ICA is closed from the 30 May – 3 June inclusive.
Once Upon A Time, Cinema, dir. Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Iran 1992, 96 mins., Farsi with English subtitles
Book tickets
This 1001 Nights of Iranian cinema is complex and dazzling. A monarch with 84 wives and 200 children, Nasser edin Shah (played by Ezzatollah Entezami), has a prejudice against cinema. But on seeing his first silent movie, Lor Girl (1932), he falls for the heroine and abandons everything to become an actor. This is a highly imaginative film in which characters jump on and off screen, time leaps back and forth, and clips from several early Iranian films are seamlessly blended into the movie.
Book tickets
06:30 pm
Thu, 15 May 2025
Cinema 1
Ticket information
- All tickets that do not require ID (full price, disabled, income support) can be printed at home or stored in email
- For aged-based concession tickets (under 25, student) please bring relevant ID to collect at the front desk before the event.
Access information
Cinema 1
- Both our Cinemas have step free access from The Mall and are accessible by ramp
- We have 1 wheelchair allocated space with a seat for a companion
- All seats are hard back, have a crushed velvet feel and they do not recline
- These are our seat size dimensions: W 42 x D 45 x H 52
- Arm rest either side of the seat dimensions: L 27 x W 7 x H 20
for the following requirements:
- We have unassigned seating. If you require a specific seat, please reserve this in advance
- Free for visitors where ticket prices are a barrier, please email
All films are ad-free and 18+ unless otherwise stated, and start with a 10 min. curated selection of trailers.
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no. 236848.