With screenings having reached its final month, savour the last opportunities to relish a unique outdoor movie experience under the twinkling starlit sky with The Galileo Open Air Cinema and to take advantage of the Cape’s beautiful locations and vistas.
Also read: The ultimate guide to a Galileo Open Air Cinema screening in the Cape
Weekday movie screenings are set against the natural backdrop of Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden and the urban oasis of Central Park in Century City, and screenings on select Fridays and Saturdays invite you to movie nights hosted at vineyards in Paarl, Franschhoek, Stellenbosch and Somerset West.
Here is the last monthly line-up of The Galileo’s 12th season:
3 April: Brit Rock
Five of the UK’s top climbing and adventure films capture hardcore action, pioneering spirit and some proper madness all in one evening.
Goddess of Craic | 27 minutes
This film tells the story of rising trad star Freja Shannon. We join half-Swedish, half-Irish Freja in her ancestral homelands as she pursues her climbing goals for the season – ‘Sista Bossen’ E8 6c at the world-class granite climbing area of Bohuslan, Sweden and Snell’s Law E7 6c at the Burren on the west coast of Ireland.
The film also delves into Freja’s past, where we learn of her less-than-glamorous journey to becoming a professional climber – and how she overcame her inner doubts to break through as a leading female trad climber and alpinist.
Shining Stones | 25 minutes
Climber Robbie Phillips chances upon a little-known mountain in the very far north of Scotland while driving from east coast to west.
After some research, Robbie discovers the mountain is called Ben Loyal and that climbing legend Simon Nadin has been developing a couple of lines at the Crag. Simon tells him that there is something very special up there… What Robbie finds at Ben Loyal is off the scale: endless bouldering, highballs, countless quality granite tors and buttresses with untapped climbing potential.
But all this pales into insignificance compared with the main face, which holds the future of trad climbing on what is surely one of Britain’s greatest cliffs.
Helmcken Falls | 15 minutes
Emma Powell and Neil Gresham join the original pioneers of this unique ice climbing venue in British Columbia, as Tim Emmet and Klemen ‘Klem’ Premrl once again push the boundaries of steep, sporty ice.
After years of teasing, Tim finally invites his life-long friend Neil Gresham, along with top mixed climber Emma Powell, to stoke up their pioneering spirit and develop some new lines at this surreal venue.
Hard Git | 25 minutes
Controversial and never far from the news; climber Matt Wright goes trailblazing across the UK, making wild first ascents, hard solos and bold new lines. Loveable rogue and working-class hero Matt puts his money where his mouth is in this Tour-de-France of hard climbing.
After weighing up his time-verses-routes equation, Matt abandons an attempt of the infamous Rhapsody (E11) and sets off on a quest to climb new inspiring lines. He does not disappoint, with his energetic journey culminating in the first ascent of ‘Magical Thinking’ E10 7a – a heart-stoppingly dangerous route at Pavey Ark, Lake District.
Head Jam
Filmmaker Alastair Lee turns the camera on himself in this deep, introspective story of triumph through adversity. Perceived as a successful man with the perfect life, Al experiences unexpectedly dark times.
Fearing he will lose everything, we watch a man on the brink claw his way out of despair, using climbing and training to find peace and salvation. Having never been the greatest of climbers, Al demolishes his inner punter – attempting to fulfil his potential by setting his sights on routes he’s spent 30 years avoiding.
- Day: Wednesday
- Location: Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
- Time: Gates open at 6pm, and the movie starts at 7:30pm
- Genre: Adventure / Climbing
- Age restriction: TBC
- Tickets: Webtickets
4 April: The Horse Whisperer
The Horse Whisperer is a 1998 American Western drama film directed by and starring Robert Redford, based on the 1995 novel The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evans.
Redford plays the title role, a talented trainer with a remarkable gift for understanding horses who is hired to help a traumatised girl (played by Scarlett Johansson) and her horse back to health following a tragic accident.
