans and Rosa Hubermann in the late 1930s, spirited nine-year-old Liesel quickly learns to read thanks to the kindly couple's encouragement. When the Hubermanns take in a Jewish refugee and Liesel starts sharing stories with the increasingly imperiled man, she begins to learn a valuable lesson. Narrated by Death himself yet surprisingly life-affirming, The Book Thief is based on a best-selling Young Adult novel.
The Book Thief can be ordered by Into Film members through our DVD service or streaming options can be found via FindAnyFilm.
