Cristi, a corrupt Bucharest cop on the payroll of the local mafia, has become embroiled in the very drug-money-laundering operation which he has been tasked with investigating. He has discovered that his superiors (themselves hardly impervious to bribes) suspect him and have placed secret surveillance cameras in his apartment. He knows exactly where those cameras are but must carry on as normal to avoid detection. 

A crooked businessman, who knows where 30 million euros of the mobsters' money is hidden, has been imprisoned and an elaborate plan is formulated to free him. In order to play his part in the operation and communicate with his co-conspirators in a code the police cannot crack, Cristi is required to learn Silbo, the ancestral (and quite genuine) whistling language on the Spanish Canary island of Gomera. 

What ensues is a fast-paced and intricate gangster noir, replete with a tangle of double-crossings, multiple plot twists, money in mattresses and a beguiling femme fatale. The film represents a major stylistic departure for its director, Corneliu Porumboiu, whose previous films have been austere, rigorously linear and understated in the manner of the 'Romanian New Wave'. What we have in The Whistlers is a cleverly structured, very stylish and highly entertaining crime thriller, suffused with bone-dry black comedy. The film also benefits from a fine lead performance from Vlad Ivanov (last seen at RFS in 2018 in Graduation) and an eclectic soundtrack, which includes the judicious use of Iggy Pop's 1977 track, The Passenger.

65 non-member tickets are available to purchase for this screening. Non-member tickets are £5 (full-time students £3) and can be purchased in advance from The Exchange's Box Office: online at http://exchangetwickenham.co.uk/events, by telephone 020 8240 2399 or in person. To ensure that you secure a ticket and avoid disappointment, we strongly recommend early pre-booking via The Exchange.

Should any non-member tickets remain available on the night of screenings, they can be purchased solely from The Exchange's box office on the ground floor. Purchases are by contactless payments only.

Richmond Film Society was formed in 1963 and has since screened over 860 films. Our objective was, and remains, to bring our community the very best in World Cinema. Our 20-film seasons run from September to June and attract an aggregate audience approaching 4,500 attendees.

Films are shown on alternate Tuesdays at 8:00 pm sharp, with no ads or trailers. On screening nights, the bar opens at 7:00 p.m. and drinks can be brought into the auditorium. Film notes are available online for each screening and audience scores and feedback are collated.

See http://www.richmondfilmsoc.org.uk for further information and full details of our Season 60 programme.