Dir. Embeth Davidtz, South Africa, 2024, 98 mins. In English and Shona with English subtitles.

Cast. Lexi Venter, Embeth Davidtz, Zikhona Bal, Fumani Shilubana, Rob Van Vuuren, Anina Reed.

The 6pm screening on Thursday 30th October will be introduced by Dr Beth Pyner.

Dr Beth Pyner is a Lecturer in English Literature and Visual Culture at Cardiff University, specialising in women’s contemporary memoir across film, photography, illustration, and gallery-based art. Having published research about the complex racial and gender dynamics in the written version of Alexandra Fuller’s memoir, Beth introduces its adaptation into film.

In this adaptation of Alexandra Fuller's memoir, actor-director Embeth Davidtz examines the collapse of colonialism through the eyes of eight-year-old Bobo as the 1980 election in Rhodesia that would create Zimbabwe approaches and the brittle truce between white landowners and the Black majority workers fractures. Nicola, mother to young, perceptive Bobo sleeps with a machine gun, ready to use it for “terrorists” or snakes, whatever threatens her family. She’s taught her daughter that any African could be a terrorist. Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight shifts with admirable nuance from the coarse nihilism of the white adults who know their days of comfort are numbered, to the magic seen through Bobo’s innocent eyes, to the razor-sharp long view of Sarah and Jacob who work for the Fuller family until they can reclaim land that was taken from them.

No one emerges as an unblemished hero in Davidtz’s film, nor is anyone an absolute villain.

Friday 24th Oct show at 8.30pm

Saturday 25th Oct show at 2.30pm (Descriptive Subtitles)

Tuesday 28th Oct show at 8.30pm

Wednesday 29th Oct show at 8.30pm

Thursday 30th Oct show at 6pm (+ Intro)

Get your tickets here.