- Day: Thursday
- Location: Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
- Time: Gates open at 6pm, and the movie starts at 7:30pm
- Genre: Western / Drama
- Age restriction: A
- Tickets: Webtickets
5 April: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is a 2023 American action adventure film.
Set in 1969, this rendition sees Indiana Jones, thinking his high-adventure days are long behind him, becoming embroiled in a series of events with his estranged goddaughter Helena Shaw. Their journey centres around a device that could ‘change the course of history’, and puts them up against Jürgen Voller, a Nazi agent turned NASA scientist who sees the object as an opportunity to correct Hitler’s past ‘mistakes’.
- Day: Friday
- Location: Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
- Time: Gates open at 6pm, and the movie starts at 7:30pm
- Genre: Action / Mystery
- Age restriction: 16 LPV
- Tickets: Webtickets
6 April: The Greatest Showman
The Greatest Showman is a biographical musical about young Phineas T. Barnum’s life as a child, entrepreneur, museum owner, circus producer and entertainment producer.
The film celebrates the birth of show business and tells of a visionary who rose from nothing to create a spectacle that became a worldwide sensation.
- Day: Saturday
- Location: Stellenbosch Waldorf School – on the Spier Wine Farm
- Time: Gates open at 5pm, and the movie starts at 7:30pm
- Genre: Musical / Drama
- Age restriction: 10-12 PG PV
- Tickets: Webtickets
10 April: Shotgun Wedding
Shotgun Wedding is a 2022 American romantic action comedy film. It stars Jennifer Lopez, Josh Duhamel, Sonia Braga, Jennifer Coolidge, Lenny Kravitz and Cheech Kravitz.
Darcy and Tom gather their families for the ultimate destination wedding but when the entire wedding party is taken hostage, the bride and groom must save their loved ones – if they don’t kill each other first!
- Day: Wednesday
- Location: Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
- Time: Gates open at 6pm, and the movie starts at 7:30pm
- Genre: Romantic Comedy Drama
- Age restriction: 16 LV
- Tickets: Webtickets
11 April: Avatar: The Way of Water
Avatar: The Way of Water is a 2022 American epic science fiction film directed and produced by James Cameron.
Cast members Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Giovanni Ribisi, Dileep Rao and Matt Gerald reprise their roles from the original film, with Sigourney Weaver returning in an additional role while Kate Winslet joins the cast.
Jake Sully (Worthington) lives with his newfound family formed on the extrasolar moon Pandora. Once a familiar threat returns to finish what was previously started, Jake must work with Neytiri and the army of the Na’vi race to protect their home.
- Day: Thursday
- Location: Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
- Time: Gates open at 6pm, and the movie starts at 7:30pm
- Genre: Science Fiction
- Age restriction: 13 LV
- Tickets: Webtickets
12 April: Aladdin (2019)
Aladdin is a 2019 musical fantasy film which is a live-action remake of Disney’s 1992 animated film. A kind-hearted street urchin and a power-hungry grand vizier vie for a magic lamp that has the power to make their deepest wishes come true.
- Day: Friday
- Location: Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
- Time: Gates open at 6pm, and the movie starts at 7:30pm
- Genre: Family-friendly / Kids
- Age restriction: 7-9 PG PV
- Tickets: Webtickets
13 April: The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby is a 2013 historical romantic drama film based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel of the same name, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby.
A writer and wall street trader, Nick (Tobey Maguire), finds himself drawn to the past and lifestyle of his millionaire neighbour, Jay Gatsby.
- Day: Saturday
- Location: Morgenhof Wine Estate
- Time: Gates open at 5pm, and the movie starts at 7:30pm
- Genre: Romantic Drama
- Age restriction: 10-12 PG V
- Tickets: Webtickets
17 April: Bride & Prejudice
Bride and Prejudice, a Bollywood musical, is a 2004 romantic drama film. A Bollywood-style adaptation of Jane Austen’s 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice. It features the lives of four unmarried daughters in an Indian family.
- Day: Wednesday
- Location: Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
- Time: Gates open at 6pm, and the movie starts at 7:30pm
- Genre: Bollywood Drama
- Age restriction: PG
- Tickets: Webtickets
18 April: Barbie
Barbie is a 2023 American fantasy comedy film. Based on the Barbie fashion dolls by Mattel, it is the first live-action Barbie film after numerous computer-animated films and specials.
