The Touch

Oedipus Rex

January 1957 •English

The story of Oedipus' gradual discovery of his primal crime, killing his father and marrying his mother, filmed by the famed British theatrical director Sir Tyrone Guthrie. This elegant version of Sophocles' play adds a brilliant stroke: the actors wear masks just as the Greeks did in the playwright's day.

The Way

September 2013 •Kazakh

A story about self-taught street fighter who works in the Almaty flea market at day time and takes part in underground fights at night.

Beowulf & Grendel

September 2005 •English

The blood-soaked tale of a Norse warrior's battle against the great and murderous troll, Grendel. Heads will roll. Out of allegiance to the King Hrothgar, the much respected Lord of the Danes, Beowulf leads a troop of warriors across the sea to rid a village of the marauding monster.

Whom the Gods Wish to Destroy

December 1966 •German

A young hero defeats a dragon to find acceptance to the court of burgundy.

J2-8243: Son Uçuş

February 2025 •Azerbaijani

A Poem About Love

May 1954 •Russian

A film based on the Kazakh epic poem of the XIII-XIV century. The film tells about the founders of Sarybay and Karabay, who, due to circumstances, violate the oath given to each other to seal their blood-tied friendship. However, their children Kozy Korpesh and Bayan Sulu develop mutual feelings.

Die Nibelungen: Siegfried

February 1924 •German

Siegfried, son of King Siegmund of Xanten, travels to Worms, capital of the Burgundian kingdom, to ask King Gunther for the hand of his sister, the beautiful Kriemhild.

Are We Monsters

August 2021 •English

A werewolf conflicted with identity, Maya seeks to understand the two sides of herself- before the consequences become deadly.

All Small Bodies

July 2017 •English

'All Small Bodies' is a feminist, sci-fi take on the Grimm tale of Hansel and Gretel. It occurs in the distant future among the ruins of a planetary catastrophe, revealing the abuses of history and technology. In the wake of the chaotic aftermath, there are several resilient survivors including two young girls named Z and Bub. The film follows these curious adolescents who have long been lost and alone in the haunted, other-worldly woods, as they awaken their extrasensory abilities and reclaim their autonomy from a menacing dark presence.

Sita Sings the Blues

February 2008 •English

Utilizing the 1920s jazz vocals of Annette Hanshaw, the epic Indian tale of exiled prince Ramayana and his bride Sita is mirrored by a spurned woman's contemporary personal life, and light-hearted but knowledgeable discussion of historical background by a trio of Indian shadow puppets.

Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner

February 2002 •Inuktitut

Based on a local legend and set in an unknown era, it deals with universal themes of love, possessiveness, family, jealousy and power. Beautifully shot, and acted by Inuit people, it portrays a time when people fought duels by taking turns to punch each other until one was unconscious, made love on the way to the caribou hunt, ate walrus meat and lit their igloos with seal-oil lamps.

Faust

October 1926 •German

God and Satan war over earth; to settle things, they wager on the soul of Faust, a learned and prayerful alchemist.

The End of Ataman

January 1970 •Russian

A Kazakh spy thriller: In 1921, at the height of the civil war, a Soviet officer is assigned to kill the ataman Dutov, a White collaborator. In order to get close to the ataman he infiltrates his gang.

National Theatre Live: Medea

September 2014 •English

Medea is a wife and a mother. For the sake of her husband, Jason, she’s left her home and borne two sons in exile. But when he abandons his family for a new life, Medea faces banishment and separation from her children. Cornered, she begs for one day’s grace. It’s time enough. She exacts an appalling revenge and destroys everything she holds dear.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

September 2014 •English

In 1846, Anthony Hope sails into London with the mysterious Sweeney Todd, a once-naive barber whose life and marriage was uprooted by a corrupt justice system. Todd confides in Nellie Lovett, the owner of a local meat pie shop, and the two become partners, as Todd swears revenge on those that have wronged him and decides to take up his old profession.

Die Nibelungen: Kriemhild's Revenge

April 1924 •German

When Kriemhild, thirsty for revenge, marries to Etzel, king of the Huns, she invites King Gunther and his court to visit them, intending to finally take the life of the man responsible of her disgrace.

Black Orpheus

June 1959 •Portuguese

Young lovers Orfeu and Eurydice run through the favelas of Rio during Carnaval, on the lam from a hitman dressed like Death and Orfeu's vengeful fiancée Mira and passing between moments of fantasy and stark reality. This impressionistic retelling of the Greek legend of Orpheus and Eurydice introduced bossa nova to the world with its soundtrack by young Brazilian composers Luiz Bonfá and Antonio Carlos Jobim.

W.S.H.: The Myth of the Urban Myth

December 1994 •English

A folklorist researching an 'urban legend' becomes caught up in his task. The film tells its fictional story in documentary style, featuring interviews with real folklore scholars.

Mughal-e-Azam

August 1960 •Hindi

In the 16th century, when Prince Salim falls in love with a beautiful courtesan named Anarkali, Emperor Akbar's disapproval leads to a battle between father and son.

Mulan: Rise of a Warrior

November 2009 •Chinese

When barbarian hordes threaten her homeland, the brave and cunning Mulan disguises herself as a male soldier to swell the ranks in her aging father's stead. The warrior's remarkable courage drives her through powerful battle scenes and brutal wartime strategy. Mulan loses dear friends to the enemy's blade as she rises to become one of her country's most valuable leaders — but can she win the war before her secret is exposed?