Organisers of Nantwich Big Cheese Film Club are thrilled to announce an award of £500 from Cheshire East Community Grants fund.

We would like to thank Cheshire East Council for this funding and for recognising the valuable input our film club has brought to the town’s community. The funding will help us to purchase our own equipment and improve even further a quality cinema experience to all.

The club is gearing up for its December screening of Volver, by the highly acclaimed Spanish director Pedro Almodovar (in Spanish with subtitles) Raimunda (Penelope Cruz) and her sister Sole (Lola Duenas) are visited by the apparation of their mother (Carmen Maura) who has returned to reconcile with her daughters and resolve an issue that has haunted the family since her death. The tragicomic melodrama features Almodovar trademarks: a strong attention to colour and detail and a celebration of the trials and tribulations of women. Volver is a film about the way the presence of the dead continues to add richness and humanity to the lives of those they leave behind.

Volver will be screened on Thursday 8th December  at 7.45pm in the Ballroom of the Crown Hotel. Movie goers are encouraged to go along from 7.15pm for a drink and a chat before the film.

Nantwich Big Cheese Film Club screens independent, foreign language and classic films each month. It aims to establish a ‘cinema’ for Nantwich, cultivating a quality and educational movie experience for members of the public and encouraging discussion in get-togethers before and after each screening.

The club is open to all film lovers over the age of 16 (under 18s must be accompanied by a guardian)

Tickets, priced £5, are now available from the reception of The Crown Hotel.  Alternatively, they can be purchased on the night, subject to availability.

See Volver trailer here.

E: nantwichfilmclub@yahoo.co.uk

T: @filmnantwich

We had another great turnout for our screening of Senna, thanks to everyone who came along! We received 11 comment sheets, with eight people nominating the film the full 5 stars and three people nominating it 4 stars. A selection of comments from movie goers are below:

“Another super night – thanks”

“I was somewhat disappointed in Senna. I came away not knowing any more about the man (or any of the other principals) than I did previously from general knowledge. And I am not a petrol head, infact I couldn’t be less interested in racing cars, but I am interested in film. For me/us the film lacked any dramatical content and minimal insights into character/character development. I feel that the BBC Sports team could have done better with a 30 minute incisive documentary. Hey ho, you win some you lose some. Looking forward to Volver.”

“One of the best film documentaries I’ve seen.”

And a review from the club secretary:

“I never experienced the buzz that Aryton Senna’s first World Cup win generated in 1988. In fact, it wasn’t until seven years later that I felt anything at all about the enigma who became regarded as a Brazilian saint – a year after his untimely death at the tender age of 34.

The day I realised what drove Senna’s passion was the day I took the steering wheel on my own for the first time after passing my driving test. I picked up my boyfriend to take him for a celebratory drink and as we drove off, he commented on my Aryton Senna driving style. I laughed, thinking how fabulous it would be to have the freedom to drive at full pelt down the street without anything or anyone else getting in the way.

But that was the one and only brush I had with the name – until Thursday when I was fully and wonderfully thrown into the life and times of three-time Formula One world champion Aryton Senna. And wow, was it fantastic. You don’t have to be into Formula 1 to feel the thrill of the race, with compelling footage taken, seemingly from Senna’s lap as he drives! Compiled solely and slickly from thousands of hours of footage, the film is a considerable feat of editing and frequently heart-stopping.  Senna was one of sport’s most compelling personalities – he had real humility, as shown in his close relationship and comments of the Formula 1 doctor. His deep feelings for humanity saw him giving millions of his personal fortune to help provide a better future for the impoverished in Brazil. He put so much of himself, his very soul, into everything he did and spoke with great feeling about his experience of the flow, which he puts down to God’s presence. My favourite scene was his eventual triumph in his home country Brazil – the tension, pressure and utter exhilaration he feels are vividly demonstrated in his emotion and subsequent muscle spasms as he hobbles away – pleading for his dad to come and give him a hug – but beseeching him to be gentle due to his extreme discomfort.

Early in 1994 he spoke about his own future, not long before his premature death: “I want to live fully, very intensely. I would never want to live partially, suffering from illness or injury. If I ever happen to have an accident that eventually costs my life, I hope it happens in one instant.”

He got his wish but the end of his life caused a wave of grief to wash over his home country as its inhabitants keenly felt it as a national tragedy and the Brazilian government declared three days of national mourning.”

We’re thrilled to announce Peugeot Gateway as the sponsors of our next film Senna on 10th November. And if the fantastic turnout for the club’s first two screenings is anything to go by, it looks like the film concerning the blazing career of Ayrton Senna is in pole position for yet another successful night for the club.

The family run Peugeot dealership in Crewe, which has been in business for 30 years, had fulfilled its community budget for this year but always keen to support local community projects, the sales team has dug deep into their own pockets to help out.

When we first spoke to the sales manager Alex Walker he said there was nothing left of the company’s community budget for the year. However, he was keen to support us so he asked his sales team to help out with their own funds. Amazingly, the team, comprising Alex, Keith, Matt, Dave and Phil, agreed. This was no small amount for them each to personally cough up so it is an incredibly generous effort and helps to ensure the continued success of our project.

A total of 68 people turned up to see Another Year last Thursday and we received fabulous feedback from our audience, mainly from people who were over the moon to experience what we are offering in Nantwich.

It is so encouraging to see so many people turn up to support our venture. We’ve had terrific feedback from our audience and lots of encouragement which makes all the hard work we put in to getting the club going worthwhile. During the long period it took to get this project of the ground, we always thought we had a good idea and now we have had such a fantastic turnout to our initial films it’s great to know our gut instincts were right.

The film club’s next film Senna will be screened at 7.45pm in The Crown Ballroom on Thursday 10th November. Tickets, priced £5, are available from the The Crown Hotel reception in advance or on the door on the night, subject to availability.

You can drop us an email to nantwichfimclub@yahoo.co.uk or follow on Twitter @filmnantwich

For more information on Gateway Peugeot visit the Crewe Gates Industrial Estate branch or call 01270 587711.