The film follows Barbie (Margot Robbie) and Ken (Ryan Gosling) on a journey of self-discovery following an existential crisis.
- Day: Thursday
- Location: Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
- Time: Gates open at 6pm, and the movie starts at 7:30pm
- Genre: Comedy Drama
- Age restriction: 13 LPV
- Tickets: Webtickets
19 April: Penguins
Disneynature’s Penguins is a 2019 American nature documentary film directed by Alastair Fothergill and Jeff Wilson.
The coming-of-age story follows an Adélie penguin named Steve, who joins fellow males in the icy Antarctic spring on a quest to build a suitable nest, find a life partner and start a family. The American release of the film is narrated by Ed Harris.
- Day: Friday
- Location: Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
- Time: Gates open at 6pm, and the movie starts at 7:30pm
- Genre: Family-friendly / Kids
- Age restriction: PG
- Tickets: Webtickets
20 April: Dirty Dancing
Dirty Dancing is a 1987 American romantic drama dance film starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey. It tells the story of Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman (Grey), a young woman who falls in love with dance instructor Johnny Castle (Swayze) at a vacation resort.
- Day: Saturday
- Location: Nederburg Wine Farm
- Time: Gates open at 5pm, and the movie starts at 7:30pm
- Genre: Musical / Dance
- Age restriction: 13 PG
- Tickets: Webtickets
24 April: Oppenheimer
Oppenheimer is a 2023 epic biographical thriller film written and directed by Christopher Nolan. Based on the 2005 biography American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, the film chronicles the career of American theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atomic bomb.
The story predominantly focuses on Oppenheimer’s early studies, his direction of the Manhattan Project during World War II and his eventual fall from grace due to his 1954 security hearing.
The film stars Cillian Murphy as Oppenheimer, Emily Blunt as his wife Kitty, Matt Damon as General Leslie Groves, head of the Manhattan Project, Robert Downey Jr as Lewis Strauss, a senior member of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission and Florence Pugh as Communist Party USA member Jean Tatlock.
- Day: Wednesday
- Location: Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
- Time: Gates open at 6pm, and the movie starts at 7:30pm
- Genre: Thriller / Horror / Crime
- Age restriction: 13 L
- Tickets: Webtickets
25 April: Jumanji (1995)
Jumanji is a 1995 American urban fantasy-adventure film. Based on the 1981 children’s picture book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg. The film is the first installment in the Jumanji film series.
It stars Robin Williams and Kirsten Dunst. When two kids find and play a magical board game, they release a man trapped in it for decades – and a host of dangers that can only be stopped by finishing the game.
- Day: Thursday
- Location: Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
- Time: Gates open at 6pm, and the movie starts at 7:30pm
- Genre: Action / Mystery
- Age restriction: PG
- Tickets: Webtickets
26 April: Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is a 2018 British-American jukebox musical film. It is the sequel to the 2008 film Mamma Mia!, which in turn is based on the 1999 musical of the same name using the music of ABBA.
The film features an ensemble cast, including Dominic Cooper, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Andy García, Meryl Streep and Cher. Both a prequel and a sequel, the plot is set after the events of the previous film and is intersected with flashbacks to Donna’s youth in 1979, with some scenes from the two time periods mirroring each other.
- Day: Friday
- Location: Central Park, Century City
- Time: Gates open at 6pm, and the movie starts at 7:30pm
- Genre: Musical / Dance
- Age restriction: 10-12 PG
- Tickets: Webtickets
27 April: Grease
Grease is a classic musical rom-com that unfolds the 1958 summer romance of T-Bird greaser Danny and good girl Sandy, an Australian transfer student. The film stars John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John as Danny and Sandy.
- Day: Saturday
- Location: Lourensford Wine Estate
- Time: Gates open at 5pm, and the movie starts at 7:30pm
- Genre: Musical / Dance
- Age restriction: PG
- Tickets: Webtickets
Also read:
Savour the final days of summer with The Galileo Open Air Cinema
Picture: Supplied