Summer of Classics at Cinema Akil: 100 Years Of All-Time Favourites

This year, we sail together through cinema’s most enduring treasures. Spanning a full century—from the silent wonders of the 1920s to the poetic tales of today—this programme brings together 14 films that continue to move audiences around the world. These are not just celebrated or influential works—they are stories that speak to the emotions, memories, and questions that live at the heart of being human.

The programme begins with two silent-era gems released in 1925, The Gold Rush and The Phantom of the Opera. In The Gold Rush, Charlie Chaplin’s Little Tramp faces hunger and hardship with humour and hope, offering a story that feels surprisingly fresh even today. The Phantom of the Opera introduced audiences to the haunting power of gothic horror, with unforgettable imagery and a tender portrayal of the outsider that still resonates nearly a century later.

From the streets of Dakar, The Money Order (Mandabi) presents a powerful tale of a man trying to cash a simple money order in a maze of bureaucracy. It is not only a sharp and moving critique of postcolonial systems but also holds the historic distinction of being the first film ever made in the Wolof language.

Around the same period, Rebel Without a Cause gave a voice to the inner turmoil of postwar youth. James Dean’s performance continues to capture the deep longing for connection and meaning that defines adolescence, a theme mirrored decades later in La Haine, which shifts the focus to the charged streets of 1990s France. Both films echo the cries of misunderstood youth, confronting systems that fail to hear them.

Many of the films in this selection explore questions of identity, belonging, and self-expression. Dead Poets Society celebrates the power of language, mentorship, and the courage to break away from convention. Edward Scissorhands tells the story of a gentle outsider whose difference becomes both his gift and his burden. These films speak to anyone who has ever felt out of place or longed to be truly understood.

Love, time, and human connection come to life in Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, two deeply personal films where a single conversation becomes a turning point in the lives of two strangers. On the other side of the emotional spectrum, Memento tells a fractured story of memory and