The sun of June can be oppressive in its own way. For the fourth year in a row, the American Cinematheque in Los Angeles has given local cinephiles a refuge from the mirth of spring-summer months with Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair — a week-long season of soul-crushing and gruelling masterpieces. In this fourth episode of Hard Truths, Elena and Manuela discuss three films playing in the first ever UK edition of Bleak Week, taking place at the Prince Charles Cinema in London from June 15 to 21. F. W. Murnau’s THE LAST LAUGH (DER LETZTE MANN, 1924), John McNaughton’s HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER (1986), and Lars von Trier’s BREAKING THE WAVES (1996) are all unhappy films in their own specific way, and all worthwhile experiences of cinema. 

THE LAST LAUGH plays on Monday 16 June, 6:15pm, with a live score by Hugo Max.

HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER plays on Tuesday 17 June at 12:45pm, from a 35mm print.

BREAKING THE WAVES plays on Friday 20 June at 12:15pm. 

Hard Truths is an ⁠Animus⁠ film podcast. Every other week, Animus founder and editor Elena Lazic catches up from London, UK, with her twin Manuela, who can usually be found across the pond in Paris. Expect animated conversations about cinema, digressions into unrelated topics, and trivial facts from our personal lives. Do NOT expect to immediately be able to tell us apart. 

Hard Truths is made possible by ⁠True Cinephile⁠ paying members who, for £3.50/month or £35/year, access all instalments of the advice column for cinephiles Psycho. two days early, and more.