Scottish Film Events: July 2023

On 21 July, cinema fans have a choice to make because it’s Barbie v Oppenheimer! Will you be in Greta Gerwig or Christopher Nolan's corner as they vie for glory at that weekend’s box office? If you’re still to pick a horse in this race, Cameo in Edinburgh and Dundee Contemporary Arts have you covered with retrospectives dedicated to both throughout July. It’s the perfect excuse to catch gems like Frances Ha (15 Jul, DCA), Lady Bird (8 Jul, Cameo), and Little Women (15 Jul, Cameo) on the big screen again. If you haven’t guessed, I’m Team Gerwig.

The excellent SAFAR film festival comes to Glasgow Film Theatre (until 8 Jul) with four gems of contemporary Arab cinema, including The Damned Don’t Cry, a dazzling drama centred on the thorny, codependent relationship between a penniless mother and her teenage son, who are both trying to make new lives for themselves in Tangier. Director Fyzal Boulifa will be in Glasgow for the screening on 8 July for a Q&A. 

Also at GFT, you’ll find a season dedicated to the genius composer and sometime actor Ryuichi Sakamoto, who died in March. One of his greatest achievements was the graceful theme music for Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence (8 & 11 Jul); as well as score duty, he co-starred with David Bowie. GFT also screen The Last Emperor (9 & 12 Jul), The Revenant (18 & 19 Jul) and the recent documentary Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda (23 & 26 Jul), which gives an excellent overview of his whole career.

And get yourself to Glasgow’s Southside this month for some free open-air screenings at Queen’s Park. The lineup has something for everyone: family faves (Frozen, 18 Jul; The Incredibles, 20 Jul), cult films (The Running Man, 13 Jul; Bram Stoker’s Dracula, 19 Jul) and stone-cold classics (Goodfellas, 16 Jul; The Lord of the Rings trilogy, 5, 12 and 19 Jul).