Cinema Akil Launches 'Summer of Classics' Program
Running from July 11 to September 25, 2025, this cinephile-friendly series is bringing back a curated selection of timeless movies that have defined—and defied—genres.
Whether you're a fan of silent-era comedy, French arthouse, Hollywood rebellion, or mind-bending thrillers, the lineup promises something for everyone. The program offers a rare chance to see these cinematic landmarks the way they were meant to be experienced: on the big screen.
🎬 Featured Films in the 2025 Lineup
This year's 'Summer of Classics' showcases an eclectic mix of genres, countries, and eras:
The Gold Rush (1925) – Charlie Chaplin's legendary silent comedy
The Phantom of the Opera (1925) – A gothic horror classic
The Money Order (Mandabi) (1968) – Ousmane Sembène's powerful Senegalese satire
Rebel Without a Cause (1955) – James Dean's iconic teen drama
La Haine (1995) – A gritty French masterpiece on race and rebellion
Dead Poets Society (1989) – A soul-stirring tale of education and individuality
Edward Scissorhands (1990) – Tim Burton's fairytale of loneliness and beauty
Before Sunrise (1995) & Before Sunset (2004) – Richard Linklater's poetic love story told in real-time.
Memento (2000) – Christopher Nolan's mind-twisting thriller
Braveheart (1995) – Mel Gibson's Oscar-winning epic
Batman Begins (2005) – A bold reboot of the superhero myth
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) – Wes Anderson's whimsical tale of nostalgia and loyalty
Undine (2020) – A modern German romance rooted in myth
Why You Shouldn't Miss It
Cinema Akil's 'Summer of Classics' is more than a film series—it's a cultural experience that invites viewers to revisit groundbreaking works or discover them for the first time.
The films have been carefully selected for their artistic impact, emotional resonance, and enduring relevance. Whether it's the stylized aesthetics of The Grand Budapest Hotel or the moral ambiguity of La Haine, every screening offers a deep cinematic journey.
Where to Watch
Screenings take place at Cinema Akil in Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz, Dubai's creative arts hub. Known for its intimate ambiance, arthouse vibe, and commitment to diverse storytelling, the venue is a must-visit for film lovers year-round.
Join the Celebration of Cinema
Dubai's film fans now have the perfect reason to escape the summer heat and dive into a cool, dark theater filled with the magic of movies. Whether you're discovering Mandabi for the first time or revisiting Dead Poets Society, 'Summer of Classics' is your ticket to film history.
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The National
3 hours ago
- The National
Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige 'find some light' on return to Beirut after 14 years
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Remembering the Light is the Lebanese duo's first major exhibition in Beirut for 14 years. Their homecoming is significant, particularly as a lot of their works revolve around social and political tensions in Lebanon. 'The world and Lebanon has gone through so many ruptures lately,' Hadjithomas says. 'It was really important to consider how we can do an exhibition, how we can continue in places that have been so fractured. You have to find some light, because if not, we are totally in despair.' The exhibition opens with Palimpsests (2017), a video installation that delves, quite literally, beneath the surface of Beirut. Created from footage of core samples extracted from construction sites, the work unearths fragments of the city's cursed histories – from modern rubble to ancient geological layers. For Hadjithomas and Joreige, these cores are not just soil, but 'raw film reels' waiting to be read. With its drone shots and microscopic imagery, Palimpsests swiftly establishes the exhibition's central gesture: a vertical and temporal excavation of memory, rupture and regeneration. In Message Without a Code (2022), the artists build upon a previous work with archeologists, in which they photographed archeological debris. Clay fragments, seeds and stones were carefully arranged on gauze cloth. These original images were lost in the 2020 port explosion. 'They were hanged in our studio and were destroyed,' Hadjithomas says. Rather than reprint them, Hadjithomas and Joreige chose to remake them as tapestries. The artists collaborated with the TextielLab at Tilburg's TextielMuseum to develop the tapestries. The works incorporate several weaving processes to impart their textured and layered feel. 'It's like an illusion, giving the impression that you have a three-dimensional work,' Hadjithomas says. As such, the weaving process became a way to preserve what was lost while giving new material form to fragile, buried histories. The adjacent work, meanwhile, takes on a different approach with archeological remnants. Blow Up (2025) turns microscopic historical remnants into monuments. Drawing on finds unearthed near the museum, the artists enlarge fragments such as marine sediments and Roman glass shards, encasing them in resin and steel. These sculptures function as both scientific samples and speculative relics, existing as tangible evidence and imagined history. 'The core sampling that we recuperated were from the neighbourhood of the museum,' Hadjithomas says, adding that their presentation at Sursock Museum gives an added significance to the work. 'The audience will be able to see what is specifically under their feet. You see the stratigraphy of this place and how it evolved and changed.' Message Without a Code and Blow Up both deal with archeological remnants. 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What's On
17 hours ago
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What's new and trending in Ibiza this season
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On the White Isle, it's an open-air rooftop destination with stretching views of the Marina and Old Town, where guests can enjoy split-level dining, a vivacious bar scene, and the kind of pulsing DJ sets that encourage you to stay at the bar until the early hours. Exclusives like the black cod croquettas are a must-try, as is the Japanese paloma, a tequila-based cocktail that pairs perfectly with sorbet sunsets. @zumaibiza Images: Supplied
Khaleej Times
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