This screening of Embrace of the Serpent is presented by the Embassy of Colombia

The European colonials have often been seen in film to have committed the most shocking atrocities. Werner Herzog’s classic Aguirre, the Wrath of God, is one of the better ones (track it down) that showed the Spanish conquistadors being culturally insensitive and destructively motivated by greed.

Embrace of the Serpent, whilst depicting similar disasters, goes more for the cultural preservation angle. It depicts two Colombian expeditions in parallel: one in 1909 with a German scientist slowly dying of malaria, searching the Amazon for a rare plant said to have healing powers, and the other a similar expedition in 1940, but this time with an American scientist. Both expeditions are led by Karamakate, a young reclusive shaman in the first story and an older wiser one in the second.

Nominated for the Foreign Language Oscar this year (and, in my opinion, a much more worthy winner than Son of Saul), Embrace of the Serpent is an interesting and meditative film, and there aren’t many moments in it that feel unoriginal. It is shot beautifully in black and white, and vividly depicts the effects of colonialism. It also has a weird surrealistic feel to it, which makes it all the more engaging and hypnotising.

Ignore the negative review that is, I believe, accompanying this piece, as it is probably written by someone adopting the “I didn’t understand it” trope. You don’t need to understand everything, you just need to feel, and Embrace of the Serpent is certainly one to move you.

Rams is a heartwarming and quirky film set in a remote Icelandic farming valley. It tells the story of two brothers Gummi and Kiddi who, despite living side by side, sharing the land and a way of life, have not spoken to each other in four decades. Their ancestral sheep are considered some of the country’s best and the two brothers often receive awards for their prized rams. When tragedy strikes, each brother tries to deal with the disaster in his own fashion: Kiddi by using his rifle and Gummi by using his wits.

The film portrays the struggles of human relationship as well as the hardships of life in a breathtaking but harsh environment. It is a gentle and moving film, a visual feast that is darkly humorous and at times even hilarious. It has all of the ingredients that make us want to go to the movies: drama, suspense, some surprising twists and, of course, breathtaking scenery featuring the vast and rugged wind-swept landscapes of Iceland.

Come along and find out why two brothers have not spoken for forty years, but also to witness the struggles and tragedies of daily life in a remote and stunning landscape.