Season of award-winning films aims to connect local communities

A classical love story set against the backdrop of the Cold War, a coming-of-age story in Thatcher’s Britain, and a classic musical about a Puerto Rican community in 1957 New York all feature in the ‘Season of You and Me’.

Made possible with support from Film Hub Midlands through funds from the National Lottery, the programme aims to explore human experiences shared by all of us, as well as the ones which make us unique.

The season has been curated with the public’s help, as local people were asked to fill in a survey last month to choose their favourite films from a selection. The victors were recent Academy Award winners Belfast (2022) and West Side Story (2021) as well as the Oscar-nominated 20th Century Women which follows a teen growing up in 70s California under the guidance of some strong female characters, and a joyous British coming-of-age story soundtracked by Bruce Springsteen in Blinded by the Light (2019).

A separate survey was also completed by local Polish residents who have recommended some favourite films in their native tongue. Four Polish language films with English subtitles feature in the programme, from Best Foreign Language Oscar winner Ida (2013) to nominees Cold War (2018) and Katyn (2007) as well as the critically-lauded A Short Film About Love (1988).

Councillor Rhona Holloway, Portfolio Holder for Economic Development and Visitors at Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: “The public have done a great job at helping us to choose a programme as richly diverse and wonderful as our local community. I’m excited to explore these stories myself and can’t wait to discover some new favourites, particularly among the Polish films, which I haven’t had the pleasure of watching before. I would really encourage residents to come along and enjoy these films which will hopefully help us to connect with the cultures and experiences of our neighbours.”

Tickets for the screenings, to be held on Friday and Saturday evenings beginning 24 February, are just £3 and are now on sale at http://www.nationalcivilwarcentre.com/.