Ciné O'Clock

Despite some incomprehensible ideological stances -due perhaps to its insularity- England (and by extension Great Britain) has so much to share. Its Seventh Art in particular, which sails up and down the Thames with its implacable stiff upper lip, its impassioned social chronicles, touching but not so romantic films, inspired cartoons and very darkly humorous comedies. Lucky you! In the long line of festivals hosted by Lyon, one in particular is devoted to this type of cinema. The name of this festival is Ciné O'Clock, initially launched by the highly active Le Zola cinema in Villeurbanne, and now embarking on its 23rd edition. From the 3rd to the 11th February, you'll have nine days to get to know our beloved neighbours. The list goes on and on. Here are our three favourites.

1 –Sunday 4th February: kids (and parents, thank heavens) will be able to discover Cro Man, the new film by Nick Park, the creator of Wallace & Gromit, Chicken Run and Shaun the Sheep. With some great 3D knock-ups, a type of humour that bridges the generation gap, and mammoths. What more could you want?

2 – Tuesday 6th February: a side-splitting session with the projection of the legendary comedy The Party by Blake Edwards, a film that made Peter Sellers the demigod of slap and tickle. Not to be missed.

3 – Friday 9th February: Monty Python's And Now for Something Completely Different. This anthology of sketches taken from the two first seasons of the TV series Monty Python's Flying Circus is guaranteed to make you laugh your head off.

With such a wonderful programme the choice wasn't easy: a restored copy of The Crime of the Orient Express by Sydney Lumet, the Mary Shelley preview, the great classic Saturday night and Sunday morning...  Full programme and tickets available on www.cineoclock.com