Original Coverage & Source Attribution: www.darlingtonandstocktontimes.co.uk
The Ritz Cinema in Thirsk will show the French biographical epic “La Bataille de Gaulle” (internationally released as “De Gaulle”), which has been a commercial success in France.
The film, directed by Antonin Baudry and adapted from Julian Jackson’s biography, will be shown in two parts.
Part one will be screened on Monday, November 9, and Tuesday, November 10, while part two will be shown on Wednesday, November 11, and Thursday, November 12. Both parts will start at 7.30pm.
The story follows Brigadier General Charles de Gaulle as he refuses to accept defeat in June 1940, collaborating with Winston Churchill to lay the foundations of the Free French movement.
The second instalment, set between 1943 and 1944, portrays de Gaulle’s struggle to unify a divided French Resistance and establish diplomatic legitimacy among Allied leaders.
Tickets are £8 each, including a £1 booking fee, and can also be purchased on the door. The running time for each film is approximately two hours and 40 minutes, and both are rated 15.
This Saturday and Sunday, November 7 and 8, the cinema will re-show the acclaimed 2025 film “The Choral” at 7.30pm.
Based on an original Alan Bennett screenplay, “The Choral” is part of Bookmarked Thirsk, an annual celebration of books, storytelling, and creativity.
The film follows a choral society in the fictional Yorkshire mill town of Ramsden, grappling with the loss of most of its male singers to the Western Front.
Ralph Fiennes stars as Dr. Guthrie, a demanding and unconventional choirmaster whose background stirs suspicion during a time of intense anti-German nationalism.
The film explores themes of resilience, humanity, and community amid the chaos of war.
The screenings will be preceded by the 15-minute short film “Wilfred”, which tells the story of war poet Wilfred Owen through a combination of live action and animation.
Tickets for this screening are also £8 each, including the booking fee.
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On the Sunday night showing, local actor Oliver Briscombe, who made his debut in “The Choral”, will introduce the film.
In other news, the Ritz will show André Rieu’s latest cinema Christmas concert on Saturday, December 19.
Tickets for this one-off special are priced at £21, and bookings are now open.
For more information on the cinema’s programme, visit ritzcinema.co.uk.
