The Vanishing: with Rambling Cinema & Dr Christina Brennan

About

Thursday 15th May | 2025 | 7pm to 11pm
Nottingham Central Library
Pay what you feel, or £7 per person

Join Nottingham's Rambling Cinema for a screening of the 1988 film. Plus, enjoy a special talk from Dr Christina Brennan, author of the first book made about the film, also titled 'The Vanishing'.

A young couple, Rex and Saskia, are on a summer cycling trip in rural France. During a regular stop-off at a service station, Saskia disappears. Rex is haunted by what happened to Saskia and will stop at nothing to find out what happened to his girlfriend. Only one man knows Saskia's fate. After stalking Rex and following his obsessive efforts to retrace Saskia's final steps, he offers to reveal the truth to Rex – but at a terrible price.

This terrifying film by Dutch director George Sluizer is a slow-burn psychological thriller that offers a closer look at the mundanity of evil. The haunting plot lulls its audience into a false sense of security but turns into a dark, almost Gothic tale of grief and obsession.

Dr Christina Brennan, author of the first book on The Vanishing (published in March 2025 with Liverpool University Press), will introduce The Vanishing. Her talk will cover the inspiration for The Vanishing and its adaptation from the Dutch crime novel of the same name. She'll also cover the film's production history, critical reception, and comparisons to Hitchcock's most famous films.

The Vanishing is presented by Rambling Cinema, a pop-up cinema in Nottingham dedicated to showcasing foreign-language films from all over the world, proving how entertaining and accessible they can be. Find us at our monthly screenings at Carousel, as well as a venue near you!

"A real nail-biter: a clean, logical nightmare with a fantastically absorbing plot – the appalling, horrific climax will haunt your mind long after this film is over" – LA Times

About Rambling Cinema

Your favourite film, just not in English.

Rambling Cinema is a Nottingham-based pop-up cinema showing foreign-language films from around the world. They want to prove how accessible, entertaining and exciting these films can be and create a community interested in discussing them!

Come along to their monthly films at Carousel in Nottingham, and stick around for a drink and a chat afterwards.

You can keep up to date with the upcoming films over on their Instagram.