James Absolon explains how this Pope-themed film, despite its risky premise, works
Alex Pollard reviews Hollywood's biopic of the controversial Margaret Thatcher
Kung Fu Panda
Po (voiced by Jack Black) is a fat and lazy panda. He may not seem like the first preference for a kung fu master but he is chosen to be the next Dragon Warrior. His mission: to save the earth from evil snow leopard, Tai Lung. With the help of his trainer Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) and the sceptical band known as the Famous Five, Po sets out for all humanity, well, the animal kingdom anyway. Sharp, witty and always packing a powerful kick, Kung Fu Panda will leave everyone kung fu fighting (as fast as lighning!)
City of God
This superb film centres on the slums of Rio de Janeiro, where violence, drugs, gangs and guns are inescapable parts of life and where life expectancy is less than 25. Based on a true story, we follow Rocket (a young citizen of Cidade de Deus) who fights both to survive and to escape. He does not use guns though, but his camera. This film is thrilling, gritty, relentless and vividly realistic. The cast was made up of members of such favelas and each performance is strong and memorable. An unforgettable, and sometimes darkly funny, piece, City of God was an instant classic, and deservedly so.
Man on wire
In 1974 Philippe Petit, world renowned tight-rope walker, suspended a wire between the Twin Towers in New York and spent 45 minutes cheating death. What makes this story more incredible is that he did it without legal permission. Using archival footage and interviews, the film charts his preparation and undertaking of the task many described as impossible. The result is a moving journey, persuading us to go out and live our lives on the edge. Without any mention of 9/11 though, this documentary leaves all sentimentality or poignancy to your own interpretations. A subtle but astounding film.
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
Told entirely through the eyes of an 8 year old German boy, Bruno, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas shows the horrors of concentration camps in World War Two in a perspective never seen before. Bruno starts a friendship with a Jewish boy Shmuel on the other side of the fence, neither of who truly comprehend the world they are living in. This uniquely innocent but undoubtedly harrowing vision is the work of Mark Herman but the real stars are the two boys (Asa Butterfield and Jack Scanlon). The film will entrance you, and the ending will blow you away.
YSC can be found in PX/001 in the Physics building and tickets are only £3.
When are these films on?
http://www.yorkstudentcinema.org/
for your timetable needs 
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