4K RESTORATION
Director: David Lean
Runtime: 227 minutes
Country: United Kingdom
Language: English, Arabic, Turkish
Rating: PG

*The 50th anniversary restored version of this film will be presented in two parts with built-in overture, intermission, entr’acte and exit music. The intermission will be 10 minutes long.
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Awards
BEST PICTURE
BEST DIRECTOR & 5 more
Academy Awards 1963

BEST BRITISH FILM
BEST BRITISH ACTOR (Peter O’ Toole)
BEST BRITISH SCREENPLAY
BAFTA Awards 1963

BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA & 5 more
Golden Globes 1963

“Truly, for some men nothing is written unless they write it.”
– Ali in Lawrence of Arabia

Full Synopsis
At first glance a monumental historical fanfare, Lawrence of Arabia follows the eponymous hero, British Lieutenant T.E. Lawrence, who appears to single-handedly lead the disparate Bedouin tribes to victory against the Turkish in the Arab Revolt of the First World War. Hailed as a desert-loving warrior, Lawrence’s triumphant rite of passage through the sweltering dunes serves as an allegory of Western achievement through taming the merciless desert.

A probing dialectic emerges when Lawrence’s psyche is confronted with a dissonance – one that reveals the paradox of heroism and the conflict between history and myth, simulacrum and reality. Consumed by his own imaginations of the unabating Arabian landscapes, Lawrence’s fascination with the Arabs reaches its peak when he sheds his British uniform for a striking white robe and headdress, appropriating an identity of the land he symbolically conquers.

Supplementary Reading

Disclaimer: This programme features films which include outdated and historically inaccurate depictions, including instances of minstrel shows, yellow and brownface. Rather than deny or erase the colonial apparatuses in film history, these films and their complex legacies should be critically viewed in its original form, contextualised and discussed.

Oldham Theatre’s opening hours

The full Orienting Paradise: Western Projections of the East programme can be found here. Tickets will go on sale Friday, 25 March 2022.

Friends of AFA members may select the “Friends of AFA” option and enter your membership number if you wish to redeem your remaining complimentary tickets.

For further assistance, please contact us at ticketing@asianfilmarchive.org 

Important Notice:

Do note that Oldham Theatre does not play ads and screenings will start promptly. Arrive early so as not to disrupt the screenings. All patrons are encouraged to purchase your tickets online to be able to secure a seat. If you choose to purchase tickets or merchandise at Oldham Theatre’s box office, cashless payment is preferred.

Measures will be taken to ensure the health and safety of all patrons at Oldham Theatre. This includes wearing a mask at all times for both staff and patrons and TraceTogether logging. Doors will open 20 minutes before showtime, so arrive early to register and find a seat.

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T&Cs
Concession tickets apply to Students (Local & Overseas), Full-time National Servicemen (NSF), Senior Citizens (55 years and above) only.

Please check film ratings before purchase of tickets. Please note that you may be asked to present your ID at the door (this applies to concession tickets as well). Only physical photographic identification is allowed, digital copies of identification are not allowed. AFA reserves the right to turn away any members of the public without physical photographic identification.

Upon confirmation of your order for Tickets, no exchange of Tickets will be made under any circumstances and Tickets are not transferable. No refund on Tickets will be made under any circumstances except due to cancellation of the event. The resale of Tickets at any price is prohibited.