19 weeks of cinematic bliss to launch in Perth tonight

Lotterywest Films will usher in another stunning Perth summer with the best of world cinema under the stars, as UWA Somerville launches its 19-week season tonight.

Nestled under UWA Somerville’s famous Norfolk pines, guests will settle into plush cushions and enjoy new food offerings at Perth’s most picturesque picture garden, which has become more accessible to all.

The extensive season is part of Perth Festival; the longest running international arts festival in Australia, and Western Australia’s premier cultural event. 

The Festival has developed a worldwide reputation for excellence in its international program, the presentation of new works and the highest quality artistic experiences for its audience.

At UWA Somerville, a fresh collection of award-winning films will entertain, enthral and excite, with the diverse program traversing the globe, with selections from France, Spain, New Zealand, Morocco and Belgium. 

Share your evenings with Antonio Banderas, Bill Murray, Fanny Ardant, Willem Dafoe, Robert Pattinson and other stars of the screen in a season of romance, adventure, thrillers, inspiring docos, politically charged drama, feel-good family tales and even a zombie comedy.

Life meets art for the season opener from tonight as superstars Antonio Banderas (Best Actor, 2019 Cannes) and Penelope Cruz align for legendary Spanish director Pedro Almodovar’s sensuous semi-autobiographical drama Pain and Glory.   

Perth Underground was lucky enough to preview this bittersweet and poignant story of an ailing filmmaker wistfully approaching the end of his career.

Stuck in a rut of pain, regret and self-pity, our protagonist revisits luscious memories of his past (with a little help from some illegal substances) to discern a path to save his future.  

Pain and Glory is followed by Jim Jarmusch’s sardonic comedy The Dead Don’t Die, starring Adam Driver, Bill Murray, Tom Waits, Chloë Sevigny and Iggy Pop, easily among the greatest zombie cast ever disassembled.

Other acclaimed films on the way include the sumptuous French 18th century period drama Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019 Cannes Best Screenplay), Cinefest Oz Film Prize winner H is for Happiness, visionary filmmaker Robert Eggers’s gothic thriller The Lighthouse, starring Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson, and the must-see Australian documentary In My Blood it Runs.

Lotterywest Films Program Manager Tom Vincent said cinema “is and always will be about connection, collaboration and meeting”.

“It offers the potential to spark change, whether through reflection on a ‘newsworthy’ topic, an emotional catharsis, or the simple act of meeting an old pal for a movie and a pizza,” he said. 

“In selecting these films I hope I’ve done that idea justice.”

Lotterywest Chief Executive Officer Susan Hunt said Perth Festival’s Lotterywest Films Showcase allowed cinephiles to view high quality films from around the world in a unique setting. 

“Enjoying the films in the beautiful gardens at the University of Western Australia is a very special experience,” she said.

View the full season program here.