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Sat 29 Aug · 15:45
In Victorian London, surgeon Frederick Treves discovers Joseph Merrick, a severely disfigured man being exploited as a travelling sideshow attraction. As Treves offers Merrick refuge within the hospital, their relationship reveals a man of remarkable intelligence, sensitivity and dignity, while exposing the cruelty and prejudice of the society that has long treated him as a curiosity rather than a human being. Directed by David Lynch and based on the life of Joseph Merrick, The Elephant Man marked a striking departure from the surrealism of Eraserhead while retaining Lynch's distinctive sensitivity to outsiders and hidden emotional worlds. Shot in luminous black and white and featuring acclaimed performances from John Hurt and Anthony Hopkins, the film received eight Academy Award nominations and remains one of the most moving and humane works in modern British cinema.