OPENING GALA: THE CHORAL

Director Nicholas Hytner and screenwriter Alan Bennett, the duo behind acclaimed films such as THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE and THE LADY IN THE VAN, reunite to present one of the most anticipated titles of the upcoming season.Leading the cast is one of Britain’s finest actors -  Ralph Fiennes.

The story unfolds in the seaside town of Ramsgate in 1916. Europe is diving into the chaos of World War I, and the local community lives in the shadow of news coming from the front.

In these dark times, Dr Guthrie (Fiennes), an ambitious and somewhat eccentric conductor, sets out to lift the spirits of the townspeople in the only way he knows: through music. His goal is to stage a spectacular concert, presenting Handel’s Messiah with a newly formed amateur choir.

THE CHORAL is, of course, more than just a story about a musical endeavour. It is a tribute to the power of community and the arts as a form of resistance against despair. Bennett, a master of bittersweet tales about ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances, paints a portrait of a collective that discovers hope and purpose through music. That is British cinema at its most essential and moving, a story deeply rooted in history yet speaking a universal language about the need for beauty and human solidarity.

‍

Text: Karolina Kulig

‍

The screening is part of the BFF opening gala, which will last approximately 30 minutes.

The opening gala will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Muza Cinema and will be broadcast in the Apollo Cinema Auditorium.

The screening of THE CHORAL will begin at approximately 8:00 p.m. at the Muza Cinema and the Apollo Cinema.